West Virginia House Unanimously Passes 'Baylea's Law' to Increase DUI Penalties

The legislation would raise minimum and maximum prison time for DUIs causing death from 3-15 years to 5-30 years.

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The West Virginia House of Delegates unanimously passed House Bill 4712, also known as 'Baylea's Law', which would increase the penalties for deadly DUIs in the state. The bill, named after Baylea Bower who was killed in a 2025 car crash, would raise the minimum and maximum prison time for DUIs causing death from 3-15 years to 5-30 years. Fines would also triple under the proposed legislation.

Why it matters

The bill was introduced in response to the case of Destany Lester, who received a suspended sentence of home confinement and a young offender program for the crash that killed Baylea Bower. Baylea's friends and family, along with the bill's sponsor, hope the tougher penalties will prevent similar tragedies in the future and provide more justice for victims of drunk driving.

The details

House Bill 4712, or 'Baylea's Law', unanimously passed the West Virginia House of Delegates on February 19, 2026 in a 95-0 vote. The legislation would increase the minimum prison time for DUIs causing death from 3 years to 5 years, and the maximum from 15 years to 30 years. Fines would also triple, from $1,000 to $3,000, and from $2,000 to $6,000.

  • House Bill 4712 was first introduced at the end of January 2026.
  • The bill unanimously passed the West Virginia House of Delegates on February 19, 2026.

The players

Baylea Bower

A Boone County woman who was killed in a car crash on Easter Sunday in 2025.

Destany Lester

The other woman involved in the crash that killed Baylea Bower, who received a suspended sentence of home confinement and a young offender program.

Delegate Josh Holstein

The representative from Boone County who wrote the 'Baylea's Law' bill, and has a personal connection to the Bower family.

Jimmy Bower

Baylea's father, who Delegate Holstein says he sees at their shared church and has watched maintain strong faith since losing his daughter.

Raegan Harper

Baylea's best friend, who says Baylea would have been actively advocating for the bill if she were still alive.

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What they’re saying

“She would be here. She'd be holding the biggest photo. She'd probably be chanting. She would be doing an interview. She would have posted it all on Facebook. She probably would have had triple the amount of people that are here and probably would have picked them up from their house and brought them here, and she would be advocating for whoever she was here to advocate for.”

— Raegan Harper, Baylea's best friend (wowktv.com)

“I play music at my church, and I have the opportunity to see everybody from my perspective during services, and I've watched that man – from the time he lost his daughter to now – still have faith, stronger than most people I've ever seen.”

— Delegate Josh Holstein, Bill sponsor (wowktv.com)

What’s next

The bill will now move to the West Virginia Senate for consideration.

The takeaway

This legislation, named 'Baylea's Law', aims to provide tougher penalties for drunk driving incidents that result in death, in order to deter future tragedies and deliver more justice for victims and their families.