# West Virginia HB 2871: Relating to the crime of negligent homicide West Virginia HB 2871, Relating to the crime of negligent homicide, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Joe Funkhouser (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-07-30 (Chapter 79, Acts, Regular Session, 2025); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB2871-2025rs - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: West Virginia HB 2871 - State: West Virginia - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: Relating to the crime of negligent homicide - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-24 - Last action: 2025-07-30, Chapter 79, Acts, Regular Session, 2025 - Sponsor: Joe Funkhouser (Republican) - Cosponsors: 10 - Subjects: §14-2A-3, §17B-1A-1, §17B-3-5, §17C-5-1, §17C-5-3, §17C-14-15, §17E-1-13, §20-7-18a, §33-6A-1, §49-1-207, §61-2-30 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 4 (261 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 12 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More crash victims can seek compensation: benefit, medium. West Virginia’s crime-victim compensation program covers motor-vehicle conduct involving an offense listed in §17C-5-1. Victims must also qualify under the program’s existing requirements. This provision sets no new payment amount. - Drivers get limits on insurance cancellation: benefit, medium. Insurers can cancel private-passenger auto liability policies only for listed reasons after 60 days; renewals receive this protection immediately. Reasons include nonpayment, material misrepresentation, specified policy violations, license suspension or revocation, and listed convictions or traffic… - Drivers get protections when insurance ends: benefit, medium. Insurers must give at least 45 days’ notice before refusing to renew auto liability or physical-damage coverage. After two consecutive years of coverage, nonrenewal is limited to listed grounds. Notices must explain the reasons, hearing rights, and possible eligibility for the assigned-risk insuran… - Boat operators face fatal-crash penalties: cost, low. The law covers deaths caused by motorboats, jet skis, and other motorized vessels operated in West Virginia. Someone other than the operator must die from the injury within one year; legally defined embryos and fetuses are included. Reckless disregard brings a $1,000–$10,000 fine, up to one year in… - Commercial drivers face serious-offense driving bans: cost, low. A first listed major offense or test refusal generally brings a one-year commercial-driving ban. Specified offenses while carrying hazardous materials requiring placards bring three years; a second qualifying conviction in a separate incident brings life. Covered conduct includes causing a fatality… - Commercial drivers face stricter license enforcement: cost, low. Commercial driving is barred while a license or driving privilege is suspended, revoked, or canceled by any state or jurisdiction. The ban continues until the driver meets that jurisdiction’s reinstatement terms. The motor vehicles agency cannot authorize commercial driving through temporary, work-… - Commercial drivers must obey stop-work orders: cost, low. Commercial drivers convicted of violating out-of-service orders face driving bans. For nonhazardous-materials violations, bans are 180 days for a first conviction, two years for a second, and three years for later convictions. For placarded hazardous materials or vehicles designed for at least 16 p… - Drivers face penalties for fatal crashes: cost, low. Reckless driving in West Virginia is vehicular homicide when an injury causes someone other than the driver to die within one year. This misdemeanor carries a $1,000–$10,000 fine, up to one year in jail, or both. Deliberate disregard for others’ safety makes it aggravated vehicular homicide, carryi… - Fatal school and work-zone crashes punished: cost, low. Reckless driving that causes a fatal injury in a qualifying school or construction zone is a felony. Someone other than the driver must die from the injury within one year. School-zone cases must occur during recess or when children arrive or leave during school opening or closing hours. Constructi… - Homicide convictions trigger loss of driving: cost, low. The motor vehicles agency must revoke licenses, permits, and nonresident driving privileges after convictions under the vehicular-homicide section. It must immediately revoke an operator’s or chauffeur’s license upon receiving a final conviction record for a listed motor-vehicle offense. For conduc… - Commercial drivers face repeat-violation bans: mixed, low. Two listed serious traffic or licensing convictions in separate incidents within three years bring a 60-day commercial-driving ban. Three or more bring 120 days; violations include speeding at least 15 miles per hour over the limit, reckless driving, unsafe lane changes, and texting. Listed noncomm… - Homicide law counts separate unborn victims: mixed, low. Under the negligent-homicide section, a pregnant woman and the embryo or fetus she carries count as separate victims. The separate-victim rule applies beginning 90 days after passage in the 2025 session. Exceptions cover specified consensual legal abortions, medical or health care, and lawful proce… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Joe Funkhouser (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Geno Chiarelli (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Wayne Clark (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Rick Hillenbrand (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Josh Holstein (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Michael Hornby (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Chuck Horst (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Kump - Cosponsor: Phil Mallow (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Ian T. Masters (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Carl "Bill" Roop (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-11 | Senate | Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 530) | pass | 32 | 0 | | | 2025-04-10 | House | House concurred in Senate amend with amend, passed bill (Roll No. 454) | pass | 99 | 0 | | | 2025-04-08 | Senate | Passed Senate (Roll No. 370) | pass | 33 | 0 | | | 2025-03-10 | House | Passed House (Roll No. 48) | pass | 97 | 0 | | ## Actions (46) - 2025-07-30: Chapter 79, 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) - 2025-04-11: House Message received (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 530) (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Communicated to House (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Completed legislative action (Senate) - 2025-04-10: House received Senate message (House) - 2025-04-10: House concurred in Senate amend with amend, passed bill (Roll No. 454) (House) - 2025-04-10: Title amendment adopted (Voice vote) (House) - 2025-04-10: Communicated to Senate (House) - 2025-04-08: On 3rd reading (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Read 3rd time (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Passed Senate (Roll No. 370) (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Title amendment adopted (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Senate requests House to concur (Senate) - 2025-04-07: On 2nd reading (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Read 2nd time (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote) (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Reported do pass, with amendment (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Immediate consideration (Senate) - 2025-04-04: Read 1st time (Senate) - 2025-03-11: Introduced in Senate (Senate) - 2025-03-11: To Judiciary (Senate) - 2025-03-11: To Judiciary (Senate) - 2025-03-10: On 3rd reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2025-03-10: Read 3rd time (House) - 2025-03-10: Passed House (Roll No. 48) (House) - 2025-03-10: Communicated to Senate (House) - 2025-03-07: On 2nd reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2025-03-07: Read 2nd time (House) - 2025-03-06: On 1st reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2025-03-06: Read 1st time (House) - 2025-03-05: By substitute for substitute, do pass (House) - 2025-03-03: Markup Discussion (House) - 2025-02-28: To House Judiciary (House) - 2025-02-27: Markup Discussion (House) - 2025-02-26: To House Courts (House) - 2025-02-24: Filed for introduction (House) - 2025-02-24: To Judiciary (House) - 2025-02-24: Introduced in House (House) - 2025-02-24: To House Judiciary (House) ## Bill text - Committee Substitute: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 sub2.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 sub2.pdf) - Engrossed: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 sub2 eng.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 sub2 eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 sub2 enr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 sub2 enr.pdf) - Introduced Version: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 intr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 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/hb2871 sub2.htm) - [Committee Substitute (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 sub2.pdf) - [Engrossed (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 sub2 eng.htm) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 sub2 eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 sub2 enr.htm) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 sub2 enr.pdf) - [Introduced Version (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 intr.htm) - [Introduced Version (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2871 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-HB2871-2025rs (as of 2026-10-17).