# West Virginia HB 2889: To permit a fairness hearing exemption to the registration requirements of the Uniform Securities Act. West Virginia HB 2889, To permit a fairness hearing exemption to the registration requirements of the Uniform Securities Act., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Vernon Criss (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-07-31 (Chapter 218, Acts, Regular Session, 2025) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB2889-2025rs - 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 2889 - State: West Virginia - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: To permit a fairness hearing exemption to the registration requirements of the Uniform Securities Act. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-24 - Last action: 2025-07-31, Chapter 218, Acts, Regular Session, 2025 - Sponsor: Vernon Criss (Republican) - Cosponsors: 2 - Subjects: §32-4-402, §32-4-02A - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 5 (349 yes, 9 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Registration relief for reorganizing West Virginia companies: benefit, low. The law creates a state fairness hearing process for company reorganizations, mergers, and changes to financing or ownership. It covers corporations and limited liability companies formed in West Virginia or with their main office there. Plans must issue securities in exchange for existing securiti… - New hearing charges for reorganizing companies: cost, low. Applicants seeking approval through a fairness hearing can face a filing fee of up to $500. The securities commissioner can also bill applicants for conducting the hearing and preparing written findings. The $500 cap applies only to filing, not these added costs. The law sets no dollar cap, payment… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Vernon Criss (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Barnhart - Cosponsor: John Paul Hott (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-10 | House | House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 455) | pass | 95 | 2 | | | 2025-04-10 | House | Effective from passage (Roll No. 456) | pass | 98 | 0 | | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | Effective from passage (Roll No. 398) | pass | 33 | 0 | | | 2025-04-09 | Senate | Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 397) | pass | 33 | 1 | | | 2025-03-27 | House | Passed House (Roll No. 214) | pass | 90 | 6 | | ## Actions (42) - 2025-07-31: Chapter 218, Acts, Regular Session, 2025 (House) - 2025-04-29: Approved by Governor 4/29/2025 (House) - 2025-04-15: To Governor 4/15/2025 (House) - 2025-04-12: To Governor 4/15/2025 - House Journal (House) - 2025-04-12: To Governor 4/15/2025 - Senate Journal (Senate) - 2025-04-12: Approved by Governor 4/29/2025 - Senate Journal (Senate) - 2025-04-12: Approved by Governor 4/29/2025 - House Journal (House) - 2025-04-11: House Message received (Senate) - 2025-04-10: House received Senate message (House) - 2025-04-10: House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 455) (House) - 2025-04-10: Effective from passage (Roll No. 456) (House) - 2025-04-10: Communicated to Senate (House) - 2025-04-10: Completed legislative action (House) - 2025-04-09: On 3rd reading (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Read 3rd time (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 397) (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Effective from passage (Roll No. 398) (Senate) - 2025-04-09: Senate requests House to concur (Senate) - 2025-04-08: On 2nd reading (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Read 2nd time (Senate) - 2025-04-08: Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote) (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Reported do pass, with amendment and title amendment (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Immediate consideration (Senate) - 2025-04-07: Read 1st time (Senate) - 2025-03-29: Introduced in Senate (Senate) - 2025-03-29: To Banking and Insurance (Senate) - 2025-03-29: To Banking and Insurance (Senate) - 2025-03-27: On 3rd reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2025-03-27: Read 3rd time (House) - 2025-03-27: Passed House (Roll No. 214) (House) - 2025-03-27: Communicated to Senate (House) - 2025-03-26: On 2nd reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2025-03-26: Read 2nd time (House) - 2025-03-25: On 1st reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2025-03-25: Read 1st time (House) - 2025-03-24: By substitute, do pass (House) - 2025-03-12: To House Finance (House) - 2025-03-03: To House Banking and Insurance (House) - 2025-02-24: Filed for introduction (House) - 2025-02-24: To Finance (House) - 2025-02-24: Introduced in House (House) - 2025-02-24: To House Finance (House) ## Bill text - Committee Substitute: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2.pdf) - Engrossed: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2 eng.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2 eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2 enr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2 enr.pdf) - Introduced Version: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 intr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 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 196: Lauren's Law (signed) - SB 138: Enhancing penalties for fleeing officer (signed) - SB 270: Declaring sale and manufacture of firearms essential business during declared emergency (signed) - SB 617: Discouraging gang activity (signed) ## Sources - [Committee Substitute (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2.htm) - [Committee Substitute (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2.pdf) - [Engrossed (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2 eng.htm) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2 eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2 enr.htm) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 sub2 enr.pdf) - [Introduced Version (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 intr.htm) - [Introduced Version (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2025_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb2889 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 196: Lauren's Law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB196-2025rs) - [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 617: Discouraging gang activity](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB617-2025rs) - [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-HB2889-2025rs (as of 2026-10-19).