Part ofCorrections →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.

SB 611WEST VIRGINIASession 2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

West Virginia Bill Codifies Common-Law Involuntary Manslaughter Definition and Penalties

Original title: Codifying common-law definition of involuntary manslaughter

Last action · January 27, 2026: To JudiciarySponsor: Joey Garcia

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 Senate Bill 611 codifies the of involuntary manslaughter as a misdemeanor, maintaining penalties of up to one year in jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both, while explicitly requiring that a defendant's act proximately cause the death of another.

Why it matters

Establishes a statutory standard requiring prosecutors to prove a direct, proximate causal link between a defendant's unlawful act or unlawful execution of a lawful act and a victim's death to secure an involuntary manslaughter conviction.

Background

Involuntary manslaughter has traditionally been defined in common law through judicial precedent rather than detailed statutory text in many jurisdictions. 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

Defendants in criminal proceedings

Individuals facing manslaughter charges are subject to a codified statutory standard explicitly requiring proof of proximate cause.

Directly affected

Prosecutors

State prosecutors must establish that a defendant's unlawful or unlawfully performed act proximately caused a death to secure a conviction.

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 is the penalty for involuntary manslaughter under this bill?

A person convicted can be fined up to $1,000, confined in jail for not more than one year, or both.

What new legal requirement does this bill introduce for a conviction?

The bill explicitly specifies that a defendant's act must proximately cause the death of another person.

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 Senate committee.

Procedural history

4 actions

Jan 27, 2026SenateCommittee
To Judiciary
Jan 27, 2026SenateIntroduced
Introduced in Senate
Jan 26, 2026SenateCommittee
To Judiciary
Jan 26, 2026SenateIntroduced
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.

Connected Entities

Judiciary, West Virginia Legislature, Senator Garcia

OrganizationJudiciary“Senate committee to which the bill was referred.”Map →

OrganizationWest Virginia Legislature“Legislative body considering the bill.”Map →

PersonSenator Garcia“Introduced Senate Bill 611 in the West Virginia Senate.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools