Bill > HB3116

This bill updates West Virginia's legal definition of incest to include relatives by marriage and in same-sex marriages, specifically expanding the definitions of "aunt" and "uncle" to include the wife of an uncle or aunt, and the husband of an uncle or aunt. The bill modifies the existing statute to clarify that an "aunt" can now be defined as not only the sister of a person's mother or father, but also the wife of a person's uncle or aunt. Similarly, the definition of "uncle" is expanded to include not just the brother of a person's father or mother, but also the husband of a person's uncle or aunt. These changes also impact related definitions of "niece" and "nephew" to include the spouses of brothers and sisters. The bill maintains the existing penalties for incest, which include a felony charge with imprisonment of 5 to 15 years and/or a fine of $500 to $5,000. Additional provisions allow the court to order payment for medical or psychological treatment if the victim is a minor, and mandate that a person convicted of incest against a child be considered an abusing parent under state law.

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http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=3116&year=2025&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill