West Virginia SB 96 that would expand the state's firearms preemption statute to include "deadly weapons," including knives, was passed by the House 81-17. It now heads to Governor Jim Justice for his consideration.

Preemption prevents enforcement of existing local knife ordinances, and prohibits new ordinances, more restrictive than state law which only serve to confuse or entrap law-abiding citizens traveling within or through the state.

Knife Rights passed the nation's first Knife Law Preemption bill in Arizona in 2010 and has since passed preemption bills in Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.