CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – UPDATE 3/14/2026 7:56 PM: The bill has completed legislative action after passing unanimously through the House and Senate.
It now awaits Governor Patrick Morrisey’s signature.
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The West Virginia House of Delegates unanimously passed a bill Thursday morning that 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, cleared the House on a bipartisan 95-0 vote.
The measure proposes amendments to current state code that would significantly raise both the minimum and maximum prison terms, as well as monetary 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 bill would increase the prison sentence to a range of five to 30 years and raise fines to between $2,000 and $6,000.
The legislation is titled “Baylea’s Law,” 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 of the bill say the proposed changes are intended to strengthen accountability for impaired drivers and impose tougher consequences in cases where DUI leads to a fatality.
With House approval secured, the bill now moves to the West Virginia State Senate for further consideration.
