On March 5th, House Bill 2519, The Campus Self-Defense Act, failed to pass the West Virginia state Senate Judiciary Committee. HB 2519 previously had passed the state House of Delegates by a vote of 59-41.
House Bill 2519, sponsored by Delegate Jim Butler (R-14), would have allowed law-abiding CHL holders to carry on the campus of a state institution of higher education. Current state law does not prohibit carrying of a defensive firearm on campus, but institution policy could lead to expulsion or termination of employment. Adults who are officially licensed to carry a firearm for self-defense off-campus should not be prevented from doing so just because they seek higher education.
Aye votes in favor of HB 2519: Boso, Smith, Cline, Trump, Maynard, Azinger, and Rucker.
Nay votes against HB 2519: Clements, Baldwin, Jeffries, Weld, Woelfel, Beach, Romano, Lindsey, and Hardesty.
Though HB 2519 has been defeated for the 2019 legislative session, your NRA will continue to fight for the self-defense rights of law-abiding adults in West Virginia. Please stay tuned to www.nraila.org and your email inbox for updates on legislation and other issues affecting our Second Amendment rights.