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WV Code § 4-1-19 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1. Officers, Members and Employees; Appropriations; Investigations; Display of Flags; Records; Use of Capitol Building; Prefiling of Bills and Resolutions; Standing Committees; Interim Meetings; Next Meeting of the Senate|§4-1-19. Distribution of Acts of the Legislature

Free distribution of the acts and resolutions of each session of the Legislature, and other matter directed by law to be published therewith, shall be made as follows by the Clerk of the House of Delegates: One copy to the judge of each court in this state; one copy each to the judge, clerk and district attorney of every United States district court of this state; one copy to every prosecuting attorney, sheriff, assessor, county superintendent of free schools, president of the county court, circuit clerk, county clerk and justices of the peace; five copies to the Governor; six copies to the Attorney General; two copies each to the Secretary of State, Auditor, State Superintendent of free schools, Treasurer and Commissioner of Agriculture; four copies to the Public Service Commission; one copy to each executive department head, requesting the same; ten copies to the Clerk of the Senate, one for his own use, and the others to be kept in his office for the use of the Senate; ten copies to each member of the Legislature, one for his own use and others for distribution; ten copies to the college of law of West Virginia University; one copy to each public institution of the state; three copies to the Librarian of Congress, one for the library and one for each house of Congress; one copy to each senator and representative in Congress from this state; one copy to each county law library; and one copy to each college and university in the state. The clerk shall retain ten copies in his own office, one for his own use and the others to be kept in his office for the use of the house.All of the copies named in this section shall be sent by mail, express or otherwise as the clerk may deem best. The acts to which officers of a county may be entitled shall be forwarded to the clerk of the county court thereof and shall be delivered by him to the officers entitled to receive the same. Upon receipt of such acts by him, the clerk of the county court shall forward his receipt therefor to the Clerk of the House of Delegates specifying the number received, and he shall require each person receiving a copy of such acts from him to sign a receipt therefor in a book to be kept by him for that purpose. The remaining copies of the acts shall be in the custody of the division of purchases, department of finance and administration, and be sold and disposed of as provided in section thirty-one, article three, chapter five-a of this code.The clerk may cause a copy of such acts to be furnished to any officer, board, commission, institution or tribunal not named herein.
WV Code § 4-1-21 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1. Officers, Members and Employees; Appropriations; Investigations; Display of Flags; Records; Use of Capitol Building; Prefiling of Bills and Resolutions; Standing Committees; Interim Meetings; Next Meeting of the Senate|§4-1-21. Prefiling of Bills and Resolutions

Within the thirty-day period immediately preceding the convening of the Legislature for commencement of a regular session thereof, any proposed bill or resolution may be prefiled by any member of the Legislature or by any person who has been elected or appointed to serve as a member of the Legislature but who has not yet been administered the oath of office. Such proposed bills or resolutions shall be filed with the clerk of the house in which the member or person will serve during the following regular session not later than the day preceding the opening of such session: Provided, That nothing herein shall affect a member's right to introduce a bill or resolution in accord with the rules of the house of which he is a member.(b) In addition to such number of copies of bills as may be required to be presented for introduction by the rules of the respective houses, all bills or resolutions prefiled shall have two additional copies appended. After numbering such bills or resolutions and editing and correcting them as to form, as may be required by the rules of the respective houses, the appropriate clerk shall make a tentative referral to the appropriate committee of the house, forwarding two copies thereof to the committee. Prior to making such tentative referral, the clerk shall confer with the presiding officer of the appropriate house if such presiding officer is available and make such referral as such presiding officer shall direct. Upon the commencement of the session of the Legislature, the clerk, upon ratification by the appropriate presiding officer of the tentative referral, shall proceed with the formal introduction of prefiled bills or resolutions according to the method of introducing bills as may be provided by the rules of the respective houses.(c) Copies of prefiled bills and resolutions shall be mailed to any member and each member-elect of the Legislature requesting the same and reasonable quantities shall be made available to the public and the news media.(d) Once a bill or resolution is prefiled as herein provided, it may not be withdrawn or amended prior to its formal introduction unless the rules of the house involved otherwise direct.
WV Code § 4-1-22 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1. Officers, Members and Employees; Appropriations; Investigations; Display of Flags; Records; Use of Capitol Building; Prefiling of Bills and Resolutions; Standing Committees; Interim Meetings; Next Meeting of the Senate|§4-1-22. &Quotnext Meeting of the Senate" Defined

