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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill Codifies Public Nuisance Laws and Restricts Government and Private Lawsuits
Last action · February 18, 2026: To JudiciarySponsor: Zack Maynard
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What This Bill Proposed
Senate Bill 991 establishes statutory definitions and limits for claims in West Virginia, requiring government entities to prove physical presence within their jurisdiction and restricting private citizens to compensatory damages for special injuries. The measure explicitly excludes lawful actions, product manufacturing, and the aggregation of private rights from qualifying as public nuisances.
Changes how municipal authorities and private individuals can file lawsuits, restricting government remedies strictly to injunctions and quantifiable abatement costs while prohibiting class actions and damages for future nuisances.
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.
Government entities
State and local governing bodies face new jurisdictional limits and restricted legal remedies when filing public nuisance actions.
Private citizens
Individuals must prove a distinct special injury by clear and convincing evidence to bring a public nuisance claim and are restricted solely to compensatory damages.
Property owners and businesses
Entities are protected from public nuisance claims arising from lawful, authorized activities, product manufacturing, or marketing.
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 qualifies as a public nuisance under this bill?
Can a private citizen file a class action lawsuit for a public nuisance?
What remedies can a government entity seek in a public nuisance lawsuit?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Feb 18, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 18, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Feb 18, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Feb 18, 2026SenateIntroducedFiled 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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Codification and Restriction of Public Nuisance Law
The bill replaces common law standards for public nuisance with explicit statutory limitations, removing the ability of governments to recover damages and restricting private actions to special injuries.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 80)
- Controversy75Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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