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HB 5674WEST VIRGINIASession 2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

West Virginia Bill HB 5674 expands civil rights protections and criminal penalties for bias-motivated offenses

Original title: Prohibiting civil rights violations based on disability, gender identity or sexual orientation

Last action · February 17, 2026: To House JudiciarySponsor: John Williams

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

West Virginia HB 5674 expands state civil rights protections and criminal penalties to prohibit violence or intimidation based on disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. The measure makes bias-motivated offenses punishable as felonies with fines up to $5,000 or up to 10 years in prison, while providing alternative sentencing and options. Additionally, the legislation restricts the admissibility of constitutionally protected speech in prosecutions unless directly related to the crime.

Why it matters

The measure establishes new criminal penalties and specific legal protections for individuals targeted based on disability, gender identity, or sexual orientation, altering how prosecutors handle bias-motivated crimes and evidence admissibility in West Virginia courts.

Background

West Virginia's existing hate crime and civil rights statute (§61-6-21) outlines criminal penalties for threats or violence motivated by characteristics such as race, religion, or sex, but previously omitted disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Individuals with disabilities, gender identity, or sexual orientation minorities

Individuals within these groups receive explicit legal protections against violence and intimidation under state civil rights and penalty enhancement statutes.

Directly affected

Defendants prosecuted under the statute

Defendants face potential felony charges, fines, or imprisonment, while also becoming eligible for deferred adjudication and alternative sentencing considerations.

Not affected

Labor unions and organizers

The bill explicitly states that nothing in the section shall be construed to prohibit, impede, or interfere with labor union or labor union organizing activities.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What new categories are added to West Virginia's civil rights protections under this bill?

The bill adds disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation to the protected classes under the state's civil rights and hate crime laws.

What are the penalties for violating these provisions?

A violation is classified as a felony, carrying a fine of not more than $5,000, imprisonment in a state correctional facility for not more than 10 years, or both.

Can constitutionally protected speech be used as evidence in a prosecution under this bill?

Evidence of constitutionally protected speech or associations is generally not admissible unless it is specifically related to the crime charged and probative of intent to target a specific victim or commit a specific crime.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

4 actions

Feb 17, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Judiciary
Feb 17, 2026HouseIntroduced
Introduced in House
Feb 17, 2026HouseCommittee
To Judiciary
Feb 17, 2026HouseIntroduced
Filed for introduction

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift98% confidence

Expansion of Protected Classes in State Hate Crime Law

The bill broadens West Virginia's existing civil rights protections by explicitly incorporating disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation into criminal penalty statutes.

Connected Entities

House of Delegates, Committee on the Judiciary

OrganizationHouse of Delegates“Origin chamber for House Bill 5674”Map →

OrganizationCommittee on the Judiciary“House committee assigned to review the bill”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
Controversy80
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz60
Current news / social attention level

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