The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill SB 599 Prohibits Abortifacients and Establishes Penalties and Informed Consent Rules
Last action · January 23, 2026: To Health and Human ResourcesSponsors: Patricia Rucker and 1 other
Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.
What This Bill Proposed
Senate Bill 599 prohibits the mailing, prescribing, or dispensing of s in West Virginia, establishing felony prison sentences for non-medical providers, license revocation for medical professionals, and a $10,000 civil cause of action. The measure also mandates strict informed consent procedures, a 24-hour waiting period, and the creation of an informational website and hotline by the Department of Health.
The bill alters legal liabilities and criminal penalties for individuals and medical professionals involved in distributing s, while imposing specific informational and counseling requirements on physicians prior to performing medical procedures.
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.
licensed medical professionals
Licensed medical professionals face mandatory license revocation if they violate provisions regarding abortifacients and must adhere to new informed consent disclosures and 24-hour waiting periods.
pharmacies
Pharmacies fulfilling lawfully valid prescriptions issued by licensed medical professionals are exempted from criminal liability under the bill.
Department of Health
The Department of Health is required to publish multilingual printed materials, develop and monitor an internet website, and staff a 24-hour hotline.
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 are the criminal penalties for illegally distributing abortifacients under this bill?
Can a pregnant woman be prosecuted under the criminal provisions of this bill?
What information must be provided to a patient regarding chemical abortions?
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- Jan 23, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Health and Human Resources
- Jan 23, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Jan 23, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Health and Human Resources then Judiciary
- Jan 23, 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.
Comprehensive Restructuring of Abortifacient Regulations
The bill introduces targeted civil liabilities allowing $10,000 damages per violation independently of criminal indictments, alongside mandatory license revocations for medical professionals.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
- Controversy90Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz65Current news / social attention level
Publisher tools