West Virginia SB531: Establishing First Amendment Preservation Act

What the bill says

An act to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §5A-3-64, relating to establishment of the First Amendment Preservation Act; providing definitions; prohibiting state contracts with media reliability and bias monitor; requiring written certifications from companies submitting bids that state purchasing contracts are in compliance with the act; clarifying the applicability of the act to state contracts; prohibiting state contracts with foreign adversaries and terrorists as determined by federal law; and providing effective date. ARTICLE 3. Purchas.

From the enrolled text, March 13, 2026:

AN ACT to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §5A-3-64, relating to establishment of the First Amendment Preservation Act; providing definitions; prohibiting state contracts with media reliability and bias monitor; requiring written certifications from companies submitting bids that state purchasing contracts are in compliance with the act; clarifying the applicability of the act to state contracts; prohibiting state contracts with foreign adversaries and terrorists as determined by federal law; and providing effective date. ARTICLE 3. Purchasing division. §5A-3-64. First Amendment Preservation Act. (a) This section shall be known and may be cited as the First Amendment Preservation Act and is hereby established by the Legislature for the purpose of preventing the state and its agencies from contracting with advertising agencies that use the services of misinformation or disinformation media reliability and bias monitors to ensure that state moneys do not fund viewpoint discrimination and that state funding advertising reaches the broadest possible audience without regard for political ideology or viewpoint. (b) For the purposes of this section: "Agency" means any state department, division, board, commission, institution, or other administrative agency of state government, institutions of higher education using state funds, or any political subdivisions of the state. "Company" means any sole proprietorship, organization, association, corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited partnership, limited …

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