---
type: "Bill"
title: "Defining \"pepper spray\" and exempting from definition of \"deadly weapons\""
description: "Defining \"pepper spray\" and exempting from definition of \"deadly weapons\""
jurisdiction: "us/states/wv"
legislature: "West Virginia Legislature"
session: "2020"
identifier: "SB 46"
citation: "West Virginia SB 46 (2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Crime"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Rucker"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 36
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2020-01-08"
last_action: "2020-04-14"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/f0f5b376-91df-4956-afae-8c083e52e488"
source_url: "http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=46&year=2020&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill"
source_hash: "3920ece6614e44bd96f75ffaa94e18353c46b3864e1bbc4a0a0e31f2f2985084"
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 46 (2020) — Defining "pepper spray" and exempting from definition of "deadly weapons"

## 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=SB46%20SUB1.htm&yr=2020&sesstype=RS&i=46)
2. **Enrolled Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB46%20SUB1%20enr.htm&yr=2020&sesstype=RS&i=46)
3. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB46%20INTR.htm&yr=2020&sesstype=RS&i=46)

## Votes

- PASSAGE — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- Passage — **31–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Rucker — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2020-01-08** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2020-01-08** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-08** Introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2020-01-08** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-14** Committee substitute reported
- **2020-01-15** On 1st reading
- **2020-01-15** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2020-01-16** On 2nd reading
- **2020-01-16** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2020-01-17** On 3rd reading
- **2020-01-17** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2020-01-17** Passed Senate (Roll No. 3) `passage`
- **2020-01-17** Ordered to House
- **2020-01-20** Introduced in House `introduction`
- **2020-01-20** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-01-20** To House Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2020-02-04** Do pass
- **2020-02-05** On 1st reading, Special Calendar
- **2020-02-05** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2020-02-06** On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- **2020-02-06** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2020-02-07** On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- **2020-02-10** From Special Calendar, 3rd reading, placed on House Calendar
- **2020-02-11** On 3rd reading, House Calendar
- **2020-02-11** From House Calendar, 3rd reading, placed on Special Calendar
- **2020-02-11** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2020-02-11** Passed House (Roll No. 135) `passage`
- **2020-02-11** Communicated to Senate
- **2020-02-11** Completed legislative action
- **2020-02-12** House Message received
- **2020-02-18** To Governor 2/18/20 `executive-receipt`
- **2020-02-19** To Governor 2/18/20 - Senate Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2020-02-19** To Governor 2/18/20 - House Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2020-02-24** Approved by Governor 2/24/20 `executive-signature`
- **2020-02-25** Approved by Governor 2/24/20 - House Journal
- **2020-04-14** Chapter 81, 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/f0f5b376-91df-4956-afae-8c083e52e488`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official West Virginia legislature records).