WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2025 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
House Bill 2684
By Delegate Pritt
[Introduced February 20, 2025; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary then Finance]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new article, designated §14A-1-1, §14A-1-2, and §14A-1-3, relating to providing compensation to those who have been adversely impacted by the actions of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals's Judicial Investigative Committee or any other division operating under the umbrella of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
## Article 14A. west virginia supreme court of appeals victim fund.
In order to provide compensation to individuals who have been adversely affected by actions or inactions taken by the Judicial Investigative Committee of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals or any other division operating under the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, a fund shall be established and administered by the Legislative Claims Commission.
Those affected by decisions, actions or lack of actions by divisions under the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals shall make application to the fund’s supervisory authority for financial relief, describing the justification for the claim in detail.
The fund’s supervisory authority shall make a decision as to whether or not the claim is valid and send it through for payment to the affected party(s).
The supervisory authority of the fund reserves the right to deny a claim in the event the claim is not valid; however, the claims are subject to appeal by the applicant to the appropriate authority.
Claims may be filed up to 10 years retroactively from July 1, 2025 in cases in which persons within the state of West Virginia have been negatively affected by actions of the committees operating under the umbrella of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide compensation to those who have been adversely impacted by the actions of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals's Judicial Investigative Committee or any other division operating under the umbrella of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.