The phrase "next meeting of the Senate" contained in article seven, section nine of the Constitution of West Virginia means any time the full Senate is convened and includes, but is not limited to, any regular session, any extraordinary session called during any recess or adjournment of the Legislature, during any impeachment proceeding or any time the Senate is convened pursuant to section ten-a of this article.
WV Code § 4-1-23 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1. Officers, Members and Employees; Appropriations; Investigations; Display of Flags; Records; Use of Capitol Building; Prefiling of Bills and Resolutions; Standing Committees; Interim Meetings; Next Meeting of the Senate|§4-1-23. Reports to Be Sent to the Legislative Librarian

(a) Any state officer, person, office, agency, commission or board required by any section of this code to provide a report to the Legislature or any committee, commission or person employed or elected to the Legislature, shall submit an additional copy of the report to the Legislative Librarian transmitted electronically via the Internet or as otherwise required by the Legislative Manager.(b) Failure to comply with this section is nonfeasance of office.
WV Code § 4-1A-1 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-1. Purpose; Legislative Findings and Declarations

(a) The purpose of this article is to describe the scope and limitations of legislative immunity provided by:(1) English common law;(2) The Speech or Debate Clause of the United States Constitution, Article I, Section 6;(3) Decisions regarding legislative immunity as developed in federal common law by the federal judiciary in interpreting the Speech or Debate Clause of the United States Constitution, Article I, Section 6;(5) The Speech or Debate Clause of the West Virginia Constitution, Article VI, Section 17;(6) The Separation of Powers Doctrine and the system of checks and balances embodied in the United States Constitution; and(7) The Division of Powers set forth in the West Virginia Constitution, Article V, Section 1.(b) The Legislature finds and declares as follows:(1) That the privilege of Speech or Debate has been recognized as an important protection of the independence and integrity of the Legislature.(2) That the ancestry of this privilege traces back to a clause in the English Bill of Rights of 1689 and the history traces even further back, almost to the beginning of the development of the English Parliament as an independent force.(3) That in the American governmental structure, privileges arising under the Speech or Debate Clause reinforce the Separation of Powers Doctrine and the system of checks and balances that was so deliberately established by the founding fathers and was carried over into the West Virginia Constitution.(4) That the protections provided by the Speech or Debate Clause and the Separation of Powers Doctrine were not written into the national and state Constitutions simply for the personal or private benefit of members of Congress, the State Legislatures and local governing bodies, but were intended to protect the integrity of the legislative process by insuring the independence of individual legislators.
WV Code § 4-1A-2 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-2. Applicability of Definitions

For the purposes of this article, the words or terms defined in this article have the meanings ascribed to them. These definitions are applicable unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context.
WV Code § 4-1A-3 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-3. Legislative Act Defined

 "Legislative act" means an act that is generally to be performed by the Legislature in relation to the investigative, deliberative and decision-making business before it. A "legislative act":(1) Is an integral part of the processes by which members participate in proceedings that come before the Senate or House of Delegates or a committee thereof; and(2) Relates to the consideration and passage or rejection of proposed legislation; or(3) Relates to other matters that Constitutional law places within the jurisdiction of either the Senate, the House of Delegates or the legislative branch of state government as a whole.
WV Code § 4-1A-4 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-4. Legislative Sphere Defined

The "legislative sphere" includes all activities that are an integral part of the deliberative and communicative processes by which members of the Legislature participate in committee and house proceedings with respect to the consideration and passage or rejection of proposed legislation or with respect to other matters which the Constitution places within the jurisdiction of either house.
WV Code § 4-1A-5 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-5. Political Act Defined

Political act means an act, nonetheless legitimate, that is political in nature rather than being a legislative act as defined in section three of this article.
WV Code § 4-1A-6 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-6. Scope of Legislative Immunity Generally

(a) Legislative immunity, affording protection under the Separation of Powers Doctrine and the Speech or Debate privilege, extends to all of a legislator's legislative acts, as defined in section three of this article.(b) The Speech or Debate privilege, when it applies, is absolute and has two aspects:(1) A member of the Legislature has immunity extending both to civil suits and criminal prosecutions for all actions within the legislative sphere, even though the conduct, if performed in other than a legislative context, would in itself be unconstitutional or otherwise contrary to criminal or civil statutes; and(2) A member of the Legislature is provided a testimonial privilege that operates to protect those to whom it applies from being compelled to give testimony as to privileged matters and from being compelled to produce privileged documents.
WV Code § 4-1A-7 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-7. Legislative Immunity in Specific Instances

