The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia establishes rules for selecting and overseeing Article V convention delegates with criminal penalties for rule violations
Last action · February 13, 2026: To House JudiciarySponsors: Bill Ridenour and 10 others
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What This Bill Proposed
West Virginia House Bill 5507 establishes a comprehensive legal framework for selecting, compensating, and overseeing state delegates to a federal Article V constitutional convention. The legislation imposes strict voting restrictions, bans gifts exceeding $200, creates an oversight advisory committee, and makes violations of legislative instructions a felony punishable by up to two years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The measure creates criminal liability and severe financial penalties for state delegates who deviate from legislative instructions at a constitutional convention while establishing salaries matching state lawmakers and expense allowances.
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.
Article V convention delegates
Delegates are subject to strict eligibility requirements, mandatory oaths, disciplinary oversight by an advisory committee, gift caps, and criminal penalties for violating legislative instructions.
State legislators
Legislators are tasked with appointing delegates, issuing instructions through commissioning resolutions, serving on the Advisory Committee, and reviewing recall actions.
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
Who is eligible to serve as a West Virginia delegate to an Article V convention?
What penalties do delegates face for violating legislative instructions?
How are vacancies in the delegation filled?
What financial compensation and gift limits apply to delegates?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 13, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Judiciary
- Feb 13, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Feb 13, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 13, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled 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.
Sponsors
Show 6 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Criminalization of Delegate Deviation
The bill establishes felony criminal penalties and heavy fines specifically for state delegates who exceed their authority or vote against legislative instructions at a federal convention.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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