The bill aims to amend the Code of West Virginia by introducing a new section, 5A-8-24a, which focuses on the protection of personal residential information for certain public officials, including judicial officers, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and members of the Legislature, as well as their immediate family members. The bill defines key terms such as "covered individual," "immediate family member," and "personal residential information," and establishes that no state agency, county, municipality, or political subdivision may disclose the personal residential information of a covered individual on publicly accessible platforms after receiving a written request for removal or redaction.

Additionally, the bill outlines the obligations of data custodians to comply with such requests and provides a civil remedy for covered individuals whose information is disclosed despite their requests. If a covered individual's personal residential information is knowingly disclosed after a request for removal, they may bring a civil action against the responsible entity, which could result in injunctive or declaratory relief and the awarding of reasonable attorney fees. The bill also clarifies that certain disclosures are permissible under federal law, court orders, or for official law enforcement purposes, among other exceptions.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 61-2-31
Committee Substitute: 5A-8-24a
Engrossed Committee Substitute: 5A-8-24a