WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2025 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 2551

By Delegates Foggin, Roop, and Pritt

[Introduced February 18, 2025; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL to amend and reenact §19-18-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to increasing the criminal penalties for the misdemeanor offense of negligently permitting livestock to run at large and trespass on the property of other landowners which injures a person or destroys the property of another person.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

 

ARTICLE 18. GENERAL STOCK LAW. §19-18-3. Criminal penalties for trespassing livestock.

(a) While livestock may escape enclosures due to accident or unforeseen circumstances, it is unlawful for the owner of livestock to negligently permit livestock to run at large and trespass on the property of other landowners.

(b) If livestock injures a person or destroys the property of another person while negligently trespassing, the owner of the livestock shall be given an oral or written warning for the first offense. For a second offense within 12 months of the first, the owner is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $50$100 nor more than $100$200. For a third or subsequent offense within six12 months of the second or subsequent offense, the owner is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $100$200 nor more than $1,000$2000.

 

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the criminal penalties for the misdemeanor offense of negligently permitting livestock to run at large and trespass on the property of other landowners which injures a person or destroys the property of another person.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.