---
type: "Bill"
title: "A squatter cannot be considered a tenant in WV."
description: "A squatter cannot be considered a tenant in WV."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wv"
legislature: "West Virginia Legislature"
session: "2024"
identifier: "HB 4940"
citation: "West Virginia HB 4940 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Real and Personal Property"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Crouse"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 42
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2024-01-19"
last_action: "2024-04-22"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/b93d7eb9-9200-4dcf-94e4-424968a397f8"
source_url: "https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4940&year=2024&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill"
source_hash: "ceeae00c1f2888ac229bcb013c29fe2734a7e9e36d66064d5f174a12bb2bde83"
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 HB 4940 (2024) — A squatter cannot be considered a tenant in WV.

## Version chain

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

1. **Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4940%20sub.htm&yr=2024&sesstype=RS&i=4940)
2. **Enrolled Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4940%20sub%20enr.htm&yr=2024&sesstype=RS&i=4940)
3. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4940%20intr.htm&yr=2024&sesstype=RS&i=4940)
4. **hb4940 s jud amt _1 2-27 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2024/RS/com_amends/hb4940%20s%20jud%20amt%20_1%202-27%20adopted.htm)

## Votes

- Passage — **34–0** (pass) · upper
- PASSAGE-SENATE AMENDED HB — **97–0** (pass) · lower
- PASSAGE — **96–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Crouse — primary (person)
- Kimble — cosponsor (person)
- Lucas — cosponsor (person)
- Petitto — cosponsor (person)
- Smith — cosponsor (person)
- Winzenreid — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-19** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2024-01-19** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-19** Introduced in House `introduction`
- **2024-01-19** To House Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-30** By substitute, do pass
- **2024-01-31** On 1st reading, Special Calendar
- **2024-01-31** Postponed on 1st reading, Special Calendar, until 2/1/2024
- **2024-02-01** On 1st reading, Special Calendar
- **2024-02-01** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2024-02-02** On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- **2024-02-02** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2024-02-05** On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- **2024-02-05** Postponed on 3rd reading, Special Calendar, until 2/6/2024
- **2024-02-06** On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- **2024-02-06** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2024-02-06** Passed House (Roll No. 101) `passage`
- **2024-02-06** Communicated to Senate
- **2024-02-07** Introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2024-02-07** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-07** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-01** Reported do pass, with amendment and title amendment `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-01** Immediate consideration
- **2024-03-01** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2024-03-04** On 2nd reading
- **2024-03-04** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2024-03-04** Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)
- **2024-03-05** On 3rd reading
- **2024-03-05** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2024-03-05** Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 369) `passage`
- **2024-03-05** Senate requests House to concur
- **2024-03-06** House received Senate message
- **2024-03-06** House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 491)
- **2024-03-06** Communicated to Senate
- **2024-03-06** Completed legislative action
- **2024-03-07** House Message received
- **2024-03-13** To Governor 3/13/2024 `executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-09** To Governor 3/13/2024 - House Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-09** To Governor 3/13/2024 - Senate Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-09** Approved by Governor 3/22/2024 - Senate Journal `executive-signature`
- **2024-03-22** Approved by Governor 3/22/2024 `executive-signature`
- **2024-03-09** Approved by Governor 3/22/2024 - House Journal `executive-signature`
- **2024-04-22** Chapter 251, Acts, Regular Session, 2024 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/b93d7eb9-9200-4dcf-94e4-424968a397f8`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official West Virginia legislature records).