West Virginia legislation · 2026 Regular Session
West Virginia HB4366: Relating to military interpersonal violence
Status: Signed into law, March 25, 2026
What the bill says
An act to amend and reenact §48-27-209, §48-27-403, §48-28-4, §53-8-1, and §53-8-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to military interpersonal violence; defining terms; providing for use of military protective order in petition for emergency protective order; providing for notification by law-enforcement officers to relevant agencies of potential violations of military protective orders; and providing for use of military protective order in petition for temporary personal safety order. Chapter 48. Domestic Relations. Article 27. Prevention and Treatment of Domestic Viole.
From the enrolled text, March 14, 2026:
AN ACT to amend and reenact §48-27-209, §48-27-403, §48-28-4, §53-8-1, and §53-8-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to military interpersonal violence; defining terms; providing for use of military protective order in petition for emergency protective order; providing for notification by law-enforcement officers to relevant agencies of potential violations of military protective orders; and providing for use of military protective order in petition for temporary personal safety order. Chapter 48. Domestic Relations. Article 27. Prevention and Treatment of Domestic Violence. §48-27-209. Protective order and military protective order defined. "Protective order" means an emergency protective order entered by a magistrate as a result of the emergency hearing or a protective order entered by a family court judge upon final hearing. "Military protective order" means a protective order issued by a commanding officer in the United States Armed Forces, the West Virginia National Guard, or the National Guard of any other state against a person under such officer's command. §48-27-403. Emergency protective orders of court; hearings; persons present. (a)(1) Upon the filing of a verified petition under this article, the magistrate court may enter an emergency protective order as it may determine necessary to protect the petitioner or minor children from domestic violence and, upon good cause shown, may do so ex parte without the necessity of bond …