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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill HB 5393 expands bankruptcy property exemptions and adds surviving spouse homestead rights
Last action · February 10, 2026: To House FinanceSponsor: Bill Roop
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 5393 permits a surviving spouse to claim a deceased spouse's if they owned the home together and the surviving spouse now owns it, while also updating bankruptcy property exemption limits for residents filing under federal bankruptcy law.
Residents filing for bankruptcy can protect higher dollar amounts of certain personal property, tools, and residences from liquidation, and surviving homeowners retain specific property tax or exemption protections previously tied to a deceased spouse.
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.
Surviving spouses
Surviving spouses gain the ability to claim a deceased spouse's homestead exemption on homes previously owned together.
Individuals filing for bankruptcy
Debtors filing under federal bankruptcy law experience altered exemption limits for personal property, tools, and wildcard exemptions.
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 a surviving spouse claim a deceased spouse's homestead exemption?
What is the new wildcard personal property exemption amount under the bill?
What else do you want to know?
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- Feb 10, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Finance
- Feb 10, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Feb 10, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Finance
- Feb 10, 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
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 45)
- Controversy10Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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