West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Passed Senate 5 R cosponsors

SJR 8 — Sheriff's Succession Amendment

Last action — To House Judiciary

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  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 “Passed Senate” 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This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there are no live odds of enactment.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.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

2 added · 3 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill SJR 8 changes the eligibility rules for sheriffs in West Virginia. It now allows a person appointed to fill a short-term vacancy (less than two years) to run for and potentially serve two consecutive terms afterward. This is significant because it provides more flexibility in sheriff appointments and could help ensure continuity in law enforcement leadership in the county.

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NEWS RELEASES HELPFUL LINKS Introduced Version « Senate Joint Resolution 8 History OTHER VERSIONS  —  Committee Substitute (1)  |   |  Email Key:
NEWS RELEASES HELPFUL LINKS sjr8 sub1 « Senate Joint Resolution 8 History OTHER VERSIONS  —  Introduced Version  |   |  Email Key:
Red = new code to be enacted WEST virginia legislature2026 regular sessionIntroducedSenate Joint Resolution 8By Senators Morris, Hamilton, Queen, Z.
Red = new code to be enacted WEST virginia legislature2026 regular sessionCommittee SubstituteforSenate Joint Resolution 8By Senators Morris, Hamilton, Queen, Z.
Maynard, and Rucker[Introduced January 14, 2026;
Maynard, and Rucker[Reported February 27, 2026, from the Committee on Finance]   Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia, amending  section three, article IX thereof, relating to county organization and sheriffs;
referred to the Committee on  the Judiciary;
and then to the Committee on Finance]Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the State of West Virginia, amending  section three, article IX thereof, relating to county organization and sheriffs;
The person holding the office of sheriff when this section is ratified shall may not be prevented from holding the office of sheriff during the term immediately following the term he that person is then serving:
The person holding the office of sheriff when this section is ratified shall not be prevented from holding the office of sheriff during the term immediately following the term he is then serving:
Provided, That If a person is appointed to serve as sheriff to fill a term that has less than two years left in the term, that person may not be prevented from holding the office of sheriff for two consecutive terms immediately following the appointed term that person is serving.
A person appointed to serve as sheriff to fill a term that has less than two years left in the term may not be prevented from holding the office of sheriff for two consecutive terms immediately following the appointed term that person is serving.
 "To permit a person, appointed to fill a term of sheriff that has less than two years, to be eligible for election for two consecutive terms."  NOTE:
 "To permit a person, appointed to fill a term of sheriff that has less than two years, to be eligible for election for two consecutive terms." Bill Status  |  Bill Tracking  |  Legacy WV Code  |  Bulletin Board  |  District Maps  |  Senate Roster  |  House Roster  |  Live  |  Blog  |  Jobs  |  Links  |  Home This Web site is maintained by the West Virginia Legislature's Office of Reference & Information.
The purpose of this resolution is to amend the sheriff's succession amendment to permit a person appointed to fill a term of sheriff to be eligible for election to two consecutive terms if the appointed term is less than two years.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
Bill Status  |  Bill Tracking  |  Legacy WV Code  |  Bulletin Board  |  District Maps  |  Senate Roster  |  House Roster  |  Live  |  Blog  |  Jobs  |  Links  |  Home This Web site is maintained by the West Virginia Legislature's Office of Reference & Information.
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Action History

  1. To House Judiciary

  2. To Judiciary

  3. Introduced in House

  4. House received Senate message

  5. Ordered to House

  6. Adopted by Senate (Roll No. 309)

  7. Read 3rd time

  8. On 3rd reading

  9. Read 2nd time

  10. On 2nd reading

  11. Read 1st time

  12. Immediate consideration

  13. Committee substitute reported

  14. To Finance

  15. Reported be adopted, but first to Finance

  16. To Judiciary

  17. Introduced in Senate

  18. To Judiciary then Finance

  19. Filed for introduction

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 4 co-sponsors · 147 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (4)

Not signed on (147)

147 members have not signed on to this bill.

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"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

Subjects

public-safety
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

Who sponsors SJR 8?
SJR 8 is sponsored by Patricia Rucker (Republican), Zack Maynard (Republican), Ben Queen (Republican), Robbie Morris (Republican), and Bill Hamilton (Republican).
What is the current status of SJR 8?
This bill died with 2026 Session. It reached “Passed Senate” 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 SJR 8?
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