The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill 4931 prohibits firearm registries and imposes civil penalties up to $100,000
Last action · January 29, 2026: To House JudiciarySponsors: Chris Anders and 8 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Relating to the protection of firearm owner privacy and prohibition of registries
The bill creates financial liabilities for state agencies, private entities, or federal contractors that store firearm transaction records, and grants private citizens and the Attorney General to sue violators in court.
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives operates the National Tracing Center in Martinsburg, West Virginia. context
- The Firearm Owners' Protection Act of 1986 prohibits the creation of a centralized, computerized federal registry of firearms. 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.
Firearm owners in West Virginia
Firearm owners gain statutory protections against the creation or maintenance of firearm registries and receive standing to file civil lawsuits for violations.
State and local government agencies in West Virginia
State and local agencies, departments, and employees are strictly prohibited from creating or maintaining firearm registries under threat of civil penalties.
Federal employees and contractors operating within West Virginia
Federal workers and contractors inside the state are prohibited from operating or assisting in firearm registries and face civil liabilities for non-compliance.
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
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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- Jan 29, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Judiciary
- Jan 29, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Jan 29, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Jan 29, 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 4 more sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
State-Level Prohibition on Federal Database Cooperation
The bill explicitly targets federal employees and contractors operating within state borders, prohibiting assistance in maintaining firearm transaction records databases.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy85Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz65Current news / social attention level
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