SB 793 — Relating to courthouse closures on certain days

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION IntroducedEnrolled Senate Bill 793 BYSENATORW ILLIS WOELFEL [Introduced[Passed FebruaryMarch 6,13, 2026;

referredin toeffect the90 Committeedays onfrom thepassage Judiciary](June Intr11, 2026)] Enr SB 793 AAN BILLACT to amend and reenact §2-2-1, §2-2-2, and §7-3-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to courthouse closures on certain days;

IntrEnr SB 793 (12) December 25 is "Christmas Day";

and (15) Any day proclaimed or ordered by the Governor or the President of the United States as a day of special observance or Thanksgiving, or a day for the general cessation of business, is a holiday.

Intr SB 793 (e) If any applicable provision of this code or any legislative rule or other administrative rule or regulation promulgated pursuant to the provisions of this code designates a particular date Enr SB 793 on, before or after which an act, event, default or omission is required or allowed to occur, and if the particular date designated falls on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or designated day off, then the date on which the act, event, default or omission is required or allowed to occur is the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or designated day off.

When acts to be done fall on Saturday, Sunday, or legal holiday, weather or other emergency day, or day of local significance;

of this code, if that day or the last day falls on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or a weather or other emergency day, or day of local significance, the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or a weather or other emergency day, or day of local significance shall be deemed to be the one intended;

and when the day upon which a term of court is directed by law to commence falls on a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or a weather or other emergency day, or day of local significance, the following day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, legal holiday, or a weather or other emergency day, or day of local significance shall be deemed to be the day intended.

Intr SB 793 (b)(1) For purposes of this section, "weather or other emergency day" means a day designated for a county in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of this subsection as Enr SB 793 a day upon which weather or other emergency conditions in that county prevent the general transaction of court business in that county.

Provided, That the Intr SB 793 (b) The courthouse, including any annex or other facility housing the courts and offices herein set out (excepting all facilities that are on a 24-hour basis), shall be open to the public Enr SB 793 Monday through Friday during the hours prescribed by the county commission by an order duly recorded in the order book of the commission.

In(2) noOn caseMonday through Friday, a courthouse may theonly countybe commissionclosed provideon thata thelegal courthouse,holiday includingas anydefined annexin or§2-2-1 otherof facilitythis housingcode theor courtson anda officesweather hereinor setother out,emergency beday openor fora businessday onof Sundayslocal orsignificance nationalas orprovided statein holidays:§2-2-2 of this code.

Provided, however, That the (2) On Monday through Friday, a courthouse may only be closed on a legal holiday as defined in §2-2-1 of this code or on a weather or other emergency day or a day of local significance as provided in §2-2-2 of this code.

Provided further, That the (d) The county commission of any county, regardless of population, may, as provided in §8-23-1 et seq.

but all of the public records, books Intr SB 793 and papers belonging or appertaining to the county surveyor's office shall be delivered to the clerk of the county commission and retained by him or her in his or her official possession and under his or her control and shall constitute a part of the public records, books and papers of his or her office.

Enr SB 793 (f) All courthouses, jails and offices hereafter erected shall be built of stone and brick, or stone or brick, or other equally fireproof materials, and the offices shall be fireproof or be furnished with fireproof vaults or safes.

Intr SB 793 (2) After the change shall have been made the county commission may sell or otherwise dispose of, as may seem to it proper, the building or buildings previously used as a courthouse and jail, or either, and the land on which they are, or either is, situated, and of the interest of the county therein.

Enr SB 793 (j) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, any county commission providing and maintaining a jail on the effective date of this article shall not be required to provide and maintain a jail after a regional jail becomes available pursuant to the provisions of article twenty, chapter thirty-one of this code, unless the county commission determines that such a facility is necessary:

Enr SB 793 The Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Delegates hereby certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.

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Clerk of the Senate ...............................................................

Clerk of the House of Delegates Originated in the Senate.

In effect 90 days from passage.

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President of the Senate ...............................................................

Speaker of the House of Delegates __________ The within is ................................................

this the...........................................

Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2026.

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Governor 9