CHARLESTON — West Virginia Delegate Elias Coop-Gonzalez (R-Randolph) announced today that two of his priority bills successfully passed the House of Delegates last week, marking significant steps forward on combating illegal immigration and transparency in sexual crime cases.

House Bill 4198, which mandates the use of E-Verify for all private employers when hiring new employees, requires businesses to register with the federal E-Verify system and verify the legal work authorization of new hires.

The legislation aims to ensure compliance with federal employment laws, protect West Virginia jobs for legal residents, and provide clear guidelines and protections for employers who participate in good faith.

“Requiring E-Verify statewide levels the playing field for honest businesses and safeguards opportunities for American workers,” said Coop-Gonzalez. “This bill promotes accountability and helps combat illegal labor practices without undue burden on compliant employers.”

House Bill 4468 enhances transparency in court proceedings involving sexual crimes by repealing outdated confidentiality restrictions that previously limited public access to certain records.

The bill maintains strong protections for victims by requiring the redaction of their names and addresses from released documents, while allowing greater public and media access to information about offenders and cases.

This change addresses concerns that prior laws shielded perpetrators and restores balance between victim privacy and the public’s right to know.