WV HB4837

Extends the prohibition on former public officials becoming lobbyists from one year to five years after leaving office

Applies to elected and appointed officials as well as full-time staff attorneys and accountants who worked for agencies authorized to hear contested cases or promulgate rules

Prohibits affected former officials from appearing in a representative capacity before their former agency in contested cases, rule-making, license/permit proceedings, rate-making, and matters involving public fund expenditures

Allows the Ethics Commission to grant exemptions on a case-by-case basis when the five-year prohibition would effectively prevent a person from earning a livelihood in West Virginia

Introduced January 26, 2026, by Delegates Ridenour, Butler, Mazzocchi, and others; referred to the House Judiciary Committee