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HB 5621WEST VIRGINIASession 2026State Billdead

Did Not Advance

West Virginia Bill Exempts Prosecutors' Offices from Public Records Requests

Original title: Prosecutor FOIA Bill

Last action · February 16, 2026: To House JudiciarySponsor: Jonathan Pinson

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

House Bill 5621 exempts the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney from public records requests by classifying prosecutor-held crime detection and investigation materials as exempt from disclosure.

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

Office of the Prosecuting Attorney

The office is explicitly exempted from complying with Freedom of Information Act requests regarding crime detection and investigation materials.

Directly affected

General Public and Media

Individuals and reporters lose the ability to obtain certain crime detection and investigation records directly from the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney via public records requests.

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

Does this bill apply to all records held by a prosecuting attorney?

The bill exempts records and materials relating to the detection and investigation of crime which are received and maintained by a prosecuting attorney.

Which law does this bill amend?

The bill amends §29B-1-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, relating to s under the state public records laws.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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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

Feb 16, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Judiciary
Feb 16, 2026HouseIntroduced
Introduced in House
Feb 16, 2026HouseCommittee
To Judiciary
Feb 16, 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 →

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.

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Prosecutorial Public Records Exemption

The bill carves out a specific statutory exclusion for prosecuting attorneys from the presumption of public accessibility under the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

Office of the Prosecuting Attorney

Connected Entities

House of Delegates, Office of the Prosecuting Attorney, Committee on the Judiciary

OrganizationHouse of Delegates“The originating chamber of the legislature.”Map →

OrganizationOffice of the Prosecuting Attorney“The office exempted from Freedom of Information Act requests under the bill.”Map →

OrganizationCommittee on the Judiciary“The legislative committee to which the bill was referred.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance20
Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
Controversy75
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment10
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz40
Current news / social attention level

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