Removes Mortmain Restrictions on Property Ownership

State Bills: West Virginia

Published March 30th, 2026

Detected April 1st, 2026

Summary

West Virginia HB4452 removes Mortmain restrictions from state law, eliminating antiquated prohibitions that limited property ownership by religious and charitable organizations. The bill was signed into law on March 30, 2026, modernizing property ownership rules for affected entities.

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What changed

West Virginia House Bill 4452 removes Mortmain restrictions—historically medieval-era prohibitions that prevented 'dead hands' (religious orders and charitable institutions) from holding property beyond certain timeframes or without legislative approval. The bill affects property ownership rules in the West Virginia Code.

Affected organizations (religious institutions, charities, nonprofits) should review their property holding arrangements to ensure compliance with updated requirements. This change removes prior restrictions rather than adding new obligations, so no immediate compliance action is required. Organizations should verify whether prior approval processes are now unnecessary for property transactions.

Source document (simplified)

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Bill Status - 2026 Regular Session

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House Bill 4452

ACTIONS:
| | Description | Date | Journal Page |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Completed Legislation | | | |
| H | To Governor 3/30/2026 | 03/30/26 | |
| S | Completed legislative action | 03/13/26 | |
| S | Communicated to House | 03/13/26 | 15 |
| S | Passed Senate (Roll No. 537) | 03/13/26 | 15 |
| S | Read 3rd time | 03/13/26 | 15 |
| S | On 3rd reading with right to amend | 03/13/26 | |
| S | Read 2nd time | 03/12/26 | 57 |
| S | Laid over on 2nd reading 3/11/2026 | 03/11/26 | 39 |
| S | On 2nd reading | 03/11/26 | |
| S | Read 1st time | 03/10/26 | 15 |
| S | Immediate consideration | 03/10/26 | 15 |
| S | Reported do pass | 03/10/26 | 15 |
| S | To Government Organization | 03/04/26 | 23 |
| S | To Government Organization | 03/04/26 | |
| S | Introduced in Senate | 03/04/26 | 23 |
| H | Communicated to Senate | 03/02/26 | |
| H | Title amendment adopted (Voice vote) | 03/02/26 | |
| H | Passed House (Roll No. 237) | 03/02/26 | |
| H | Read 3rd time | 03/02/26 | |
| H | On 3rd reading, Special Calendar | 03/02/26 | |
| H | Committee amendment adopted (Voice vote) | 02/27/26 | |
| H | Amendment reported by the Clerk | 02/27/26 | |
| H | Read 2nd time | 02/27/26 | |
| H | On 2nd reading, Special Calendar | 02/27/26 | |
| H | With amendment, do pass | 02/26/26 | |
| H | To House Finance | 02/16/26 | |
| H | Committed to Finance on 2nd reading | 02/16/26 | |
| H | Read 2nd time | 02/16/26 | |
| H | On 2nd reading, Special Calendar | 02/16/26 | |
| H | Read 1st time | 02/13/26 | |
| H | On 1st reading, Special Calendar | 02/13/26 | |
| H | Do pass | 02/12/26 | |
| H | Markup Discussion | 02/10/26 | |
| H | To House Judiciary | 02/09/26 | |
| H | Markup Discussion | 02/06/26 | |
| H | To House Legal Services | 02/06/26 | |
| H | To House Judiciary | 01/16/26 | |
| H | Introduced in House | 01/16/26 | |
| H | To Judiciary | 01/16/26 | |
| H | Filed for introduction | 01/16/26 | |
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