Bill > SB812

This bill establishes a comprehensive Anti-Terrorism Act in West Virginia that significantly expands legal definitions and criminal penalties related to terrorist activities. The legislation provides extensive definitions for terms such as terrorism, terrorist acts, terrorist groups, and material support to terrorism, creating a broad framework for identifying and prosecuting terrorist-related offenses. The bill introduces mandatory sentencing for terrorist acts, with penalties ranging from three to 20 years of imprisonment and fines from $100,000 to $2.5 million, depending on the severity of the act. Key provisions include criminalizing terrorist threats, false terrorist reports, hoax devices, attacks on critical infrastructure, terrorist vandalism, swatting, and providing material support to terrorist entities. The bill also mandates restitution to victims, requires reimbursement of state expenses, and allows for prosecution of each terrorist act separately. Notably, the legislation stipulates that terrorism charges cannot run concurrently with other sentences and are not subject to suspension or probation. The Attorney General is tasked with identifying both international and domestic terrorist groups, and the bill explicitly states that any member or associate of these groups can be deemed a terrorist. The legislation aims to comprehensively address terrorism by creating clear legal mechanisms for prevention, prosecution, and punishment, while also ensuring that the law does not conflict with federal regulations.

Justice

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=812&year=2025&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill