---
type: "Bill"
title: "Creating criminal penalties for introducing ransomware into computer with intent to extort"
description: "Creating criminal penalties for introducing ransomware into computer with intent to extort"
jurisdiction: "us/states/wv"
legislature: "West Virginia Legislature"
session: "2020"
identifier: "SB 261"
citation: "West Virginia SB 261 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Crime"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Ihlenfeld"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 39
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2020-01-10"
last_action: "2020-04-14"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f54ee78e-ba49-4696-a7c9-ad5174628fd2"
source_url: "http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=261&year=2020&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill"
source_hash: "01d863ee5c710e6cb71a649fbc153d879e25bde2ab49146976150847bd2fd049"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-wv"]
---

# West Virginia SB 261 (2020) — Creating criminal penalties for introducing ransomware into computer with intent to extort

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB261%20SUB1.htm&yr=2020&sesstype=RS&i=261)
2. **Enrolled Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB261%20SUB1%20enr.htm&yr=2020&sesstype=RS&i=261)
3. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB261%20INTR.htm&yr=2020&sesstype=RS&i=261)
4. **SB261 H JUD AM _1 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/legisdocs/chamber/2020/RS/com_amends/SB261 H JUD AM _1 adopted.htm)

## Votes

- PASSAGE — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- Passage — **33–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Ihlenfeld — primary (person)
- Baldwin — cosponsor (person)
- Maynard — cosponsor (person)
- Stollings — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2020-01-10** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2020-01-10** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-10** Introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2020-01-10** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-27** Committee substitute reported
- **2020-01-28** On 1st reading
- **2020-01-28** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2020-01-29** On 2nd reading
- **2020-01-29** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2020-01-30** On 3rd reading
- **2020-01-30** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2020-01-30** Passed Senate (Roll No. 48) `passage`
- **2020-01-30** Ordered to House
- **2020-01-31** Introduced in House `introduction`
- **2020-01-31** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-31** To House Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-28** With amendment, do pass `committee-passage`
- **2020-02-29** On 1st reading, Special Calendar
- **2020-02-29** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2020-03-02** On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- **2020-03-03** From Special Calendar, 2nd reading, placed on House Calendar
- **2020-03-04** From House Calendar, 2nd reading, placed on Special Calendar
- **2020-03-04** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2020-03-04** Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)
- **2020-03-05** On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- **2020-03-05** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2020-03-05** Passed House (Roll No. 559) `passage`
- **2020-03-05** Communicated to Senate
- **2020-03-07** House Message received
- **2020-03-07** Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 582)
- **2020-03-07** Communicated to House
- **2020-03-07** Completed legislative action
- **2020-03-18** To Governor 3/18/20 `executive-receipt`
- **2020-03-07** To Governor 3/18/20 - Senate Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2020-03-07** To Governor 3/18/20 - House Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2020-03-07** Approved by Governor 3/24/20 - House Journal
- **2020-03-24** Approved by Governor 3/24/20 `executive-signature`
- **2020-03-07** Approved by Governor 3/24/20 - Senate Journal
- **2020-04-14** Chapter 84, Acts, Regular Session, 2020

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/f54ee78e-ba49-4696-a7c9-ad5174628fd2`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official West Virginia legislature records).