HB 4638 West Virginia House of Delegates · 2026 Regular Session

Relating to registration of voters and voluntary registration of organ donors

HB 4638 (West Virginia House Bill 4638) adds a voluntary organ donor registration option to voter registration forms. The bill requires all state voter registration applications to include a checkbox allowing applicants to register as organ donors and be added to the national organ donor database. It also mandates that the Secretary of State provide donor registration records to the organ donor registry and include information about organ donation on voter registration cards. This change directly affects voters during the registration process but does not alter voting eligibility or procedures.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Jan 21, 2026 Signed Jun 29, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

hb4638 hfat akers 2-18 adopted.htm Enrolled Version · 5 edits · Mar 14, 2026
MODERATE
The bill was converted from a draft amendment proposal into the final enrolled version, removing internal legislative notes and formatting artifacts. The core policy remains unchanged, establishing a system for West Virginia voters to register as organ donors on voter registration cards and creating a state donor registry. It mandates that the Secretary of State and Division of Natural Resources collect this data and transmit it to a national registry, with reimbursement for costs provided by the Center for Organ Recovery and Education.
Scope change
The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the text now reflects the final enacted law rather than a proposed amendment.
TECHNICAL

Removed draft headers, navigation menus, and internal legislative notes (e.g., 'Delegate Akers moved to amend') that were present in the working version but are not part of the final law.

REQUIREMENT

Formalized the requirement for voter registration applications to include an option for applicants to register as organ donors and be included in the National Donate Life Registry.

Updated the Division of Motor Vehicles' role to cooperate with the donor registry, while explicitly assigning the Secretary of State the duty to collect organ donor information from voter registration applications.

DEFINITION

Established a comprehensive list of legal definitions for terms such as 'anatomical gift,' 'donor registry,' and 'prospective donor' to ensure consistent application of the law.

FISCAL

Mandated that the Center for Organ Recovery and Education reimburse the Secretary of State and Division of Natural Resources for the costs of creating and administering the donor information system, while absolving these agencies of liability if reimbursement is not received.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 10, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 19, 2026

How they voted

294
Passed
Total votes 33
Mar 10, 2026
D Democratic2
2 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican31
27 Yea 4 Nay
87% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
37
Key actions
8
Committee
7
Mar 14, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 3/17/2026 - House Journal
lower
Mar 14, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 3/17/2026
lower
Mar 14, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 3/17/2026 - Senate Journal
upper
Mar 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (Roll No. 402)
upper
Mar 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported do pass
upper
Feb 20, 2026
Committee
To Government Organization
upper
Feb 20, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
Feb 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Title amendment adopted (Voice vote)
lower
Feb 19, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House (Roll No. 128)
lower
Feb 16, 2026
Lower · Passed
Do pass
lower
Feb 9, 2026
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Feb 6, 2026
Committee
To House Legal Services
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Committee
To Judiciary
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Evan Worrell
Evan Worrell
RRepublican
WV
23