West Virginia Bill Prohibits Firing Employees Who Use Defensive Force Against Workplace Attackers

Original title: Prohibiting the termination of employment of an employee who defends themselves from an attack inside workplace

Last action · January 30, 2026: To House JudiciarySponsors: Laura Kimble and 9 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

West Virginia House Bill 5001 prohibits employers from terminating or taking adverse employment actions against workers who use reasonable, proportionate, or deadly force to defend themselves or others from an attack at their workplace. The measure establishes that employees have no if they reasonably believe they face imminent danger of death or .

Why it matters

Workers attacked at their place of employment gain explicit protection from job loss when utilizing defensive force, altering employer disciplinary rules and standard termination policies across the state.

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

Employees

Workers gain legal protection from job termination when using proportionate or deadly force to defend against non-coworker attacks at their workplace.

Directly affected

Employers

Businesses and employers lose the authority to terminate employees solely for utilizing reasonable or deadly force in self-defense against non-coworker attackers during work hours.

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

Can an employer fire an employee for fighting back against a co-worker who attacks them?

No. The bill specifies that the protection applies to attacks by a person 'who is not an employee co-worker'.

Does an employee have a duty to retreat before using deadly force at work under this bill?

No. The bill explicitly states that a person may use deadly force at their place of employment without a if they reasonably believe they are in imminent danger of death or .

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

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

Procedural history

4 actions

Jan 30, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Judiciary
Jan 30, 2026HouseIntroduced
Introduced in House
Jan 30, 2026HouseCommittee
To Judiciary
Jan 30, 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 →