West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Enacted 2 R cosponsors

SB 1026 — Increasing criminal penalties and fines for disturbing religious worship

Last action — Chapter 101, 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 February 20, 2026. Enacted.

Odds of enactment

High chance

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

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

Prognosis

Likely to advance 76% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 3 sponsors

    1 primary, 2 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (2 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 3 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 increases penalties for disrupting religious worship.

This legislation raises criminal penalties and fines for individuals who disturb religious worship services. It aims to address disruptions during these activities.

Summary

Increasing criminal penalties and fines for disturbing religious worship

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

1 added · 4 removed

Plain-language change summary

The amendments to Bill SB 1026 increase the penalties for disturbing religious worship, raising the potential jail time from six months to one year and the fines from a minimum of $25 to $250. Additionally, the bill clarifies that it does not prohibit peaceful activities like protesting, as long as they do not disrupt the worship. This change is important because it aims to strengthen protections for religious gatherings while ensuring the First Amendment rights for free expression are preserved.

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Latest
SB1026 H JUD AM #1Baker 3228 The Committee on the Judiciary moved to amend the committee substitute on page 2, after the enacting clause, by striking the remainder of the committee substitute and inserting in lieu thereof the following:
SB1026 HFAT Akers 3-13Baker 3228 Delegate Akers moved to amend the committee substitute by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows:"A BILL to amend and reenact §61-6-13 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to increasing the criminal penalties and fines for disturbing religious worship;
article 6.
clarifying that this section does not prohibit conduct protected by the First Amendment;
Crimes against the peace.
and removing antiquated language."    AdoptedRejected 
§61-6-13.
Disturbance of religious worship;
penalty.
(a) If any person wilfully interrupt, molest or disturb willfully interrupts, obstructs, or substantially disturbs any assembly of people met meeting for the worship of God religious worship, he or she shall be is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be confined in jail not more than six months one year and fined not less than $25 $250 nor more than $100 $1,000 for each violation.
Any officer may put such the offender under restraint during religious worship, and the court trying the case may require bond or recognizance of him or her for not more than one year to be of good behavior.(b) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit peaceful picketing, protest, or other expressive conduct protected by the First Amendment that does not willfully interrupt, obstruct, or substantially disturb any assembly of persons meeting for religious worship.  AdoptedRejected
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Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. To Judiciary

  3. Introduced in Senate

  4. To Judiciary

  5. Committee substitute reported

  6. Immediate consideration

  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. 303)

  13. Ordered to House

  14. House received Senate message

  15. Introduced in House

  16. To Judiciary

  17. To House Judiciary

  18. Markup Discussion

  19. With amendment, do pass

  20. On 1st reading, Special Calendar

  21. Read 1st time

  22. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  23. Read 2nd time

  24. Amendment reported by the Clerk

  25. Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  26. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  27. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  28. Read 3rd time

  29. Passed House (Roll No. 620)

  30. Title amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  31. Communicated to Senate

  32. House Message received

  33. Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 661)

  34. Communicated to House

  35. Completed legislative action

  36. To Governor 3/19/2026

  37. To Governor 3/19/2026 - Senate Journal

  38. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026

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

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

  41. Chapter 101, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 2 co-sponsors · 149 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

  • Willis

Co-sponsors (2)

Not signed on (149)

149 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 149 →

"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 34 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 13000
Unaffiliated 21000
Total 34000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (34)
Member Party Vote
ROSE — Yea
BARNHART — Yea
RUCKER — Yea
JEFFRIES — Yea
TAKUBO — Yea
MARTIN — Yea
TARR — Yea
MAYNARD, M — Yea
TAYLOR — Yea
MORRIS — Yea
WELD — Yea
OLIVERIO — Yea
WILLIS — Yea
PHILLIPS — Yea
WOELFEL — Yea
GARCIA — Yea
QUEEN — Yea
WOODRUM — Yea
ROBERTS — Yea
MR PRESIDENT — Yea
HAMILTON — Yea
Amy Grady Republican Yea
Anne B. Charnock Republican Yea
Brian Helton Republican Yea
Charles H. Clements Republican Yea
Craig A. Hart Republican Yea
Darren Thorne Republican Yea
Jason Barrett Republican Yea
Laura Wakim Chapman Republican Yea
Mike Azinger Republican Yea
Scott Fuller Republican Yea
T. Kevan Bartlett Republican Yea
Vince Deeds Republican Yea
Zack Maynard Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Roll Call

Passed 34 Yea · 0 Nay
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 13000
Unaffiliated 21000
Total 34000
% of votes cast 100%0%0%0%
How each member voted (34)
Member Party Vote
ROSE — Yea
BARNHART — Yea
RUCKER — Yea
JEFFRIES — Yea
TAKUBO — Yea
MARTIN — Yea
TARR — Yea
MAYNARD, M — Yea
TAYLOR — Yea
MORRIS — Yea
WELD — Yea
OLIVERIO — Yea
WILLIS — Yea
PHILLIPS — Yea
WOELFEL — Yea
GARCIA — Yea
QUEEN — Yea
WOODRUM — Yea
ROBERTS — Yea
MR PRESIDENT — Yea
HAMILTON — Yea
Amy Grady Republican Yea
Anne B. Charnock Republican Yea
Brian Helton Republican Yea
Charles H. Clements Republican Yea
Craig A. Hart Republican Yea
Darren Thorne Republican Yea
Jason Barrett Republican Yea
Laura Wakim Chapman Republican Yea
Mike Azinger Republican Yea
Scott Fuller Republican Yea
T. Kevan Bartlett Republican Yea
Vince Deeds Republican Yea
Zack Maynard Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
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 1026 do?
Increasing criminal penalties and fines for disturbing religious worship
Who sponsors SB 1026?
SB 1026 is sponsored by Willis, Vince Deeds (Republican), and T. Kevan Bartlett (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 1026?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 20, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 1026?
Track SB 1026 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 7 days ago · updated continuously

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