The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Requires Secretary of State to Refer Election Law Violations to Prosecuting Attorneys Institute
Last action · March 4, 2026: To JudiciarySponsors: Gary Howell and 10 others
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What This Bill Proposed
To give the Secretary of State authority to refer allegations of violations of election laws to West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute.
Changes the investigative workflow for election crimes by mandating specialized external oversight through the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute and obligates county commissions to cover the travel and operational expenses of the assigned special prosecutor.
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.
Secretary of State
Must issue written reports of election law violations and receive periodic 60-day status updates from appointed special prosecutors.
County Prosecuting Attorneys
Required to forward the Secretary of State's election violation reports to the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute for special prosecutor appointment and are subject to appointment as special prosecutors.
West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute
Must appoint a special prosecuting attorney upon receiving an election law violation referral and track investigation statuses.
County Commissions
Must pay monthly special prosecution premiums to the State Treasurer and cover all allowable expenses associated with special prosecutors appointed to their county.
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 happens after the Secretary of State reports an election law violation?
How often does the special prosecutor need to update the Secretary of State?
Who pays for the expenses of the special prosecuting attorney?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Bias ratings based on AllSides / Media Bias/Fact Check
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · passed the House · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
27 actions- Mar 4, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Mar 4, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Mar 4, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Feb 27, 2026HouseCommunicated to Senate
- Feb 27, 2026HouseTitle amendment adopted (Voice vote)
- Feb 27, 2026HouseFloorPassed House (Roll No. 222)
Show 21 earlier actions
- Feb 27, 2026HouseRead 3rd time
- Feb 27, 2026HouseOn 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- Feb 26, 2026HouseAmendment adopted (Voice vote)
- Feb 26, 2026HouseAmendment reported by the Clerk
- Feb 26, 2026HouseRead 2nd time
- Feb 25, 2026HousePostponed on 2nd reading, Special Calendar, until 2/26/2026
- Feb 25, 2026HouseRead 2nd time
- Feb 25, 2026HouseFrom House Calendar, 2nd reading, placed on Special Calendar
- Feb 2, 2026HouseOn 2nd reading, House Calendar
- Jan 30, 2026HousePlaced on House Calendar
- Jan 30, 2026HouseOn 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- Jan 29, 2026HouseRead 1st time
- Jan 28, 2026HouseBy substitute, do pass
- Jan 23, 2026HouseMarkup Discussion
- Jan 21, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Judiciary
- Jan 20, 2026HouseMarkup Discussion
- Jan 20, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Courts
- Jan 16, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Judiciary
- Jan 16, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Jan 16, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Jan 16, 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.
Mandatory Special Prosecutor Referrals for Election Crimes
Shifts election violation handling from direct local prosecutorial discretion to a mandatory multi-agency workflow involving the Secretary of State and the West Virginia Prosecuting Attorneys Institute.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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