---
type: "Bill"
title: "Authorizing Department of Homeland Security to promulgate legislative rules"
description: "Authorizing Department of Homeland Security to promulgate legislative rules"
jurisdiction: "us/states/wv"
legislature: "West Virginia Legislature"
session: "2026"
identifier: "SB 281"
citation: "West Virginia SB 281 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Legislature--Rule Making"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Rucker"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 37
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2026-01-15"
last_action: "2026-06-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3743d810-1a80-47e3-aafe-d7d9db100b2a"
source_url: "https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=281&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill"
source_hash: "157bd75f742a2842bb6fa6b29e3ee279e88bace82a3f13657b33f27806af30e5"
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 281 (2026) — Authorizing Department of Homeland Security to promulgate legislative rules

## 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=sb281%20sub1.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=281)
2. **Enrolled Committee Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb281%20sub1%20enr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=281)
3. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb281%20intr.htm&yr=2026&sesstype=RS&i=281)

## Votes

- Passage — **33–0** (pass) · upper
- EFFECT FROM PASSAGE — **95–1** (pass) · lower
- PASSAGE — **95–1** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Rucker — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-15** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2026-01-15** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-15** Introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2026-01-15** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-22** Committee substitute reported
- **2026-01-23** On 1st reading
- **2026-01-23** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2026-01-26** On 2nd reading
- **2026-01-27** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-01-28** On 3rd reading
- **2026-01-28** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-01-28** Passed Senate (Roll No. 11) `passage`
- **2026-01-28** Effective from passage (Roll No. 12)
- **2026-01-28** Ordered to House
- **2026-01-29** House received Senate message
- **2026-01-29** Introduced in House `introduction`
- **2026-01-29** To Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-29** To House Judiciary `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-10** Markup Discussion
- **2026-03-10** Do pass
- **2026-03-10** Immediate consideration
- **2026-03-10** Read 1st time `reading-1`
- **2026-03-11** On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-03-11** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-12** On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
- **2026-03-12** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-12** Passed House (Roll No. 418) `passage`
- **2026-03-12** Effective from passage (Roll No. 419)
- **2026-03-12** Communicated to Senate
- **2026-03-12** Completed legislative action
- **2026-03-13** House Message received
- **2026-03-18** To Governor 3/18/2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-14** To Governor 3/18/2026 - Senate Journal `executive-receipt`
- **2026-04-01** Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 `executive-signature`
- **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`
- **2026-06-25** Chapter 215, 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/3743d810-1a80-47e3-aafe-d7d9db100b2a`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official West Virginia legislature records).