# West Virginia HB 2123: Modifying the criminal penalties imposed on a parent, guardian or custodian for child abuse West Virginia HB 2123, Modifying the criminal penalties imposed on a parent, guardian or custodian for child abuse, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Doug Smith (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-07-30 (Chapter 77, Acts, Regular Session, 2025); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB2123-2025rs - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: West Virginia HB 2123 - State: West Virginia - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Modifying the criminal penalties imposed on a parent, guardian or custodian for child abuse - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-12 - Last action: 2025-07-30, Chapter 77, Acts, Regular Session, 2025 - Sponsor: Doug Smith (Republican) - Cosponsors: 10 - Subjects: §61-8D-3, §61-8D-4 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (263 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Misdemeanor convictions bring services and family protections: mixed, low. Beginning July 9, 2025, courts can order services after misdemeanor child-abuse or child-neglect convictions. The West Virginia Department of Human Services assesses which services are appropriate. These can include parenting classes, substance abuse counseling, anger management counseling, or othe… - Parents face tiered abuse and neglect penalties: mixed, low. Beginning July 9, 2025, West Virginia sets tiered penalties for child abuse and neglect. They cover parents, guardians, custodians, and people in positions of trust. Causing bodily injury carries 2–10 years in prison, or up to one year in jail at the court’s discretion. Causing serious bodily injur… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Doug Smith (Republican), House - Cosponsor: James Robert "JB" Akers II (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Roy Cooper (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Joe Ellington (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Marty Gearheart (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Roger Hanshaw (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Rick Hillenbrand (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jordan Maynor (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Matthew Rohrbach (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Evan Worrell (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Mark Zatezalo (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-10 | Senate | Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 454) | pass | 33 | 0 | | | 2025-04-09 | House | House concurred in Senate amend with title amend, passed (Roll No. 426) | pass | 97 | 0 | | | 2025-04-07 | Senate | Passed Senate (Roll No. 328) | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2025-02-27 | House | Passed House (Roll No. 13) | pass | 99 | 0 | | ## Actions (41) - 2025-07-30: Chapter 77, Acts, Regular Session, 2025 (House) - 2025-04-25: Approved by Governor 4/25/2025 (House) - 2025-04-22: To Governor 4/22/2025 (House) - 2025-04-12: To Governor 4/22/2025 - House Journal (House) - 2025-04-12: To Governor 4/22/2025 - Senate Journal (Senate) - 2025-04-12: Approved by Governor 4/25/2025 - House Journal (House) - 2025-04-12: Approved by Governor 4/25/2025 - Senate Journal (Senate) - 2025-04-10: House Message received (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 454) (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Communicated to House (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Completed legislative action (Senate) - 2025-04-09: House received Senate message (House) - 2025-04-09: House concurred in Senate amend with title amend, passed (Roll No. 426) (House) - 2025-04-09: Communicated to Senate (House) - 2025-04-07: On 3rd reading (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Read 3rd time (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Passed Senate (Roll No. 328) (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Senate requests House to concur (Senate) - 2025-04-04: On 2nd reading (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Read 2nd time (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote) (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Reported do pass, with amendment (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Immediate consideration (Senate) - 2025-04-03: Read 1st time (Senate) - 2025-02-28: Introduced in Senate (Senate) - 2025-02-28: To Judiciary (Senate) - 2025-02-28: To Judiciary (Senate) - 2025-02-27: On 3rd reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2025-02-27: Read 3rd time (House) - 2025-02-27: Passed House (Roll No. 13) (House) - 2025-02-27: Communicated to Senate (House) - 2025-02-26: On 2nd reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2025-02-26: Read 2nd time (House) - 2025-02-25: On 1st reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2025-02-25: Read 1st time (House) - 2025-02-24: By substitute, do pass (House) - 2025-02-20: Markup Discussion (House) - 2025-02-12: Filed for introduction (House) - 2025-02-12: To Judiciary (House) - 2025-02-12: Introduced in House (House) - 2025-02-12: To House Judiciary (House) ## Bill text - Committee Substitute: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub.pdf) - Engrossed: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub eng.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub enr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub enr.pdf) - Introduced Version: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 intr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 intr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 2451: To facilitate the creation of home-based businesses (signed) - SB 464: Creating license plate for recipients of Medal of Valor (signed) - SB 138: Enhancing penalties for fleeing officer (signed) - SB 270: Declaring sale and manufacture of firearms essential business during declared emergency (signed) - SB 196: Lauren's Law (signed) - SB 102: Modifying form of certain deeds (signed) ## Sources - [Committee Substitute (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub.htm) - [Committee Substitute (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub.pdf) - [Engrossed (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub eng.htm) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub enr.htm) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 sub enr.pdf) - [Introduced Version (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 intr.htm) - [Introduced Version (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2123 intr.pdf) ## Related - [HB 2451: To facilitate the creation of home-based businesses](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB2451-2025rs) - [SB 464: Creating license plate for recipients of Medal of Valor](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB464-2025rs) - [SB 138: Enhancing penalties for fleeing officer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB138-2025rs) - [SB 270: Declaring sale and manufacture of firearms essential business during declared e…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB270-2025rs) - [SB 196: Lauren's Law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB196-2025rs) - [SB 102: Modifying form of certain deeds](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB102-2025rs) - [West Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/west-virginia/bills) - [West Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/west-virginia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB2123-2025rs (as of 2026-10-19).