West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Enacted

SB 281 — Authorizing Department of Homeland Security to promulgate legislative rules

Last action — Chapter 215, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed Senate
  4. ✓
    Passed House of Delegates
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 15, 2026. Enacted.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 70% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 2 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

The bill allows the Department of Homeland Security to create legislative rules.

This legislation empowers the Department of Homeland Security to develop and implement legislative rules. It lays out the framework for how these rules are established and allows for greater regulatory flexibility.

Summary

Authorizing Department of Homeland Security to promulgate legislative rules

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

45 added · 26 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of SB 281 includes specific authorizations for several legislative rules related to emergency response and the West Virginia State Police. It clarifies the dates these rules were filed and modifies them to address concerns raised by the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee. This change is important because it ensures that the state's emergency response and police procedures are properly regulated and up to date, enhancing public safety and accountability.

→
Previous
Latest
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 281 BY SENATORUCKER [Reported January 22, 2026, from the Committee on the Judiciary] CS for SB 281 A BILL to amend and reenact §64-6-1 et seq.
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Enrolled Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 281 BY SENATORUCKER [Passed March 12, 2026;
in effect from passage] Enr CS for SB 281 AN ACT to amend and reenact §64-6-1 et seq.
CS for SB 281 §64-6-2.
Enr CS for SB 281 §64-6-2.
(c) The legislative rule filed in the State Register on July 23, 2025, authorized under the authority of §15-2-6 of this code, modified by the West Virginia State Police to meet the objections of the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee and refiled in the State Register on September CS for SB 281 24, 2025, relating to the West Virginia State Police (West Virginia State Police Member Grievance Procedure, 81 CSR 08), is authorized.
(c) The legislative rule filed in the State Register on July 23, 2025, authorized under the authority of §15-2-6 of this code, modified by the West Virginia State Police to meet the objections of the Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee and refiled in the State Register on September Enr CS for SB 281 24, 2025, relating to the West Virginia State Police (West Virginia State Police Member Grievance Procedure, 81 CSR 08), is authorized.
Enr CS for SB 281 The Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Delegates hereby certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.
...............................................................
Clerk of the Senate ...............................................................
Clerk of the House of Delegates Originated in the Senate.
In effect from passage.
...............................................................
President of the Senate ...............................................................
Speaker of the House of Delegates __________ The within is ................................................
this the...........................................
Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2026.
.............................................................
Governor 5
⬇ Download PDF
View plain text versions (3)

Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. To Judiciary

  3. Introduced in Senate

  4. To Judiciary

  5. Committee substitute reported

  6. On 1st reading

  7. Read 1st time

  8. On 2nd reading

  9. Read 2nd time

  10. On 3rd reading

  11. Read 3rd time

  12. Passed Senate (Roll No. 11)

  13. Effective from passage (Roll No. 12)

  14. Ordered to House

  15. House received Senate message

  16. Introduced in House

  17. To Judiciary

  18. To House Judiciary

  19. Markup Discussion

  20. Do pass

  21. Immediate consideration

  22. Read 1st time

  23. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  24. Read 2nd time

  25. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  26. Read 3rd time

  27. Passed House (Roll No. 418)

  28. Effective from passage (Roll No. 419)

  29. Communicated to Senate

  30. Completed legislative action

  31. House Message received

  32. To Governor 3/18/2026

  33. To Governor 3/18/2026 - Senate Journal

  34. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026

  35. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal

  36. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal

  37. Chapter 215, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

Sponsors

  • Rucker · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 151 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

  • Rucker

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (151)

151 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 151 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Subjects

immigration
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does SB 281 do?
Authorizing Department of Homeland Security to promulgate legislative rules
Who sponsors SB 281?
SB 281 is sponsored by Rucker.
What is the current status of SB 281?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 15, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 281?
Track SB 281 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on SB 281

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of SB 281

Last checked for changes 7 days ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →