Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
REGULAR SESSION
                  Enrolled Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 548
                By Senator Trump [Passed March 8, 2024; in effect 90 days from passage]
     Enr CS for SB 548
  AN ACT to amend and reenact §51-11-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating
         to clarifying the appellate jurisdiction of the Intermediate Court of Appeals.
     Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
     ARTICLE 11. THE WEST VIRGINIA APPELLATE REORGANIZATION ACT.
     §51-11-4.                                  Jurisdiction;                                    limitations.
         (a) The Intermediate Court of Appeals has no original jurisdiction.
         (b) Unless specifically provided otherwise in this article, appeals of the following matters
  shall be made to the Intermediate Court of Appeals, which has appellate jurisdiction over such
  matters:
         (1) Final judgments or orders of a circuit court in all civil cases, including, but not limited to,
  those in which there is a request for legal or equitable relief, entered after June 30, 2022: Provided,
  That the Supreme Court of Appeals may, on its own accord, obtain jurisdiction over any civil case
  filed in the Intermediate Court of Appeals;
         (2) Final judgments or orders of a family court, entered after June 30, 2022, except for final
 judgments or final orders issued by a family court in any domestic violence proceeding pursuant to
 W. Va. Code §48-27-1 et seq. of this code, which appeals shall first be made to a circuit court;
        (3) Final judgments or orders of a circuit court concerning guardianship or conservatorship
 matters entered after June 30, 2022, pursuant to §44A-1-1 et seq. of this code;
        (4) Final judgments, orders, or decisions of an agency or an administrative law judge
 entered after June 30, 2022, heretofore appealable to the Circuit Court of Kanawha County
 pursuant to §29A-5-4 or any other provision of this code;
        (5) Final orders or decisions of the Health Care Authority issued prior to June 30, 2022, in a
 certificate of need review, but transferred to the jurisdiction of the Intermediate Court of Appeals
 upon termination of the Office of Judges pursuant to §16-2D-16a of this code;
        (6) Final orders or decisions issued by the Office of Judges after June 30, 2022, and prior
 to its termination, as provided in §16-2D-16 and §23-5-8a of this code; and
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     Enr CS for SB 548
          (7) Final orders or decisions of the Workers' Compensation Board of Review pursuant to
 §23-5-1 et seq. of this code, entered after June 30, 2022.
          (c) In appeals properly filed pursuant to subsection (b) of this section, the parties shall be
 afforded a full and meaningful review on the record of the lower tribunal and an opportunity to be
 heard.
          (d) The Intermediate Court of Appeals does not have appellate jurisdiction over the
 following matters:
          (1) Judgments or final orders issued in any criminal proceeding in this state: Provided, That
 if the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals should adopt a policy of discretionary review of
 criminal appeals, then the Intermediate Court of Appeals shall have appellate jurisdiction of such
 judgments or final orders;
          (2) Judgments or final orders issued in any juvenile proceeding pursuant to §49-4-701 et
 seq. of this code;
          (3) Judgments or final orders issued in child abuse and neglect proceedings pursuant to
 §49-4-601 et seq. of this code;
          (4) Orders of commitment, issued pursuant to §27-5-1 et seq. of this code;
          (5) Any proceedings of the Lawyer Disciplinary Board;
          (6) Any proceedings of the Judicial Investigation Commission;
          (7) Final decisions of the Public Service Commission, issued pursuant to §24-5-1 of this
 code;
          (8) Interlocutory appeals;
          (9) Certified questions of law;
          (10) Judgments or final orders issued in proceedings where the relief sought is one or more
 of the following extraordinary remedies: writ of prohibition, writ of mandamus, writ of quo warranto,
 writ of certiorari, writ of habeas corpus, special receivers, arrests in civil cases, and personal
 safety orders; and
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         (11) Judgments or final orders issued by circuit court upon its review of a family court
 judgment or final order in any domestic violence proceeding pursuant to §48-27-101 et seq. of this
 code.
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Statutes affected: 
Introduced Version: 51-11-4
Committee Substitute: 51-11-4
Enrolled Committee Substitute: 51-11-4