WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2025 REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
Senate Bill 551
By Senator Weld
[Introduced February 20, 2025; referredto the Committee on the Judiciary]
A BILL to amend and reenact §61-2-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to increasing the penalty for second degree murder.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
## Article 2. Crimes Against the Person.
Murder of the second degree shall be punished punishable by a definite term of imprisonment in the penitentiary which is of not less than ten nor more than forty years 15 years to life imprisonment. A person imprisoned pursuant to the provisions of this section is not eligible for parole prior to having served a minimum of ten 15 years of his or her sentence or the minimum period required by the provisions of §62-12-13 of this Code code, whichever is greater.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the penalty for second degree murder.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.