West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Introduced Bipartisan · 5 R · 1 D cosponsors

SB 549 — Phasing in increase in daily rate of juror pay

Last action — To House Finance

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

This bill died with 2026 Session. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.

This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.

Summary

Phasing in increase in daily rate of juror pay

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

63 added · 63 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill SB 549 increases the daily pay for jurors, allowing them to receive between $25 to $70 starting July 1, 2026, and increasing to $40 to $100 by July 1, 2027. Previously, the bill set the maximum juror pay at $40 per day. This change is important because it aims to provide fairer compensation for jurors, which might help encourage more people to serve in this civic duty without financial strain. Additionally, it still includes mileage reimbursement and provisions for meals and lodging when jurors are in custody.

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WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Introduced Senate Bill 549 By Senators Hamilton, Azinger, Deeds, Fuller, Garcia, Oliverio, Phillips, Takubo, Thorne, Weld, Woelfel, and Woodrum [Introduced January 21, 2026;
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 549 BY SENATORS H AMILTON, AZINGER, EEDS , ULLER , GARCIA, OLIVERIO, HILLIP, AKUBO , HORNE , WELD , W OELFEL , WOODRUM , MORRIS, QUEEN,AND B ARNHART [Reported February 16, 2006, from the Committee on Finance.] CS for SB 549 A BILL to amend and reenact §52-1-17 and §52-2-13 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to phasing in an increase in the daily rate of juror pay.
referred to the Committee on Finance] Intr SB 549 2026R2856 A BILL to amend and reenact §52-1-17 and §52-2-13 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to increasing juror pay from $40 per day to $100 per day.
(a) A juror shall be paid mileage, at the rate set by the Secretary of the Department of Administration, for travel expenses to and from the juror’s residence to the courthouse or other place where the court is convened and shall be reimbursed for other expenses incurred as a result of his or her required attendance at sessions of the court at a rate of not less than $15 $40 nor more than $40 $100, set at the discretion of the circuit court or the chief judge of the circuit court, for each day of required attendance.
(a) Effective July 1, 2026, a juror shall be paid mileage, at the rate set by the Secretary of the Department of Administration, for travel expenses to and from the juror’s residence to the courthouse or other place where the court is convened and shall be reimbursed for other expenses incurred as a result of his or her required attendance at sessions of the court at a rate of not less than $15 $25 nor more than $40 $70, set at the discretion of the circuit court or the chief judge of the circuit court, for each day of required attendance.
Effective July 1, 2027, the rate shall increase to not less than $40 nor more than $100.
(2) In every civil case, against either party or prorated against both parties, at the court’s Intr SB 549 2026R2856 discretion, if the parties settle the case or elect for a bench trial;
CS for SB 549 (2) In every civil case, against either party or prorated against both parties, at the court’s discretion, if the parties settle the case or elect for a bench trial;
A grand juror shall be paid mileage, at the rate set by the commissioner of finance and Intr SB 549 2026R2856 administration for state employees, for travel expenses incurred in traveling from the grand juror's residence to the place of the holding of the grand jury and return, and shall be reimbursed for other expenses incurred as a result of required attendance at sessions of the grand jury at a rate of between $15 and $40 $40 and $100, set at the discretion of the circuit court or the chief judge thereof, for each day of required attendance.
CS for SB 549 Effective July 1, 2026, a grand juror shall be paid mileage, at the rate set by the commissioner of finance and administration for state employees, for travel expenses incurred in traveling from the grand juror's residence to the place of the holding of the grand jury and return, and shall be reimbursed for other expenses incurred as a result of required attendance at sessions of the grand jury at a rate of between $15 and $40 $25 and $70, set at the discretion of the circuit court or the chief judge thereof, for each day of required attendance.
NOTE:
Effective July 1, 2027, the rate shall increase to a rate of not less than $40 nor more than $100.
The purpose of this bill is to increase juror pay from 40 per day to $100 per day.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
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Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. To Finance

  3. Introduced in Senate

  4. To Finance

  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. 146)

  13. Ordered to House

  14. House received Senate message

  15. Introduced in House

  16. To Finance

  17. To House Finance

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 14 co-sponsors · 137 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (14)

Not signed on (137)

137 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 137 →

"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

Roll Call

Passed 33 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 28001
Democrat 4000
Unaffiliated 1000
Total 33001
% of votes cast 97%0%0%3%
How each member voted (34)
Member Party Vote
MR PRESIDENT — Yea
Anitra Hamilton Democrat Yea
Mike Woelfel Democrat Yea
Mike Woelfel Democrat Yea
Rick Garcia Democrat Yea
Ben Queen Republican Yea
Carl Martin Republican Yea
Chris Phillips Republican Yea
Chris Rose Republican Yea
Chris Rose Republican Yea
Dean Jeffries Republican Yea
Eric Tarr Republican Yea
Eric Tarr Republican Yea
Glenn Jeffries Republican Yea
Jack Woodrum Republican Yea
Jack Woodrum Republican Yea
Jay Taylor Republican Yea
Jimmy Willis Republican Yea
Mark R. Maynard Republican Yea
Mike Oliverio Republican Yea
Patricia Rucker Republican Yea
Patricia Rucker Republican Yea
Robbie Morris Republican Yea
Rollan A. Roberts Republican Yea
Rollan A. Roberts Republican Yea
Rupie Phillips Republican Yea
Rupie Phillips Republican Yea
Ryan Weld Republican Yea
Ryan Weld Republican Yea
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Willis Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Not Voting

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety labor
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 549 do?
Phasing in increase in daily rate of juror pay
Who sponsors SB 549?
SB 549 is sponsored by Oliverio, Phillips, Takubo, Weld, Woelfel, Woodrum, Morris, Queen, Barnhart, Bill Hamilton (Republican), Mike Azinger (Republican), Vince Deeds (Republican), Scott Fuller (Republican), Joey Garcia (Democrat), and Darren Thorne (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 549?
This bill died with 2026 Session. It reached “Introduced” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
Where can I track SB 549?
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