---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to civil remedies for the unauthorized disclosure of intimate images."
description: "Relating to civil remedies for the unauthorized disclosure of intimate images."
jurisdiction: "us/states/wv"
legislature: "West Virginia Legislature"
session: "2026"
identifier: "HB 4842"
citation: "West Virginia HB 4842 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Courts"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Akers"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 41
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-01-27"
last_action: "2026-06-29"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/fff935ef-0df9-4b27-92d1-5651749b4c97"
source_url: "https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4842&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill"
source_hash: "0b3c15ee324f22eea6d23fed115436e6ff75a65f24f708bd794023dbbe49a590"
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 4842 (2026) — Relating to civil remedies for the unauthorized disclosure of intimate images.

## 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=hb4842%20eng.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=4842)
2. **Enrolled Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4842%20enr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=4842)
3. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=hb4842%20intr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=4842)
4. **hb4842 s jud am _1 3-9 adopted.htm** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/legisdocs/chamber/2026/RS/com_amends/hb4842%20s%20jud%20am%20_1%203-9%20adopted.htm)

## Votes

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

## Sponsors

- Akers — primary (person)
- Ferrell — cosponsor (person)
- Flanigan — cosponsor (person)
- Funkhouser — cosponsor (person)
- Kimble — cosponsor (person)
- Shamblin — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-27** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2026-01-27** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-27** Introduced in House `introduction`
- **2026-01-27** To House Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-13** To House Legal Services `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-13** Markup Discussion
- **2026-02-16** To House Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-17** Markup Discussion
- **2026-02-19** Do pass
- **2026-02-20** On 1st reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-02-20** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-23** On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-02-23** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-24** On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-02-24** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-02-24** Passed House (Roll No. 174) `passage`
- **2026-02-24** Communicated to Senate
- **2026-02-25** Introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2026-02-25** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-25** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-10** Reported do pass, with amendment `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-10** Immediate consideration
- **2026-03-10** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2026-03-11** On 2nd reading
- **2026-03-11** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-11** Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote)
- **2026-03-12** On 3rd reading
- **2026-03-12** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-12** Passed Senate (Roll No. 494) `passage`
- **2026-03-12** Senate requests House to concur
- **2026-03-14** House received Senate message
- **2026-03-14** House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 674)
- **2026-03-14** Communicated to Senate
- **2026-03-14** Completed legislative action
- **2026-03-14** House Message received
- **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`
- **2026-06-29** Chapter 94, Acts, Regular Session, 2026 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/fff935ef-0df9-4b27-92d1-5651749b4c97`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official West Virginia legislature records).