HB4138 - Sex Offender Registration for Sexual Extortion
Summary
West Virginia Governor signed HB4138 into law, amending state code to require sex offender registration for persons convicted of sexual extortion and aggravated sexual extortion. The bill also clarifies that prior convictions for sexual assault of a spouse (repealed in 2000) continue to require registration.
What changed
HB4138 adds sexual extortion and aggravated sexual extortion to the list of offenses requiring mandatory sex offender registration in West Virginia. The bill also preserves registration requirements for historical convictions of sexual assault of a spouse, ensuring continuity despite the 2000 repeal of that offense. Both offenses are now explicitly enumerated as registrable crimes in the West Virginia Code.
Affected parties include individuals convicted of sexual extortion crimes who must now comply with registration obligations, as well as law enforcement and probation/parole agencies responsible for administering the sex offender registry. Defense attorneys should advise clients of the registration consequences of these convictions. The law takes effect 90 days from passage.
What to do next
- Identify any individuals currently or previously convicted of sexual extortion or aggravated sexual extortion who may now require sex offender registration
- Update compliance procedures to ensure newly covered offenses are reported to appropriate sex offender registries
- Review historical records of sexual assault of a spouse convictions to confirm registration status
Penalties
Failure to register as a sex offender where required is a criminal offense under West Virginia law, carrying potential imprisonment and additional criminal penalties.
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / West Virginia / HB4138 Signed by Governor HB4138 House Bill Signed by Governor 2026-03-14
Relating to persons convicted of a crime
The purpose of this bill is to address Code consistency given the passage of SB240 during 2025 Regular Session to ensure that the current crimes of "sexual extortion" and "aggravated sexual extortion" are offenses that require registration as a sex offender by person convicted of one of these offenses and also clarifies that a prior conviction for the crime of sexual assault of a spouse, which was repealed by an act of the Legislature during the 2000 legislative session shall remain an offense that requires registration as a sex offender.
Bill Details
State West Virginia
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber House
Official Source www.wvlegislature.gov/BillStatus/Billshi...
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Sponsors
James Akers (Rep - R) Jonathan Pinson (Rep - R)
Action History
2026-04-01 H Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 2026-03-14 H Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal 2026-03-14 S Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal 2026-03-14 S To Governor 3/25/2026 - Senate Journal 2026-03-25 H To Governor 3/25/2026 2026-03-14 S Effective ninety days from passage 2026-03-14 S Completed legislative action 2026-03-14 S Communicated to House 2026-03-14 S Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 687) 2026-03-14 S House Message received 2026-03-14 H Communicated to Senate 2026-03-14 H Effective from passage (Roll No. 598) 2026-03-14 H House concurred in Senate amendment with amendment (Roll No. 597) 2026-03-14 H House received Senate message 2026-03-10 S Senate requests House to concur 2026-03-10 S Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 394) 2026-03-10 S Read 3rd time 2026-03-10 S On 3rd reading 2026-03-09 S Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote) 2026-03-09 S Read 2nd time 2026-03-09 S On 2nd reading 2026-03-06 S Read 1st time 2026-03-06 S Immediate consideration 2026-03-06 S Reported do pass, with amendment and title amendment 2026-02-03 S To Judiciary 2026-02-03 S To Judiciary 2026-02-03 S Introduced in Senate 2026-02-02 H Communicated to Senate 2026-02-02 H Title amendment adopted (Voice vote) 2026-02-02 H Passed House (Roll No. 35) 2026-02-02 H Read 3rd time 2026-02-02 H On 3rd reading, Special Calendar 2026-01-30 H Read 2nd time 2026-01-30 H On 2nd reading, Special Calendar 2026-01-29 H Read 1st time 2026-01-29 H On 1st reading, Special Calendar 2026-01-28 H By substitute, do pass 2026-01-23 H Markup Discussion 2026-01-22 H To House Judiciary 2026-01-21 H Markup Discussion 2026-01-21 H To House Legal Services 2026-01-14 H To House Judiciary 2026-01-14 H Introduced in House 2026-01-14 H To Judiciary 2026-01-14 H Filed for introduction
Votes
2026-02-02 Passed House (Roll No. 35) Yea: 97 Nay: 0 2026-03-10 Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 394) Yea: 34 Nay: 0 2026-03-14 House concurred in Senate amendment with amendment (Roll No. 597) Yea: 96 Nay: 0 2026-03-14 Effective from passage (Roll No. 598) Yea: 96 Nay: 0 2026-03-14 Senate concurred in House amendments and passed bill (Roll No. 687) Yea: 33 Nay: 0
Committee Referrals
2026-01-14 H Judiciary 2026-01-21 H Legal Services 2026-01-22 H Judiciary 2026-02-03 S Judiciary
Amendments
2026-01-30 hb4138 hfat akers 1-30 2026-01-30 hb4138 hfat akers 1-30 adopted Adopted 2026-03-06 hb4138 s jud am _1 2026-03-06 hb4138 s jud amt 2026-03-06 hb4138 s jud am _1 adopted Adopted 2026-03-09 hb4138 s jud amt adopted Adopted 2026-03-12 hb4138 hfa mcgeehan 3-12 _1 2026-03-14 hb4138 hfat mcgeehan 3-14 2026-03-14 hb4138 hfat mcgeehan 3-14 adopted Adopted 2026-03-14 hb4138 hfat akers 3-14 2026-03-12 hb4138 hfa mcgeehan 3-12 _1 adopted Adopted 2026-03-14 hb4138 sfat martin 3-14 _1
Bill Text Versions
0000-00-00 Introduced 0000-00-00 Comm Sub 0000-00-00 Engrossed 0000-00-00 Enrolled
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