Eliminate woke, anti-women words from state government
HB 4079 requires all West Virginia state offices, departments, and commissions to replace specific terms in government communications with traditional alternatives. It mandates replacing phrases like "pregnant people" with "pregnant women," "chestfeeding" with "breastfeeding," "menstruating person" with "woman," and "womxn" with "woman." The bill applies to official documents, websites, literature, and in-person communications, effective June 1, 2026. It directly affects how state agencies describe health, reproductive, and gender-related topics in public materials. The law does not alter policies but changes the language used in government communications.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 14, 2026
Last action Jan 14, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
4
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Jan 14, 2026
Committee
To House Health and Human Resources
lower
Jan 14, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Jan 14, 2026
Committee
To Health and Human Resources then Finance
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Kathie Hess Crouse
RRepublican
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