---
type: "Bill"
title: "Require certain websites to utilize age verification methods to prevent minors from accessing content"
description: "Require certain websites to utilize age verification methods to prevent minors from accessing content"
jurisdiction: "us/states/wv"
legislature: "West Virginia Legislature"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 4412"
citation: "West Virginia HB 4412 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Juveniles", "Public Safety"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Chiarelli"]
version_count: 7
action_count: 42
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-01-16"
last_action: "2026-04-01"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/2d41ced9-7744-46a6-a5d1-32b143056251"
source_url: "https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4412&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill"
source_hash: "22b15795ecd0f80f99fbb2496ae4adb85c9cfa49558b37f23845fbf11a2028c8"
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 4412 (2026) — Require certain websites to utilize age verification methods to prevent minors from accessing content

## 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=hb4412%20sub1.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=4412)
2. **Engrossed Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4412%20sub1%20eng.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=4412)
3. **Enrolled Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4412%20sub1%20enr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=4412)
4. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4412%20intr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=4412)
5. **hb4412 hfa mcgeehan 3-11 _1 reformed adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2026/RS/floor_amends/hb4412%20hfa%20mcgeehan%203-11%20_1%20reformed%20adopted.htm)
6. **hb4412 s jud am _1 3-4 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2026/RS/com_amends/hb4412%20s%20jud%20am%20_1%203-4%20adopted.htm)
7. **hb4412 s jud amt _1 3-4 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2026/RS/com_amends/hb4412%20s%20jud%20amt%20_1%203-4%20adopted.htm)

## Votes

- PASSAGE — **94–0** (pass) · lower
- PASSAGE-SENATE AMENDED HB — **96–0** (pass) · lower
- Passage — **34–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Chiarelli — primary (person)
- Funkhouser — cosponsor (person)
- Heckert — cosponsor (person)
- Pinson — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-16** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2026-01-16** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-16** Introduced in House `introduction`
- **2026-01-16** To House Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-22** To House Courts `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-22** Markup Discussion
- **2026-01-23** To House Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-27** Markup Discussion
- **2026-02-09** By substitute, do pass
- **2026-02-10** On 1st reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-02-10** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-11** On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-02-11** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-12** On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-02-12** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-02-12** Passed House (Roll No. 81) `passage`
- **2026-02-12** Communicated to Senate
- **2026-02-13** Introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2026-02-13** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-13** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-05** Reported do pass, with amendment and title amendment `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-06** On 1st reading
- **2026-03-06** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2026-03-09** On 2nd reading
- **2026-03-09** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-09** Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)
- **2026-03-10** On 3rd reading
- **2026-03-10** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-10** Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 397) `passage`
- **2026-03-10** Senate requests House to concur
- **2026-03-14** House received Senate message
- **2026-03-14** House concurred in Senate amend with amend, passed bill (Roll No. 599)
- **2026-03-14** Communicated to Senate
- **2026-03-14** House Message received
- **2026-03-14** Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 685)
- **2026-03-14** Communicated to House
- **2026-03-14** Completed legislative action
- **2026-03-25** To Governor 3/25/2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-14** To Governor 3/25/2026 - Senate Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-14** Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal `executive-signature`
- **2026-03-14** Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-01** Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/2d41ced9-7744-46a6-a5d1-32b143056251`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official West Virginia legislature records).