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 the purposes for which access is granted, including visiting graves, maintaining grave sites, burying deceased persons, and conducting genealogy research. It also allows property owners to designate access routes and clarifies that they are not required to improve these routes unless they have made them unusable.

Additionally, the bill limits the liability of property owners by stating that they are not liable 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 responsible for damages caused by individuals visiting the cemetery, 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