2023

The WVCDL authored and/or secured passage of the following in the legislature:
  1. SB10: Campus Self Defense Act. Prohibiting public colleges and universities from punishing students, faculty, and staff for exercising their right to carry.

2022

The WVCDL authored and/or secured passage of the following in the legislature:
  1. HB4048: WV Keep, Bear and Drive with Arms Act. This reclamation of rights bill removes the criminal prohibitions against carrying loaded long guns, nocked cross bows with a nocked bolt, or bows with a nocked arrow in a motor vehicle; and removes prohibitions against carrying long guns, cross bows, or bows, that are not in a case or taken apart, in motor vehicles during evening hours. Effective May 24, 2022.

2020

The WVCDL authored and/or secured passage of the following in the legislature:
  1. SB96: Deadly Weapon Preemption prohibits municipalities from regulating possession and/or carry of deadly weapons beyond the provisions of state code.

2021

The WVCDL authored and/or secured passage of the following in the legislature:
  1. HB2694: Non-Participation. This landmark bill protects state and local law enforcement from being co-opted for the use of federal gun control enforcement, when that enforcement is not dealing with a federal law which is also a law in WV. This bill protects West Virginians from future gun control, including but not limited to: feature bans, so-called Red Flag laws, magazine capacity bans, and more which come into effect after January 2021.

2019

The WVCDL authored and/or secured passage of the following in the legislature:
  1. SB18: Relating to crimes committed on the State Capitol Complex – removing the requirement of a person lawfully entitled to possess a firearm must have a concealed weapons permit to have a firearm secured and out of view in his or her vehicle on the State
  2. HB2691: Providing that a license to carry a concealed deadly weapon expires on the holder’s birthday
  3. HB2709: Relating to hunting licenses – exemption of the list of names, addresses, contact information for licence holders from public disclosure, with certain exceptions
The WVCDL was instrumental in stopping the following anti-gun bills:
  1. HB3069: Relating to the right of certain persons to limit possession of firearms on premises

2018

The WVCDL authored and/or secured passage of the following in the legislature:
  1. HB4187: Employee parking lot protections.

2017

The WVCDL authored and/or secured passage of the following in the legislature:
  1. SB345: Statewide Sunday Hunting (standalone, overwritten by HB2679)
  2. SB388: School dropoff/pickup and parking lot storage
  3. SB575: Range protections from nuisance suits
  4. HB2679: State Park Carry, County Park Carry, Statewide Sunday Hunting (final)

2016

The WVCDL authored and secured passage of the following in the legislature:
  1. HB4145: Constitutional Carry (law effective June 5, 2016)

2015

The WVCDL authored and/or secured passage of the following in the legislature:
  1. HB2636: Exempting personal/private information on Concealed Handgun License applications from FOIA requests. Requiring Sheriffs to issue new permits for $5 if someone moves to a new county within the state. Establishing that Sheriffs who wrongly deny permits may bear court costs and fees for an appeal. PASSED & SIGNED INTO LAW
  2. HB2515: Permitting defensive open carry of firearms without a CHL on vehicles and in the woods, and introducing crossbow hunting. PASSED & SIGNED INTO LAW
  3. HB2128: Permitting those with CHLs to leave their handguns stored securely and out of sight on the Capitol Complex PASSED & SIGNED INTO LAW
  4. SB283: Requiring Chief Law Enforcement Officer signoffs on NFA transfers PASSED & SIGNED INTO LAW
  5. SB347: Constitutional Carry PASSED AND VETOED BY GOVERNOR TOMBLIN

2014

WVCDL pushed and secured passage of the following in the Legislature:
  1. SB317: State-wide Preemption by prohibiting cities from having or creating gun ordinances inconsistent with state law. PASSED & SIGNED INTO LAW.
  2. HB4186: Allowing the WV Attorney General to apply to the ATF for WV concealed handgun license holders to be exempt from NICS checks when purchasing a firearm. PASSED & SIGNED INTO LAW.
  3. HB4431: Clarifying that a firearm alone does not constitute hunting to protect open carriers from being charged with hunting violations. PASSED & SIGNED INTO LAW.
WVCDL authored and got the following bills introduced in the Legislature:
  1. SB317: State-wide Preemption by prohibiting cities from having or creating gun ordinances inconsistent with state law. PASSED
  2. SB445: Hunting code clean-up to protect those in possession of a firearm while “afield.”

