WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2025 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 573

By Senators Queen, Rose, and Taylor

[Introduced February 24, 2025; referred
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new article, designated §17-14-1 and §17-14-2, relating to prohibiting all state agencies and local governmental units from restricting use or sale of motor vehicles based on power source; providing definitions; and clarifying prohibitions.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 14. PROHIBITED GOVERNMENTAL ACTIONS REGARDING SALE AND

  USE OF MOTOR VEHICLES BASED ON POWER SOURCE.

§17-14-1. Definition.

"Motor vehicle" means a self-propelled device designed to transport persons or property from one place to another, and includes, for purposes of this article, farm tractors and implements as defined in §17A-1-1(g) and (q) of this code.

§17-14-2. Prohibitions based on energy source.

(a) No state agency, nor any political subdivision of this state, may restrict the use or sale of motor vehicles based on the energy source used to power the motor vehicle, including use for propulsion or use for powering other functions of the motor vehicle.

(b) This subsection does not affect any policy established by a state agency, nor by any political subdivision of this state, related to the purchase of motor vehicles for the use of the state agency or political subdivision.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide prohibitions on the use and sale of motor vehicles based on the energy source used to power the vehicle.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.