CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A bill introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates would increase prison sentences and fines for drivers convicted of causing a death while driving under the influence.
House Bill 4712, sponsored by Delegate Josh Holstein, proposes amendments to current state code that specifically increase the minimum and maximum prison terms and monetary penalties for DUI offenses resulting in a fatality.
The bill is currently in the House Judiciary Committee.
Under current law, a person convicted of DUI causing death faces a prison sentence of three to 15 years and fines ranging from $1,000 to $3,000.
The proposed legislation would raise the prison sentence to a range of five to 30 years and increase fines to between $2,000 and $6,000.
The legislation would be known as “Baylea’s Law,” named in memory of Baylea Bower, a 24-year-old small business owner from Bloomingrose who was killed in a drunk-driving crash on Easter Sunday in 2025 on the Coalfields Expressway in Raleigh County.
Supporters say the bill is intended to strengthen accountability for impaired drivers by increasing punishment.