2013

WVCDL pushed and secured passage of the following in the Legislature:
  1. Lane Amendment: Prohibiting home rule cities from having or creating restrictive gun ordinances, resulting in near total state-wide preemption. PASSED
  2. HB2471: Prevents the confiscation of firearms or ammunition during a state of emergency, and makes it illegal to restrict carry or ownership of firearms during such. PASSED
  3. SB369: Allows West Virginia to enter into concealed carry reciprocity agreements with any state that is willing. This will increase reciprocal states. PASSED
  4. HB2866: Provides an exception to the “500 foot rule” for your own property. PASSED
  5. HB2431: Clarifies mental health restrictions, allows for restorations of rights with expungement and various other CCW clean-ups. PASSED
WVCDL authored and got the following bills introduced in the Legislature:
  1. HB 2560: eliminating the current prohibition against possessing firearms on school property for individuals who are licensed to carry a concealed weapon.
  2. HB 2558: removing the “grandfather” clause found in the state’s current preemption code, this bill would standardize the enforcement of firearms laws across the state, as determined by the Legislature.
  3. HB 2572, a bill that cleans up hunting code and clarifies the circumstances under which a person may possess certain firearms while afield hunting or engaging in other outdoor recreational activities.

2012

WVCDL authored and got the following bills introduced in the Legislature:
  1. WVCDL GOPA 2012: WVCDL’s West Virginia Gun Owner Protection Act of 2012 was a 500+ page bill that makes wide-ranging improvements in numerous West Virginia gun laws. Follow the link for more in-depth information on the WVCDL GOPA of 2012.

2010

WVCDL batted a perfect 1.000 against anti-gun legislation:
  • Delegate John Doyle’s perennial one-handgun-per-month gun rationing bill, HB 2299, again died a silent death in the House Judiciary Committee.
  • WVCDL played an instrumental role in defeating HB 4422, a very dangerous proposal that would have taken away a person’s right to possess a firearm without due process by expanding the prohibition on possessing firearms while subject to a domestic violence protective order, by eliminating the statute’s provision limiting its application to orders issued after a court hearing at which the respondent had an opportunity to participate. WVCDL led the opposition to this bill at a House Judiciary Committee public hearing held during WVCDL Lobby Day 2010, on February 15, 2010.
  • WVCDL defeated SB 516, a misguided and ultimately ineffective proposal that would have required a person to obtain an annual range use permit to use any public shooting range operated by the Division of Natural Resources.
WVCDL authored and got the following bills introduced in the Legislature:
  • HB 4014: providing current and retired law-enforcement officers access to the necessary certification programs for certification to carry concealed firearms nationwide under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004.  This bill unanimously passed the Senate but died in the House Judiciary Committee.
  • HB 4265: strengthening language limiting the ability of public officials to abuse emergency management powers laws to infringe upon firearm rights.
  • HB 4280: clarifying the regulation of how firearms may be carried or transported. This bill would have amended various hunting regulations to clarify an individual’s right to openly carry a firearm in vehicles and wooded areas for lawful, non-hunting purposes such as personal protection. The existing regulations are confusing, inconsistently applied by various law-enforcement agencies, and have been an occasional source of harassment.
  • HB 4305: strengthening and expanding the state firearms preemption law.
  • HB 4325: Alaska/Arizona/Vermont-style right to carry without a license.
  • SB 164: repealing the Sate Capitol carry ban.
  • SB 170: enacting a state statute prohibiting firearm “straw” purchases.  A similar bill, SB 515, passed the Legislature but was vetoed by Governor Manchin.
WVCDL Conducts Legislative Candidate Surveys

WVCDL conducted its second biennial legislative candidate survey of candidates for the Senate and house of Delegates. Click here to view the survey and results.

