Bill > HB4676

This bill aims to eliminate the "open fields doctrine" in West Virginia, which is a legal principle that allows law enforcement to search areas of private property that are not immediately around a person's home, even without a warrant, if those areas are considered "open" and not private. The bill clarifies that such "open fields," defined as private property beyond the area immediately surrounding a home, including fenced land and wooded areas, are now protected by the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and Article III, Section 6 of the West Virginia Constitution, meaning they cannot be searched without a warrant or a constitutionally recognized exception.

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http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4676&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill