Senate 880

WEST virginia legislature

2026 regular session

Committee Substitute

for

Senate Bill 880

By Senators Rucker, Azinger, Willis, Bartlett, Taylor, Rose, and Deeds

[Reported February 21, 2026, from the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL to amend and reenact §5A-3-63 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to recognition of Judea and Samaria; setting forth findings; defining terms; prohibiting state agencies from using the term "West Bank" in official government materials; providing for a waiver by the head of the executive agency under specified conditions; and specifying the bill does not affect the foreign policy of the United States.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

Article 3. purchasing division.

§5A-3-63. Prohibition on contracting with companies that boycott Israel.

(a) The Legislature finds that:

(1) The State of Israel is one of the United States’ closest allies and international trading partners; and

(2) In recent years, the State of Israel and Israeli-owned businesses have been the target of boycotts that attempt to isolate Israel within the international community, and boycotts have served as a vehicle for spreading anti-Semitism and advocating for the elimination of the Jewish State of Israel;

(3) The State of West Virginia has an economic and a humanitarian obligation to denounce and reject the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions Movement against Israel, and to prevent the state or any of its instrumentalities from contracting with companies that engage in the movement; and

(4) The land controlled by Israel from Jordan during the Six-Day War is often incorrectly referred to as the “West Bank” instead of the proper and historical name of "Judea and Samaria", with the land south of Jerusalem being considered "Judea" and the land north of Jerusalem being considered "Samaria”.

(b) Definitions. — For the purposes of this section:

(1) “Boycott of Israel” means engaging in actions that are intended to penalize, inflict economic harm on, or otherwise limit commercial relations with the State of Israel or companies based in the State of Israel or in territories controlled by the State of Israel.

(2) “Company” means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited liability company, organization, association, or any other business entity that has 10 or more employees and operates to earn a profit: Provided, That the term does not include a sole proprietorship.

“Judea” means the area south of Jerusalem bordered by the Dead Sea and Jordan river to the east.

"Official government material" means a guidance, rule, material, briefing, press release, or communication prepared by a state agency disseminated to the public.

(3) “Public entity” means the State of West Virginia, or any political subdivision thereof, and all spending units of state government including those otherwise excluded from applicability under §5A-3-1 of this code.

“Samaria” means the area north of Jerusalem bordered by the Jordan river to the east.

"State agency" means every department, division, office, board, commission, and institution of this state.

(c) Effective July 1, 2022, a public entity may not enter into a contract with a company for goods or services valued at $100,000 or more unless the contract includes a written certification that the company is not currently engaged in, and will not for the duration of the contract, engage in a boycott of Israel.

(d) Any contract that violates the requirements of this section shall be is void as against public policy.

(e) The Director of the Purchasing Division is authorized to may promulgate legislative rules, including emergency rules, to implement the provisions of this section.

(f) Except as provided under subsection (g) of this section, a state agency shall not use the term "West Bank" to refer to Judea and Samaria in an official government material. 

(g) The executive head of a state agency may waive the prohibition under subsection (f) of this section if the executive head: 

(1) Determines that it is in the interests of the state to waive the prohibition; and 

(2) Submits a written explanation of the waiver within 30 days after the date the executive head makes the determination to the: 

(A) Speaker of the House and President of Senate if the Legislature is in session; or

(B) Governor if the Legislature is not in session.

(h) Nothing in this section should be construed as a statement on or affecting the foreign policy of the United States.