This bill aims to amend West Virginia's existing law on civil rights violations by expanding the definition of protected characteristics to include gender and sexual orientation. Specifically, it modifies the language in section 61-6-21 of the Code of West Virginia, which currently protects individuals from violence or intimidation based on their race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, and political affiliation. The proposed changes will add "gender" and "sexual orientation" to this list, ensuring that individuals are safeguarded against discrimination and violence for these additional characteristics.

The bill also stipulates that any person who willfully injures, intimidates, or interferes with another individual based on these protected characteristics will be guilty of a felony, subject to fines and imprisonment. Furthermore, it clarifies that the motivation behind a crime, if related to the victim's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, political affiliation, gender, or sexual orientation, will be considered an aggravating circumstance during sentencing. The bill maintains provisions that protect lawful self-defense teaching and labor union activities from being affected by this legislation.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 61-6-21