2009

WVCDL worked to expand reciprocity with other states:
  • WVCDL supported HB 3314, which repealed the “resident-license-only” limitation in West Virginia’s reciprocity law that previously denied recognition to nonresident permits from states such as Florida, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Virginia.
  • WVCDL worked closely with Attorney General Darrell McGraw to establish reciprocity with Alaska, Delaware, and North Dakota.
WVCDL batted a perfect 1.000 against anti-gun legislation:
  • Delegate John Doyle’s perennial one-handgun-per-month gun rationing bill, HB 2299, again died a silent death in the House Judiciary Committee.
  • The Legislature failed to pass HB 3248, which would have allowed members of the Legislature (but not the rest of us) to carry concealed weapons without a license.
  • WVCDL defeated an extremely misguided proposal (HB 3300 and SB 590) that would have required concealed handgun license holders to obtain Scarlet Letter driver’s licenses containing a special indication the person has a CHL.
WVCDL authored and got the following bills introduced in the Legislature:
  • HB 2790 and SB 147: repealing the Sate Capitol carry ban.
  • HB 3331: strengthening language limiting the ability of public officials to abuse emergency management powers laws to infringe upon firearm rights.
  • HB 3333: clarifying the regulation of how firearms may be carried or transported. This bill would have amended various hunting regulations to clarify an individual’s right to openly carry a firearm in vehicles and wooded areas for lawful, non-hunting purposes such as personal protection. The existing regulations are confusing, inconsistently applied by various law-enforcement agencies, and have been an occasional source of harassment.
  • HB 3335: strengthening and expanding the state firearms preemption law.
  • SB 139: enacting a state statute prohibiting firearm “straw” purchases.
  • SB 148: Concealed handgun reciprocity reform — universal recognition. This bill would have more than doubled the number of states with which West Virginia would be able to establish concealed carry reciprocity by recognizing all other states’ licenses.
  • SB 305: providing current and retired law-enforcement officers access to the necessary certification programs for certification to carry concealed firearms nationwide under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004.  This bill unanimously passed the Senate but died in the House Judiciary Committee.

2008

WVCDL worked to expands reciprocity with other states:

WVCDL worked closely with Attorney General Darrell McGraw to establish reciprocity with Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi,  Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Utah.

WVCDL batted a perfect 1.000 against anti-gun legislation:
  • WVCDL was the only organization that opposed a proposed rule of the Lottery Commission that would have banned weapons in the casino area of the state’s four racetracks. Thanks to our efforts and the behind-the-scenes work of Delegate Scott Varner, D-Marshall, the House Judiciary Committee amended SB 417 to require the Lottery Commission to remove the carry ban language when it finally promulgates the racetrack table games rules later this spring. SB 417 ultimately passed and became law with WVCDL’s amendment.
  • When legislators attempted to add a $30 surcharge to every concealed handgun license–raising the total fees from $90 to $120 per license–WVCDL was the only organization that lobbied of the House Finance Committee to remove the proposed fee increases from HB 4471.  Thanks to our efforts and the work of committee member Delegate Sharon Spencer, D-Kanawha, this and many other fee increases were removed from HB 4471. Although one unrelated fee increase was restored to the bill in the Senate, HB 4471 became law without any fee increase for concealed handgun licenses.
  • Delegate John Doyle’s perennial one-handgun-per-month gun rationing bill, HB 2375, again died a silent death in the House Judiciary Committee.
WVCDL authored and got the following bills introduced in the Legislature:
  • SB 136: repealing the Sate Capitol carry ban.
  • SB 152: providing current and retired law-enforcement officers access to the necessary certification programs for certification to carry concealed firearms nationwide under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004.  This bill unanimously passed the Senate but died in the House Judiciary Committee.
  • SB 178: nonresident concealed handgun licenses.
  • SB 228 and HB 4683: Concealed handgun reciprocity reform — universal recognition. This bill would have more than doubled the number of states with which West Virginia would be able to establish concealed carry reciprocity by recognizing all other states’ licenses.
  • SB 230: reducing concealed handgun license fees from $90 to $50 per 5-year license. This bill was rewritten by the Senate Judiciary Committee to provide for a minor tweaking of the reciprocity law and unanimously passed the Senate, but died in the House Judiciary Committee. If the House Judiciary Committee had acted on this bill, it would have been used as a vehicle for other desired improvements in the concealed carry law.
  • SB 252: enacting a state statute prohibiting firearm “straw” purchases.
  • SB 319: clarifying the regulation of how firearms may be carried or transported. This bill would have amended various hunting regulations to clarify an individual’s right to openly carry a firearm in vehicles and wooded areas for lawful, non-hunting purposes such as personal protection. The existing regulations are confusing, inconsistently applied by various law-enforcement agencies, and have been an occasional source of harassment.
  • SB 728: strengthening language limiting the ability of public officials to abuse emergency management powers laws to infringe upon firearm rights.
  • SB 730: eliminating obsolete weapons’ licensing statutory language.
  • SB 732: strengthening and expanding the state firearms preemption law.
WVCDL Publishes Responses to First Candidate Surveys

