WV HB4451

Establishes the Veteran Justice Act, creating a sentencing alternative allowing eligible veterans to avoid conviction records or have felonies reduced to misdemeanors through probation and tailored treatment programs

Applies to veterans with substance-use disorder, PTSD, traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, or other service-related mental health conditions, with a presumption favoring the veteran sentencing option for probation-eligible offenses

Excludes murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, crimes against children, and human trafficking from program eligibility

Requires law enforcement to verify veteran status using federal databases (SQUARES and VRSS), and mandates training for law enforcement, courts, and corrections personnel on veteran-specific issues including trauma exposure

Takes effect July 1, 2026, with data collection requirements tracking program outcomes by race, ethnicity, gender, age, discharge characterization, and offense type