WV HB4163

Requires custodians of public records to protect the identity of individuals submitting Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, making requester names and personally identifiable information confidential and exempt from public disclosure

Mandates that publicly accessible FOIA logs and databases maintained by the Secretary of State exclude requester names and personal information, with redaction required when previous FOIA requests are disclosed

Establishes three exceptions to requester confidentiality: requests by government officials acting in official capacity, cases where public interest outweighs privacy as determined by the Secretary of State or court, and cases where the requester explicitly consents to disclosure

Requires the Secretary of State to update all online FOIA databases within 90 days of enactment to comply with the new confidentiality requirements

Creates penalties for failure to redact requester identity, allowing affected individuals to seek injunctive relief and damages up to $5,000 per violation if their personal information is unlawfully disclosed