---
type: "Bill"
title: "Modifying penalties for third offense shoplifting"
description: "Modifying penalties for third offense shoplifting"
jurisdiction: "us/states/wv"
legislature: "West Virginia Legislature"
session: "2024"
identifier: "HB 4998"
citation: "West Virginia HB 4998 (2024)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Crime"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Kirby"]
version_count: 8
action_count: 40
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2024-01-22"
last_action: "2024-04-22"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/78fa4891-106b-4c11-ac71-2a3067072455"
source_url: "https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4998&year=2024&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill"
source_hash: "c250046291cf991b38541d08aeecf22737446e4ba34e286f47891e7ba10f940b"
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 4998 (2024) — Modifying penalties for third offense shoplifting

## Version chain

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

1. **Engrossed Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4998%20eng.htm&yr=2024&sesstype=RS&i=4998)
2. **Enrolled Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4998%20enr.htm&yr=2024&sesstype=RS&i=4998)
3. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4998%20intr.htm&yr=2024&sesstype=RS&i=4998)
4. **hb4998 hfa lewis 2-1 revised adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2024/RS/floor_amends/hb4998%20hfa%20lewis%202-1%20revised%20adopted.htm)
5. **hb4998 hfat fast 2-1 adopted adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2024/RS/floor_amends/hb4998%20hfat%20fast%202-1%20adopted%20adopted.htm)
6. **hb4998 hfat fast 2-1 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2024/RS/floor_amends/hb4998%20hfat%20fast%202-1%20adopted.htm)
7. **hb4998 s jud am _1 2-29 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2024/RS/com_amends/hb4998%20s%20jud%20am%20_1%202-29%20adopted.htm)
8. **hb4998 s jud amt _1 2-29 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2024/RS/com_amends/hb4998%20s%20jud%20amt%20_1%202-29%20adopted.htm)

## Votes

- PASSAGE-SENATE AMENDED HB — **89–8** (pass) · lower
- Passage — **34–0** (pass) · upper
- PASSAGE — **86–8** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Kirby — primary (person)
- Brooks — cosponsor (person)
- Hornbuckle — cosponsor (person)
- Nestor — cosponsor (person)
- Pritt, E. — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-01-22** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2024-01-22** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-22** Introduced in House `introduction`
- **2024-01-22** To House Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2024-01-30** Do pass
- **2024-01-31** On 1st reading, Special Calendar
- **2024-01-31** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2024-02-01** On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- **2024-02-01** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2024-02-01** Amendment adopted (Voice vote)
- **2024-02-02** On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- **2024-02-02** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2024-02-02** Passed House (Roll No. 82) `passage`
- **2024-02-02** Title amendment adopted (Voice vote)
- **2024-02-02** Communicated to Senate
- **2024-02-05** Introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2024-02-05** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-05** 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. 371) `passage`
- **2024-03-05** Senate requests House to concur
- **2024-03-07** House received Senate message
- **2024-03-07** House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 516)
- **2024-03-07** Communicated to Senate
- **2024-03-07** Completed legislative action
- **2024-03-08** House Message received
- **2024-03-09** To Governor 3/21/2024 - Senate Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-21** To Governor 3/21/2024 `executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-09** To Governor 3/21/2024 - House Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2024-03-09** Approved by Governor 3/26/2024 - Senate Journal `executive-signature`
- **2024-03-26** Approved by Governor 3/26/24 `executive-signature`
- **2024-03-09** Approved by Governor 3/26/24 - House Journal `executive-signature`
- **2024-04-22** Chapter 88, 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/78fa4891-106b-4c11-ac71-2a3067072455`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official West Virginia legislature records).