West Virginia 2018 Regular Session Status: Enacted

SB 555 — Providing immunity from civil liability for qualified directors of certain governmental and nonprofit entities

Last action — Chapter 1, Acts, Regular Session, 2018

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  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 15, 2018. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 70% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • 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.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

2 added · 4 removed

Plain-language change summary

In the latest version of Bill SB 555, the language has been simplified by removing several phrases that described someone’s involvement in wrongful acts. Instead of stating that a person "approved of, ratified, or participated in" such acts, it now only mentions that they "directed, sanctioned, or participated." This change helps clarify accountability by focusing on the most direct forms of involvement, which is important for making it easier to understand who can be held responsible for wrongful actions.

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Latest
NEWS RELEASES HELPFUL LINKS Engrossed Version « Senate Bill 555 History OTHER VERSIONS  —  Committee Substitute (1)  |  Enrolled Version - Final Version  |  Introduced Version  |   |  Email Key:
NEWS RELEASES HELPFUL LINKS SB555 SUB1 « Senate Bill 555 History OTHER VERSIONS  —  Enrolled Version - Final Version  |  Engrossed Version  |  Introduced Version  |   |  Email Key:
Red = new code to be enacted WEST virginia legislature regular session Engrossed Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 555 By Senator Ferns [Originating in the Committee on the Judiciary;
Red = new code to be enacted WEST virginia legislature regular session Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 555 By Senator Ferns [Originating in the Committee on the Judiciary;
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, a qualified director is not personally liable for the torts of a volunteer organization or entity, or the torts of the agents or employees of a volunteer organization or entity, unless he or she approved of, ratified, directed, sanctioned, or participated in the wrongful acts.  (c) Nothing herein shall relieve in this section relieves a volunteer organization or entity from imputed liability for the negligent acts of a qualified director committed within the scope of the qualified director’s duties.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, a qualified director is not personally liable for the torts of a volunteer organization or entity, or the torts of the agents or employees of a volunteer organization or entity, unless he or she directed, sanctioned, or participated in the wrongful acts.  (c) Nothing herein shall relieve in this section relieves a volunteer organization or entity from imputed liability for the negligent acts of a qualified director committed within the scope of the qualified director’s duties.
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Action History

  1. Chapter 1, Acts, Regular Session, 2018

  2. Approved by Governor 3/27/18

  3. To Governor 3/19/18

  4. Approved by Governor 3/27/18 - Senate Journal

  5. Approved by Governor 3/27/18 - House Journal

  6. To Governor 3/19/18 - Senate Journal

  7. To Governor 3/19/18 - House Journal

  8. House Message received

  9. Completed legislative action

  10. Communicated to Senate

  11. Passed House (Roll No. 378)

  12. Read 3rd time

  13. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  14. Read 2nd time

  15. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  16. Read 1st time

  17. On 1st reading, Special Calendar

  18. Do pass

  19. To House Judiciary

  20. To Judiciary

  21. Introduced in House

  22. Ordered to House

  23. Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 197)

  24. Read 3rd time

  25. On 3rd reading

  26. Floor amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  27. Read 2nd time

  28. On 2nd reading

  29. Read 1st time

  30. On 1st reading

  31. Committee substitute reported

  32. To Judiciary

  33. Introduced in Senate

  34. To Judiciary

  35. Filed for introduction

Sponsors

  • Ferns · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 151 not signed on · 1 voted No

Sponsors (1)

  • Ferns

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

PASSAGE

Passed 84 Yea · 13 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 551203
Republican 26000
Democrat 3100
Total 841303
% of votes cast 84%13%0%3%
How each member voted (100)
Member Party Vote
Evans, A. — Not Voting
Lane — Yea
Romine, C. — Yea
Foster — Yea
Romine, R. — Yea
Blair — Yea
Atkinson — Yea
Bates — Nay
Byrd — Nay
Cowles — Nay
Fast — Yea
Ferro — Yea
Folk — Nay
Graves — Yea
Isner — Nay
Love — Yea
Lovejoy — Yea
Miley — Nay
Robinson — Nay
Rowan — Yea
Shott — Yea
Sponaugle — Not Voting
Martin — Yea
Maynard — Yea
Hartman — Yea
Sypolt — Yea
Thompson — Yea
Nelson — Yea
Walters — Yea
Diserio — Yea
Phillips — Yea
Evans, E. — Yea
Speaker Armstead — Yea
Brewer — Yea
Canestraro — Yea
Capito — Yea
Espinosa — Yea
Hamrick — Yea
Hicks — Yea
Higginbotham — Yea
Hollen — Yea
Iaquinta — Yea
Kessinger — Yea
Marcum — Yea
Overington — Yea
Pack — Yea
Pethtel — Yea
Rodighiero — Yea
Sobonya — Yea
Storch — Yea
Upson — Yea
Wagner — Yea
Ambler — Yea
Boggs — Yea
Caputo — Yea
Deem — Not Voting
Fleischauer — Nay
Frich — Nay
Harshbarger — Yea
Hill — Yea
Householder — Yea
Longstreth — Yea
Lynch — Yea
Moye — Nay
Paynter — Yea
Pyles — Nay
Rowe — Nay
Summers — Yea
Westfall — Yea
Wilson — Yea
John Williams Democrat Yea
Mike Pushkin Democrat Yea
Sean Hornbuckle Democrat Yea
Shawn Fluharty Democrat Nay
Ben Queen Republican Yea
Betsy Kelly Republican Yea
Bill Hamilton Republican Yea
D. Rolland Jennings Republican Yea
Erica Moore Republican Yea
Gary G. Howell Republican Yea
George Miller Republican Yea
George Miller Republican Yea
Guy Ward Republican Yea
Jason Barrett Republican Yea
Jeff Campbell Republican Yea
Jeff Eldridge Republican Yea
Jim Butler Republican Yea
Joe Ellington Republican Yea
Joe Statler Republican Yea
Lisa White Republican Yea
Mark Dean Republican Yea
Mark Zatezalo Republican Yea
Marty Gearheart Republican Yea
Matthew Rohrbach Republican Yea
Pat McGeehan Republican Yea
Roger Hanshaw Republican Yea
Roy Cooper Republican Yea
Stanley Adkins Republican Yea
Vernon Criss Republican Yea
William Anderson Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Passage

Passed 33 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Unaffiliated 30001
Republican 3000
Total 33001
% of votes cast 97%0%0%3%
How each member voted (34)
Member Party Vote
ARVON — Yea
GAUNCH — Yea
RUCKER — Yea
JEFFRIES — Yea
SMITH — Yea
BALDWIN — Yea
KARNES — Yea
STOLLINGS — Yea
BEACH — Not Voting
MANN — Yea
SWOPE — Yea
BLAIR — Yea
MARONEY — Yea
SYPOLT — Yea
BOLEY — Yea
MAYNARD — Yea
TAKUBO — Yea
BOSO — Yea
OJEDA — Yea
TRUMP — Yea
PALUMBO — Yea
UNGER — Yea
CLINE — Yea
PLYMALE — Yea
WELD — Yea
PREZIOSO — Yea
WOELFEL — Yea
FACEMIRE — Yea
ROMANO — Yea
MR PRESIDENT — Yea
FERNS — Yea
Charles H. Clements Republican Yea
Mike Azinger Republican Yea
Sarah Drennan Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

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

Who sponsors SB 555?
SB 555 is sponsored by Ferns.
What is the current status of SB 555?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced February 15, 2018. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 555?
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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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