The Firearms Industry Nondiscrimination Act, recently passed in West Virginia, establishes protections against discrimination for firearm entities and trade associations in government contracts and financial services. The Act defines key terms such as "firearm," "financial institution," and "discriminate against a firearm entity," and it prohibits financial institutions that do business with the state from refusing services based on an entity's involvement in lawful firearm commerce. Exceptions are made for financial institutions that have written policies against discrimination or that refrain from providing services for legitimate business reasons or regulatory compliance.

Additionally, the Act outlines civil remedies for individuals harmed by violations, allowing them to bring lawsuits against offending financial institutions. The Attorney General is empowered to enforce the Act, including the ability to file civil actions and request the termination of business relationships with non-compliant financial institutions. The statute of limitations for such actions is set at two years from the date of discovery of the violation. Overall, the Act aims to ensure that firearm-related businesses are treated fairly in the marketplace and in government dealings.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 7-12-9a
Committee Substitute: 5A-13-1, 5A-13-2, 5A-13-3, 5A-13-4, 5A-13-5, 5A-13-6
Engrossed Committee Substitute: 5A-13-1, 5A-13-2, 5A-13-3, 5A-13-4, 5A-13-5, 5A-13-6
Enrolled Committee Substitute: 5A-13-1, 5A-13-2, 5A-13-3, 5A-13-4, 5A-13-5, 5A-13-6