CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A bill that would increase prison sentences and fines for drivers convicted of causing a death while driving under the influence has been placed on the agenda for consideration by the West Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 4712, titled “Baylea’s Law,” is scheduled to be taken up by the Senate Judiciary Committee during its meeting on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, at 3 p.m. in Room 208 W of the State Capitol.
The legislation, sponsored by Delegate Josh Holstein, was recently unanimously approved by the West Virginia House of Delegates on a bipartisan 95-0 vote.
The bill proposes changes to state law that would significantly increase the penalties for DUI offenses that result in a fatality.
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.
If enacted, the legislation would raise the possible prison sentence to five to 30 years and increase fines to between $2,000 and $6,000.
The measure is 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 and impose tougher penalties in cases where DUI results in a fatality.
The Senate Judiciary Committee’s review marks the next step in the legislative process.
If passed through the committee, the bill will go to the full Senate for a vote where it will then go back to the House for concurrence if it passes in the Senate.
