FISCAL NOTE
FISCAL NOTE
2023 regular session
Introduced
House Bill 2322
By Delegate C. Pritt
[Introduced January 11, 2023; Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated ยง61-2-31, relating to creating a misdemeanor offense for the impersonation of a nonpublic figure on social media.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
## ARTICLE 2. crimes against the person.
(a) A person is guilty of the criminal impersonation of a nonpublic figure when such person impersonates another, on social media or otherwise, and commits an act in such assumed character with the intent to obtain a benefit, to injure, to humiliate, to ridicule, to defraud, or to deceive another. A person may also be guilty of criminal impersonation of a nonpublic figure when they engage in behavior, on social media or otherwise, with the intent to obtain a benefit, to injure, to humiliate, to ridicule, to defraud, or to deceive; uses an electronic device to impersonate a non-public figure; and such act results in personal injury or financial loss to that nonpublic figure, or the initiation of judicial proceedings against another.
(b) Any person who commits a criminal impersonation of a nonpublic figure is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be confined in jail for not more than six months, or fined not more than $1,000, or both fined and confined.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create a misdemeanor crime for the impersonation of a nonpublic figure.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.