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SB1026 • 2026
Increasing criminal penalties and fines for disturbing religious worship
Increasing criminal penalties and fines for disturbing religious worship
Enacted
This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.
- Sponsor
- Willis, Deeds , Bartlett
- Last action
- 2026-06-25
- Official status
- Effective Ninety Days from Passage - (June 12, 2026)
- Effective date
- Not listed
Plain English Breakdown
Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.
Increasing criminal penalties and fines for disturbing religious worship
Increasing criminal penalties and fines for disturbing religious worship
What This Bill Does
- Increasing criminal penalties and fines for disturbing religious worship
Limits and Unknowns
- This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English:
SB1026 HFAT Akers 3-13
Baker 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; clarifying that this section does not prohibit conduct protected by the First Amendment; and removing antiquated language."
Adopted
Rejected
-
SB1026 HFAT Akers 3-13
Baker 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; clarifying that this section does not prohibit conduct protected by the First Amendment; and removing antiquated language."
Adopted
Rejected
- This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
Plain English:
SB1026 HFAT Akers 3-13
Baker 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; clarifying that this section does not prohibit conduct protected by the First Amendment; and removing antiquated language."
Adopted
Rejected
-
SB1026 HFAT Akers 3-13
Baker 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; clarifying that this section does not prohibit conduct protected by the First Amendment; and removing antiquated language."
Adopted
Rejected
- This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
Bill History
-
2026-06-25
S
Chapter 101, Acts, Regular Session, 2026
-
2026-04-01
S
Approved by Governor 4/1/2026
-
2026-03-19
S
To Governor 3/19/2026
-
2026-03-14
H
Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal
-
2026-03-14
S
Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal
-
2026-03-14
S
To Governor 3/19/2026 - Senate Journal
-
2026-03-14
S
Completed legislative action
-
2026-03-14
S
Communicated to House
-
2026-03-14
S
Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 661)
-
2026-03-14
S
House Message received
-
2026-03-14
H
Communicated to Senate
-
2026-03-14
H
Title amendment adopted (Voice vote)
-
2026-03-14
H
Passed House (Roll No. 620)
-
2026-03-14
H
Read 3rd time
-
2026-03-14
H
On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
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2026-03-13
H
On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
-
2026-03-12
H
Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)
-
2026-03-12
H
Amendment reported by the Clerk
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2026-03-12
H
Read 2nd time
-
2026-03-12
H
On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
-
2026-03-11
H
Read 1st time
-
2026-03-11
H
On 1st reading, Special Calendar
-
2026-03-10
H
With amendment, do pass
-
2026-03-06
H
Markup Discussion
-
2026-03-05
H
To House Judiciary
-
2026-03-05
H
To Judiciary
-
2026-03-05
H
Introduced in House
-
2026-03-05
H
House received Senate message
-
2026-03-03
S
Ordered to House
-
2026-03-03
S
Passed Senate (Roll No. 303)
-
2026-03-03
S
Read 3rd time
-
2026-03-03
S
On 3rd reading
-
2026-03-02
S
Read 2nd time
-
2026-03-02
S
On 2nd reading
-
2026-02-27
S
Read 1st time
-
2026-02-27
S
Immediate consideration
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2026-02-27
S
Committee substitute reported
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2026-02-20
S
To Judiciary
-
2026-02-20
S
Introduced in Senate
-
2026-02-20
S
To Judiciary
-
2026-02-20
S
Filed for introduction
Official Summary Text
Increasing criminal penalties and fines for disturbing religious worship
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
SB 1026 Text
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Enrolled Version - Final Version
Senate Bill 1026 History
OTHER VERSIONS
-
Committee Substitute (1)
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Introduced Version
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Key:
Green
= existing Code.
Red
= new code to be enacted
WEST virginia legislature
2026 regular session
Enrolled
Committee Substitute
for
Senate Bill 1026
By Senators Willis and Deeds
[Passed March 14, 2026; in effect 90 days from passage (June 12, 2026)]
AN ACT 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; clarifying that this section does not prohibit conduct protected by the First Amendment; and removing antiquated language.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
article 6. Crimes against the peace.
§61-6-13. Disturbance of religious worship; penalty.
(a) If any person willfully interrupts, obstructs, or substantially disturbs any assembly of people meeting for religious worship, he or she is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be confined in jail not more than one year and fined not less than $250 nor more than $1,000 for each violation.
(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.
The Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Delegates hereby certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.
...............................................................
Clerk of the Senate
...............................................................
Clerk of the House of Delegates
Originated in the Senate.
In effect 90 days from passage.
...............................................................
President of the Senate
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Speaker of the House of Delegates
__________
The within is ................................................ this the...........................................
Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2026.
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Governor
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