Senate 933

WEST virginia legislature

2026 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 933

By Senator M. Maynard

[Introduced February 12, 2026; referred
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; and then to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact §17-2A-11 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to expanding digital mapping of unimproved public roads; authorizing West Virginia Department of Tourism and county commissions to submit mapping requests to the West Virginia Commissioner of Highways; setting forth mapping request content, and mapping and online posting requirements; and requiring cooperation between West Virginia Division of Highways and West Virginia Department of Tourism.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 2A. WEST VIRGINIA COMMISSIONER OF HIGHWAYS.

§17-2A-11. Road maps; digital road map maps; outdoor recreation on unimproved roads.

(a) The commissioner shall prepare and currently maintain a master road and highway map which will show all of the state roads and highways located, created, and classified as provided by law, the mileage of roads and highways, the status of improvements, and travel conditions when practical. The commissioner may make economical reproductions of the map for official use and public information purposes, including a digital road map. The goal is for the maps to be computerized and searchable by the public to map routes for travel throughout the state.  

(b) The digital road map shall indicate whether public roads are unpaved and unimproved, unpaved and improved, unlined and paved, or lined and paved. The digital road map shall further indicate the types of vehicles that may use each road, including full-size vehicles and off-highway vehicles, such as all-terrain vehicles, utility-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, and off-road vehicles.

(c) The commissioner shall consider requests from the West Virginia Department of Tourism and from any county commission for digital mapping of unimproved public roads that are of interest for outdoor recreation. A mapping request shall identify the following as to the unimproved public roads:

(1) Use, such as potential road use by motorcycles or all-terrain, utility-terrain, or off-road vehicles;

(2) Surface, such as gravel, aggregate, or unimproved dirt;

(3) Value, such as having scenic, historic, or recreational value; and

(4) Location, sufficient information for the commissioner to locate such roads for mapping.

Digital mapping completed pursuant to this subsection shall be made available online to the public and designed to be easily locatable by interested parties in a downloadable format that includes information important for outdoor recreation and tourism. The West Virginia Department of Tourism and West Virginia Division of Highways shall cooperate with each other to promote outdoor recreation as set forth in this subsection.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to enable and encourage tourism and outdoor recreation on unimproved public roads using existing resources.

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