# West Virginia HB 4712: Increasing the criminal penalties for DUI causing death to be known as “Baylea’s Law.” West Virginia HB 4712, Increasing the criminal penalties for DUI causing death to be known as “Baylea’s Law.”, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Josh Holstein (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-06-29 (Chapter 103, Acts, Regular Session, 2026); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-11-04). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4712-2026rs - As of: 2026-11-04 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: West Virginia HB 4712 - State: West Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Increasing the criminal penalties for DUI causing death to be known as “Baylea’s Law.” - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-21 - Last action: 2026-06-29, Chapter 103, Acts, Regular Session, 2026 - Sponsor: Josh Holstein (Republican) - Cosponsors: 8 - Subjects: §17C-5-2 - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 3 (221 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 8 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Harsher penalties for DUI deaths and injuries: cost, medium. The law raises penalties when impaired driving kills or injures someone. If you act with deliberate disregard and a death occurs within one year, the sentence is 5–30 years, a $2,000–$10,000 fine, and lifetime loss of your license. If a death occurs without deliberate disregard, the penalty is 3–15… - Repeat DUI: tougher punishments and charging: cost, medium. A second DUI conviction brings 6 months to 1 year in jail, a $1,000–$3,000 fine, and a 10‑year license revocation or test‑and‑lock. A third or later conviction is a felony with 2–5 years in prison, a $3,000–$5,000 fine, and lifetime license revocation or test‑and‑lock. Prosecutors can charge a seco… - Stronger DUI penalties, including with kids: cost, medium. Driving while impaired is a misdemeanor. For impairment or BAC under 0.15, you face up to 6 months in jail, a $100–$500 fine, and a 6‑month license revocation or test‑and‑lock. For BAC 0.15 or higher, you face 2–6 months in jail (at least 24 hours served), a $200–$1,000 fine, and a 1‑year revocatio… - Legal drug use is no DUI defense: cost, low. Being legally allowed to use alcohol or prescribed drugs is not a defense to these DUI charges. The law makes clear that legal entitlement to use a substance does not excuse impaired driving. - Penalties for drug‑impaired drivers and owners: cost, low. A habitual user of narcotics or amphetamines who drives commits a misdemeanor. The penalty is 1 day–6 months in jail (at least 24 hours served), a $100–$500 fine, and a 6‑month revocation. If you knowingly let an impaired person drive your vehicle, you face up to 6 months in jail, a $100–$500 fine,… - Mandatory DUI sentences and limited alternatives: mixed, medium. Sentences under this law are mandatory and usually cannot be suspended. For a first offense with a year or less, the court can use diversion or conditional probation. Home detention can substitute for jail. Electronic monitoring is required for at least five days on a second offense and ten days on… - Under‑21 DUI penalties and program: mixed, medium. For drivers under 21 with BAC 0.02–0.079, a first offense brings a $25–$100 fine and a 60‑day suspension or test‑and‑lock. The court can continue the case so the driver joins test‑and‑lock; if completed, the court dismisses and expunges the charge. A second or later offense brings 24 hours in jail,… - License reinstatement: safety program and consent: mixed, low. Before the DMV restores your license after a DUI revocation or suspension under this law, you must finish the state’s safety and treatment program. Courts must immediately send conviction or conditional‑probation orders to the DMV so the agency can act quickly. If a test‑and‑lock option is allowed,… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Josh Holstein (Republican), House - Cosponsor: James Robert "JB" Akers II (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Jarred Cannon (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Geno Chiarelli (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Roger Hanshaw (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Scot C. Heckert (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Tresa Howell (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Joe Parsons (Republican), House - Cosponsor: Adam Vance (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-14 | House | House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 678) | pass | 92 | 0 | | | 2026-03-13 | Senate | Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 547) | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2026-02-19 | House | Passed House (Roll No. 129) | pass | 95 | 0 | | ## Actions (42) - 2026-06-29: Chapter 103, Acts, Regular Session, 2026 (House) - 2026-04-01: Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 (House) - 2026-03-25: To Governor 3/25/2026 (House) - 2026-03-14: House received Senate message (House) - 2026-03-14: House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 678) (House) - 2026-03-14: Communicated to Senate (House) - 2026-03-14: Completed legislative action (House) - 2026-03-14: House Message received (Senate) - 2026-03-14: To Governor 3/25/2026 - Senate Journal (Senate) - 2026-03-14: Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal (Senate) - 2026-03-14: Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal (House) - 2026-03-13: On 3rd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-13: Read 3rd time (Senate) - 2026-03-13: Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 547) (Senate) - 2026-03-13: Senate requests House to concur (Senate) - 2026-03-12: On 2nd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Read 2nd time (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote) (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Reported do pass, with amendment and title amendment (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Immediate consideration (Senate) - 2026-03-11: Read 1st time (Senate) - 2026-02-23: Introduced in Senate (Senate) - 2026-02-23: To Judiciary (Senate) - 2026-02-23: To Judiciary (Senate) - 2026-02-19: On 3rd reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2026-02-19: Read 3rd time (House) - 2026-02-19: Passed House (Roll No. 129) (House) - 2026-02-19: Communicated to Senate (House) - 2026-02-18: On 2nd reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2026-02-18: Read 2nd time (House) - 2026-02-17: By substitute, do pass (House) - 2026-02-17: Reference dispensed (House) - 2026-02-17: Immediate consideration (House) - 2026-02-17: Read 1st time (House) - 2026-02-13: Markup Discussion (House) - 2026-02-11: To House Judiciary (House) - 2026-02-10: To House Courts (House) - 2026-02-10: Markup Discussion (House) - 2026-01-21: Filed for introduction (House) - 2026-01-21: To Judiciary (House) - 2026-01-21: Introduced in House (House) - 2026-01-21: To House Judiciary (House) ## Bill text - Committee Substitute: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1.pdf) - Engrossed: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1 eng.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1 eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1 enr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1 enr.pdf) - Introduced Version: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 intr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 intr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 4452: To remove Mortmain restrictions on religious organizations (signed) - HB 4390: Relating to the temporary payment to a kinship parent of a subsidy equal to that of a foster parent (signed) - HB 4354: Relating to necessity allowance (signed) - HB 4191: Relating to providing child care generally (became law) - HB 4138: Relating to persons convicted of a crime (signed) - HB 4106: Allowing constitutional carry for 18- to 20-year-olds (signed) ## Sources - [Committee Substitute (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1.htm) - [Committee Substitute (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1.pdf) - [Engrossed (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1 eng.htm) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1 eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1 enr.htm) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 sub1 enr.pdf) - [Introduced Version (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 intr.htm) - [Introduced Version (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/hb4712 intr.pdf) ## Related - [HB 4452: To remove Mortmain restrictions on religious organizations](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4452-2026rs) - [HB 4390: Relating to the temporary payment to a kinship parent of a subsidy equal to tha…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4390-2026rs) - [HB 4354: Relating to necessity allowance](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4354-2026rs) - [HB 4191: Relating to providing child care generally](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4191-2026rs) - [HB 4138: Relating to persons convicted of a crime](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4138-2026rs) - [HB 4106: Allowing constitutional carry for 18- to 20-year-olds](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4106-2026rs) - [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-HB4712-2026rs (as of 2026-11-04).