The scope of legislative immunity includes, but is not limited to, the following legislative acts:(1) Introducing and voting for legislation;(2) Failing or refusing to vote or enact legislation;(3) Voting to seat or unseat a member;(4) Voting on the confirmation of an executive appointment;(5) Making speeches;(6) Enforcing the rules of the Senate or House of Delegates or the joint rules of the Legislature;(7) Serving as a member of a committee or subcommittee;(8) Conducting hearings and developing legislation;(9) Investigating the conduct of executive agencies;(10) Publishing and distributing reports;(11) Composing and sending letters;(12) Drafting memoranda and documents;(13) Lobbying other legislators to support or oppose legislation;(14) Abolishing personnel positions; and(15) Hiring and firing employees.
WV Code § 4-1A-8 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-8. Actions Taken Without Lawful Authority Are Not Immune

Legislative immunity does not extend to activities by legislators that are without lawful authority under Constitutional law, statutory law or rules of the Legislature, including, but not limited to, the following:(1) Using an unconstitutional procedure to enact legislation;(2) Conducting an illegal investigation or an unlawful search or seizure;(3) Performing another otherwise valid legislative act without proper legislative authority;(4) Filing a false or incomplete report, disclosure or claim regarding an otherwise valid legislative act; or(5) Using legislative office for private gain in violation of the provisions of chapter six-b of this code that define and enforce governmental ethics.
WV Code § 4-1A-9 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-9. Political Acts Are Not Privileged

Legislative immunity does not extend to political acts, including, but not limited to, the following:(1) Communications to the press through letters, electronic mail, newsletters or news releases: Provided, That the release of pending legislation, committee reports, journals, acts and other official legislative reports and documents is a legitimate legislative activity;(2) Privately releasing a republication of a speech made within the legislative sphere;(3) Holding a press conference;(4) Making speeches or giving interviews outside of the legislative sphere; or(5) Assisting a constituent or supporter through constituent services, including, but not limited to, making appointments with government agencies, attempting to influence discretionary acts of a government officer or providing assistance in securing government contracts.
WV Code § 4-1A-10 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-10. Administrative Acts Are Not Immune

(a) Legislative immunity does not extend to activities by legislators that are administrative in nature rather than legislative. If the underlying facts on which a decision is based are legislative facts involving establishment of a general policy or state of affairs, then the decision is legislative. If the facts used in the decision making are more specific, such as those that relate to particular individuals or situations, then the decision is administrative.(b) With regard to legislative personnel matters, whether a personnel decision regarding a legislative employee is shielded by legislative immunity depends upon the nature of the duties of the employee about whom the personnel decision is made. Personnel decisions regarding a legislative employee are afforded immunity if the employee's duties are directly related to the functioning of the legislative process and the duties:(1) Involve work that significantly informs or influences the shaping of laws, such as when the employee has an opportunity for meaningful input into the legislative process; or(2) Are peculiar to a legislator's work as a legislator or intimately cognate to the legislative process.
WV Code § 4-1A-11 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-11. Certain Offers of Proof About Legislative Activities Not Prohibited

(a) Proof of a person's status as a member of the Legislature is not prohibited.(b) A member of the Legislature who chooses to offer evidence of legislative acts as a defense to a criminal prosecution has not been "questioned", even though the member thereby subjects himself or herself to cross-examination.
WV Code § 4-1A-12 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-12. Legislative Acts of Legislative Staff, Aides or Assistants

Legislative immunity extends to legislative staff, aides or assistants working on behalf of a legislator. Inquiry is prohibited into things done as a legislator's staff member, aide or assistant which would have been legislative acts if performed by the legislator personally.
WV Code § 4-1A-13 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-13. Legislative Immunity From Ultimate Relief

Legislative immunity may be invoked to shield a legislator from judicially ordered relief, including, but not limited to, the following:(1) Criminal prosecution for his or her legislative acts;(2) Liability for damages for his or her legislative acts;(3) Declaratory judgments with respect to his or her legislative acts;(4) Injunctive relief with respect to his or her legislative acts; and(5) Extraordinary writs with respect to his or her legislative acts.
WV Code § 4-1A-14 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-14. Testimonial Immunity