Click here to view the WVCDL Candidate Surveys and all responses received.

WVCDL Defends Preemption Laws

WVCDL stopped a proposed city property gun ban in the City of Ranson that would have violated the municipal gun control preemption statute.

2007

WVCDL authored and got the following bills introduced in the Legislature:
  1. SB 647: providing current and retired law-enforcement officers access to the necessary certification programs for certification to carry concealed firearms nationwide under the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004.
  2. SB 648: enacting a state statute prohibiting firearm “straw” purchases. This bill mirrors laws passed in 2006 in Virginia and 2008 in Georgia that are designed to prevent gun-grabbing New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and his ilk from dispatching private investigators to licensed gun dealers in states with reasonable gun laws, where they then entice the dealers into selling a firearm to a purchaser who appears to intend to immediately resell or otherwise transfer the firearm to a prohibited possessor. These schemes were designed to allow Bloomberg to sue these dealers for their allegedly unlawful sales and have resulted in many dealers going out of business and others entering into settlement agreements that included allowing Bloomberg full access to all their records, including all Forms 4473 on file. This in turn violates the privacy of thousands of gun owners who bought their guns, legally, through the targeted dealers.
  3. SB 649: repealing the State Capitol carry ban.
  4. SB 715: strengthening and expanding the state firearms preemption law. This bill included language that would repeal the grandfather clause in the existing preemption law, preempt carry bans on all public property where the Legislature has not prohibited carrying by law, and expand the scope of preemption from local ordinances to all forms of official action.
  5. SB 716: updating and clarifying procedures for concealed handgun license background checks. This bill would have qualified West Virginia for reciprocity with Minnesota, New Mexico, and Texas, and would also have qualified licensees for an exemption from having to undergo an NICS background check when purchasing a firearm through a licensed dealer in West Virginia (click here for list of current states that issue NICS-exempt licenses).
  6. SB 717: establishing nonresident concealed handgun licenses. Although imperfect, this bill would have provided an option for residents of every state to have some means of being able to lawfully carry a concealed handgun in West Virginia by removing the requirement that an applicant be a West Virginia resident. Nonresidents would have been allowed to apply to the sheriff of any county while residents would continue to be required to apply to the sheriff of their home county. The current reciprocity law limits recognition of reciprocal states’ licenses to resident licenses.
WVCDL played a key role in expanding concealed carry reciprocity after HB 3074 took effect.
  • WVCDL played an essential role in establishing reciprocity with Pennsylvania. When the West Virginia Attorney General initially could not get the necessary cooperation from the Pennsylvania Attorney General and State Police to determine whether Pennsylvania met the eligibility criteria of West Virginia’s reciprocity law, WVCDL went to work.  We contacted key Pennsylvania state officials and Pennsylvania gun rights activists who wanted a reciprocity agreement as much as we did and brought the appropriate officials in both states together to make this agreement possible.
  • WVCDL played key roles in the establishment of reciprocity agreements with Michigan, Missouri, and Tennessee by doing the legwork of identifying the officials in those states who handled reciprocity agreements and getting them in touch with the West Virginia Attorney General to establish their respective agreements.