The bill amends West Virginia Code §37-13A-1 to enhance protections for landowners who allow access to cemeteries located on their private property. It establishes that authorized individuals wishing to visit a cemetery must provide the property owner with reasonable written notice at least 10 days prior to their visit. The bill outlines acceptable purposes for access, including visiting graves, maintaining grave sites, burying deceased individuals, and conducting genealogy research. It also allows property owners to designate access routes and clarifies that they are not required to improve their property for access unless they have made traditional routes unusable.

Additionally, the bill limits the liability of property owners by stating that they are not responsible for personal injury or property damage occurring during access to the cemetery, provided they act in good faith. It specifies that property owners are not liable for damage caused by individuals visiting the cemetery for familial or social reasons, except when those individuals are acting as agents of the property owner. This legislation aims to balance the rights of individuals seeking access to cemeteries with the protections afforded to private property owners.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 37-13A-1
Enrolled Version: 37-13A-1