(a) Testimonial immunity is an aspect of legislative immunity that protects a legislator from questioning elsewhere than in the legislative forum.(b) When a legislator has been improperly questioned before a grand jury concerning legislative acts, the counts in a criminal indictment that are based on the testimony must be dismissed.(c) When a legislator is found to be immune from a civil complaint, the relief to be granted is to have the complaint dismissed or to have a writ of prohibition issued to stop further proceedings.(d) In the case of a subpoena that seeks to improperly question a legislator's conduct as to legislative acts, to depose a legislator or to seek disclosure as to any matters pertaining to the memoranda, documents or actions by a legislator which are or were in connection with the legislative process, the subpoenas may be quashed or the court may grant a motion for a protective order.
WV Code § 4-1A-15 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-15. Right to Interlocutory Appeal

Denial of a claim of legislative immunity is immediately appealable under the collateral order doctrine because the Speech or Debate Clause is designed to protect legislators not only from the consequences of litigation's results but also from the burden of defending themselves.
WV Code § 4-1A-16 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 1A. Legislative Immunity|§4-1A-16. Common Law Regarding Legislative Immunity Not Affected by the Enactment of This Article

The Legislature of the State of West Virginia, in codifying certain elements and doctrines of the common law regarding legislative immunity through the enactment of this article, does not intend to narrow the common law definition of legislative immunity that is afforded the Legislature under the speech or debate privilege and the separation or division of powers, and does not, with the enactment of this article, otherwise revoke or abrogate any portion of the common law. This article shall not be construed so as to narrow, restrict, revoke or abrogate the common law.
WV Code § 4-2-1 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 2. Legislative Auditor; Powers; Functions; Duties; Compensation|§4-2-1. Purpose of Article

The purpose of this article is to provide for the more expeditious and efficient study and management of the financial problems which at each session confront the Legislature, and to provide a tighter and more economical control by the Legislature over the revenues and expenditures of the state.
WV Code § 4-2-2 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 2. Legislative Auditor; Powers; Functions; Duties; Compensation|§4-2-2. Definitions

For the purposes of this article: "Committee" means the Joint Committee on Government and Finance of the Senate and House of Delegates."Full performance evaluation" means to determine for an agency whether or not the agency is operating in an efficient and effective manner and to determine whether or not there is a demonstrable need for the continuation of the agency, pursuant to the provisions of section ten, article ten of this chapter."Post audit" is the audit or review of governmental finances after they have been completed. The scope of a post audit includes audit or review of transactions pertaining to the financial operations of the various agencies of government on the state level, with verification of state revenues at the source and audit of expenditures all the way through the work to the recipient or beneficiary of the service."Preliminary performance review" means to determine for an agency whether or not the agency is performing in an efficient and effective manner and to determine whether or not there is a demonstrable need for the continuation of the agency pursuant to the provisions of section eleven, article ten of this chapter."Spending unit" means any department, agency, board, commission, officer, authority, subdivision or institution of the state government for or to which an appropriation has been made, or is to be made by the Legislature.
WV Code § 4-2-3 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 2. Legislative Auditor; Powers; Functions; Duties; Compensation|§4-2-3. Appointment of Legislative Auditor; Responsibility to Legislature

There is hereby created the position of Legislative Auditor who shall be appointed by the committee to serve at its will and pleasure. He shall be solely responsible to the Legislature.
WV Code § 4-2-4 (2021)
2021 West Virginia Code|Chapter 4. The Legislature|Article 2. Legislative Auditor; Powers; Functions; Duties; Compensation|§4-2-4. Duties of Auditor; Filing Reports

(a) It is the duty of the Legislative Auditor to compile fiscal information for the Senate and the House of Delegates, to make a continuous audit and analysis of the state budget, revenues and expenditures, during and between sessions of the Legislature, to make post audits of the revenues and expenditures of the spending units of the state government, at least once every two years, if practicable, to report any misapplication of state funds or erroneous, extravagant or unlawful expenditures by any spending unit, to ascertain facts and to make recommendations to the Legislature concerning post-audit findings, the revenues and expenditures of the state and of the organization and functions of the state and its spending units.(b) The Legislative Auditor may collect, and the department, agency or board shall pay, any or all of the costs associated with conducting the post audits from the department, agency or board being audited, when necessary and desirable. The Legislative Auditor shall render to the department, agency or board liable for the costs a statement of the costs as soon after the costs were incurred as practicable, and it is the duty of the department, agency or board to pay promptly in the manner that other claims and accounts are paid. All money received by the Legislative Auditor from this source shall be expended only for the purpose of covering the costs associated with such services, unless otherwise directed by the Legislature.(c) A copy of each report of audit when completed and certified shall be filed in the office of the department of finance and administration as a public record and a copy shall be filed with the Attorney General for any action he or she may consider necessary.