# West Virginia SB 499: Requiring auto accident toxicology test be performed West Virginia SB 499, Requiring auto accident toxicology test be performed, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Brian Helton (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-06-25 (Chapter 234, Acts, Regular Session, 2026) (as of 2026-11-04). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB499-2026rs - 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 SB 499 - State: West Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Requiring auto accident toxicology test be performed - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-19 - Last action: 2026-06-25, Chapter 234, Acts, Regular Session, 2026 - Sponsor: Brian Helton (Republican) - Cosponsors: 6 - Subjects: §17C-5B-1, §17C-5B-1a, §17C-5B-2 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 3 (163 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 2 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Required alcohol tests after fatal crashes: benefit, low. When a driver or adult pedestrian dies in a West Virginia crash, the county medical examiner takes charge. The examiner must test the blood for alcohol within 12 hours of getting notice and before embalming. Trained medical staff such as doctors, nurses, medical technicians, or qualified coroners p… - New testing rules for surviving drivers: mixed, low. If an officer has probable cause a surviving driver broke DUI or similar laws in a fatal crash, the officer can require a preliminary breath test. The officer can also require a secondary blood or breath test to measure alcohol or drugs. Without the driver’s written consent, a blood draw needs a wa… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Brian Helton (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Vince Deeds (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Scott Fuller (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Mark R. Maynard (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Chris Rose (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Patricia Rucker (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Jay Taylor (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-14 | Senate | Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 670) | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2026-03-13 | House | Passed House (Roll No. 531) | pass | 96 | 0 | | | 2026-03-04 | Senate | Passed Senate (Roll No. 326) | pass | 33 | 0 | | ## Actions (44) - 2026-06-25: Chapter 234, Acts, Regular Session, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-27: Approved by Governor 3/27/2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-18: To Governor 3/18/2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-14: House Message received (Senate) - 2026-03-14: Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 670) (Senate) - 2026-03-14: Communicated to House (Senate) - 2026-03-14: Completed legislative action (Senate) - 2026-03-14: To Governor 3/18/2026 - Senate Journal (Senate) - 2026-03-14: Approved by Governor 3/27/2026 - House Journal (House) - 2026-03-14: Approved by Governor 3/27/2026 - Senate Journal (Senate) - 2026-03-13: On 3rd reading with right to amend, Special Calendar (House) - 2026-03-13: Reported by the Clerk (House) - 2026-03-13: Amendment reported by the Clerk (House) - 2026-03-13: Amendment adopted (Voice vote) (House) - 2026-03-13: Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote) (House) - 2026-03-13: Passed House (Roll No. 531) (House) - 2026-03-13: Title amendment adopted (Voice vote) (House) - 2026-03-13: Communicated to Senate (House) - 2026-03-12: On 2nd reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2026-03-12: Read 2nd time (House) - 2026-03-11: With amendment, do pass (House) - 2026-03-11: Immediate consideration (House) - 2026-03-11: Read 1st time (House) - 2026-03-10: Markup Discussion (House) - 2026-03-05: House received Senate message (House) - 2026-03-05: Introduced in House (House) - 2026-03-05: To Judiciary (House) - 2026-03-05: To House Judiciary (House) - 2026-03-04: On 3rd reading with right to amend (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Read 3rd time (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Floor amendments adopted (Voice vote) (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Passed Senate (Roll No. 326) (Senate) - 2026-03-04: Ordered to House (Senate) - 2026-03-03: On 2nd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-03: Read 2nd time (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Com. sub. for com. sub. reported (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Immediate consideration (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Read 1st time (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Committee substitute reported, but first to Finance (Senate) - 2026-02-27: To Finance (Senate) - 2026-01-19: Filed for introduction (Senate) - 2026-01-19: To Judiciary then Finance (Senate) - 2026-01-19: Introduced in Senate (Senate) - 2026-01-19: To Judiciary (Senate) ## Bill text - Committee Substitute: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2.pdf) - Engrossed: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2 eng.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2 eng.pdf) - Enrolled: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2 enr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2 enr.pdf) - Introduced Version: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 intr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 intr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 5694: Supplemental appropriation to Department of Education, fund 0313. (signed) - HB 5353: To bring virtual currency kiosks within the purview of money transmission licensure and create disclosure requirements and daily transaction limitations for ne… (signed) - 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) ## Sources - [Committee Substitute (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2.htm) - [Committee Substitute (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2.pdf) - [Engrossed (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2 eng.htm) - [Engrossed (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2 eng.pdf) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2 enr.htm) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 sub2 enr.pdf) - [Introduced Version (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 intr.htm) - [Introduced Version (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb499 intr.pdf) ## Related - [HB 5694: Supplemental appropriation to Department of Education, fund 0313.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB5694-2026rs) - [HB 5353: To bring virtual currency kiosks within the purview of money transmission licen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB5353-2026rs) - [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) - [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-SB499-2026rs (as of 2026-11-04).