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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill Regulates Collection and Retention of Biometric Data by Private Entities
Last action · February 16, 2026: To House Health and Human ResourcesSponsor: Laura Kimble
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What This Bill Proposed
Delegate Kimble introduced House Bill 5567 to establish the Biometric Information Privacy Act, requiring private entities to obtain before collecting s and setting strict guidelines for data retention, security, and destruction. The bill provides individuals with a private in court to recover damages for negligent or intentional violations.
Private businesses operating in West Virginia would face statutory damages ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 per violation, along with attorney fees, if they fail to properly secure, disclose, or destroy customer or employee biometric information such as fingerprints or facial geometry.
- Delegate Kimble introduced House Bill 5567 during the 2026 regular legislative session in West Virginia. context
- State biometric privacy acts regulate how private corporations collect, store, and share sensitive physical characteristics like fingerprints and facial recognition scans. 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.
Private entities
Must establish written retention and destruction policies, secure written release before collecting biometrics, and comply with prohibitions against selling or improperly disclosing biometric data.
Consumers and employees
Gain the right to receive written notice and give written consent before biometric data collection, as well as a private right of action to sue for statutory damages if violations occur.
Financial institutions
Are exempted from the article if subject to Title V of the federal Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999.
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 types of scans or data are classified as biometric identifiers under this bill?
Are healthcare providers and patient medical records covered by this biometric privacy law?
What penalties can a private entity face for violating these data retention and collection rules?
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 16, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Health and Human Resources
- Feb 16, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Feb 16, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Health and Human Resources then Judiciary
- Feb 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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Introduction of Comprehensive Biometric Regulation
West Virginia is considering establishing baseline statutory protections and private rights of action for biometric data handling, mirroring laws enacted in states like Illinois.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy60Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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