The bill establishes the First Amendment Preservation Act in West Virginia, which aims to prevent state agencies from entering into contracts with media reliability and bias monitors. It defines key terms such as "agency," "company," and "media reliability and bias monitor," and prohibits state contracts with entities that utilize these monitors for advertising placements. Additionally, the bill restricts contracts with foreign adversaries and terrorists as defined by federal law, ensuring that state funds are not used to support viewpoint discrimination in advertising.

To comply with the act, companies submitting bids for state contracts must provide written certifications confirming they are not media reliability and bias monitors and do not plan to use such services. The act clarifies that it does not prevent agencies from contracting for services that aggregate news articles or provide analytical information on advertisement performance. The provisions of this act will apply to all relevant contracts and agreements executed or renewed on or after July 1, 2026.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 5A-3D-1, 5A-3D-2, 5A-3D-3, 5A-3D-4, 5A-3D-5, 5A-3D-6
Committee Substitute: 5A-3-64
Enrolled Committee Substitute: 5A-3-64