---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to free expression on state institution of higher education campuses"
description: "Relating to free expression on state institution of higher education campuses"
jurisdiction: "us/states/wv"
legislature: "West Virginia Legislature"
session: "2021"
identifier: "SB 657"
citation: "West Virginia SB 657 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Education (Higher)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Phillips"]
version_count: 7
action_count: 37
vote_count: 1
first_action: "2021-03-17"
last_action: "2021-05-24"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/0a8d68eb-d548-4a9b-b405-9e606b81b679"
source_url: "http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=657&year=2021&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill"
source_hash: "37564e35e0d1c31897e7e801150a7f1cc4ece2be5d2eb9ba8c0cbdbb7713a049"
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 657 (2021) — Relating to free expression on state institution of higher education campuses

## 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=SB657%20SUB1.htm&yr=2021&sesstype=RS&i=657)
2. **Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB657%20SUB2.htm&yr=2021&sesstype=RS&i=657)
3. **Engrossed Committee Substitute for the Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB657%20SUB2%20ENG.htm&yr=2021&sesstype=RS&i=657)
4. **Enrolled Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB657%20SUB2%20ENR.htm&yr=2021&sesstype=RS&i=657)
5. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB657%20INTR.htm&yr=2021&sesstype=RS&i=657)
6. **SB657 SFA _1 RUCKER 3-27 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/legisdocs/chamber/2021/RS/floor_amends/SB657 SFA _1 RUCKER 3-27 adopted.htm)
7. **SB657 SFAT _1 RUCKER 3-27 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.wv.us/legisdocs/chamber/2021/RS/floor_amends/SB657 SFAT _1 RUCKER 3-27 adopted.htm)

## Votes

- Passage — **0–0** (fail) · upper

## Sponsors

- Phillips — primary (person)
- Azinger — cosponsor (person)
- Grady — cosponsor (person)
- Karnes — cosponsor (person)
- Maynard — cosponsor (person)
- Roberts — cosponsor (person)
- Rucker — cosponsor (person)
- Smith — cosponsor (person)
- Sypolt — cosponsor (person)
- Tarr — cosponsor (person)
- Woodrum — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2021-03-17** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2021-03-17** To Education then Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-17** Introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2021-03-17** To Education `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-19** Committee substitute reported, but first to Judiciary
- **2021-03-19** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-26** Committee substitute for committee substitute reported
- **2021-03-27** On 1st reading
- **2021-03-27** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2021-03-29** On 2nd reading
- **2021-03-29** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2021-03-29** Floor amendment adopted (Voice vote)
- **2021-03-30** On 3rd reading
- **2021-03-30** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-03-30** Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 250) `passage`
- **2021-03-30** Ordered to House
- **2021-03-31** Introduced in House `introduction`
- **2021-03-31** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-03-31** To House Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2021-04-06** Do pass
- **2021-04-07** On 1st reading, Special Calendar
- **2021-04-07** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2021-04-08** On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- **2021-04-08** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2021-04-09** On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- **2021-04-09** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2021-04-09** Passed House (Roll No. 568) `passage`
- **2021-04-09** Communicated to Senate
- **2021-04-09** Completed legislative action
- **2021-04-10** House Message received
- **2021-04-20** To Governor 4/20/21 `executive-receipt`
- **2021-04-10** To Governor 4/20/21 - Senate Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2021-04-10** To Governor 4/20/21 - House Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2021-04-26** Approved by Governor 4/26/21 `executive-signature`
- **2021-04-10** Approved by Governor 4/26/21 - Senate Journal
- **2021-04-10** Approved by Governor 4/26/21 - House Journal
- **2021-05-24** Chapter 156, Acts, Regular Session, 2021

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/0a8d68eb-d548-4a9b-b405-9e606b81b679`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official West Virginia legislature records).