SB 208 West Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Exempting certain military records from public release

This bill (SB 208) adds a new exemption to West Virginia's public records law, protecting specific military records from public release. It directly affects National Guard personnel and agencies by shielding classified information related to national security, terrorism response plans, intelligence shared with federal partners, and operational details like deployment locations or tactics. The key provision prevents disclosure of records that could endanger military personnel, threaten public safety, or provide an advantage to adversaries. The exemption applies to sensitive data maintained by the National Guard, Department of Defense, and homeland security agencies under state law.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Feb 2026
Senate Passage
Jan 2026
House of Delegates Passage
Feb 2026
Signed into Law
Jun 2026
Introduced Jan 14, 2026 Signed Jun 25, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version Enrolled Version · 4 edits · Feb 25, 2026
MODERATE
The bill text was converted from a draft introduction to a final enrolled version, adding signatures from legislative officers and the Governor, specific effective dates, and a list of new co-sponsors. The substantive legal content regarding the exemption of classified military records from public disclosure remains identical to the original draft.
Scope change
The scope of the law itself did not change; only the document's status and metadata were updated to reflect its passage and enactment.
TIMELINE

Added a specific effective date of 90 days from passage (May 19, 2026) and removed the placeholder introduction date.

ELIGIBILITY

Added four new Senators (Phillips, Woelfel, and Tarr) to the list of bill sponsors alongside Senator Weld.

REQUIREMENT

Added signature lines and certification text for the Clerks of the Senate and House, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, and the Governor.

TECHNICAL

Removed draft-specific headers, committee referral notes, and explanatory footnotes regarding strike-throughs and underlining.

Floor votes · Senate Jan 30, 2026 · House of Delegates Feb 18, 2026

How they voted

330
Passed
Total votes 33
Jan 30, 2026
D Democratic2
2 Yea
100% Yea
R Republican31
31 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
37
Key actions
6
Committee
4
Feb 25, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 2/25/2026 - House Journal
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 2/25/2026
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Passed House (Roll No. 116)
lower
Feb 11, 2026
Lower · Passed
Do pass
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Committee
To House Judiciary
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Committee
To Judiciary
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Jan 30, 2026
Upper · Passed
Passed Senate (Roll No. 26)
upper
Jan 27, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported do pass
upper
Jan 14, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 3 co-sponsors

Sponsors