SB 821 West Virginia Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Requiring child protective services workers to wear body-worn cameras

SB 821 requires West Virginia child protective services (CPS) workers to wear visible body-worn cameras during all investigations of child abuse or neglect reports. The bill directly affects CPS workers who conduct these investigations, mandating camera use to document interactions in real time. It also requires the state department to develop specific implementation rules, which must be approved by the legislature. This policy change establishes a new standard for recording CPS fieldwork, focusing on transparency during sensitive cases.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Mar 20, 2025 Last action Mar 25, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Committee Substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended from the Introduced Version to the Committee Substitute version, primarily adding substantive policy language regarding body-worn camera requirements for child protective services workers. The key change is that the requirement shifted from mandating camera use to requiring workers to 'attempt' to use cameras, with new provisions for obtaining consent and specific exemptions when privacy or investigation effectiveness could be compromised.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include consent requirements and specific circumstances where camera use may be declined, while maintaining the core requirement for body-worn camera use during investigations.

REQUIREMENT

Changed body-worn camera requirement from mandatory use to requiring workers to 'attempt' to utilize cameras during investigations.

Added requirement that workers must obtain consent from the person being investigated before using body-worn cameras.

Added specific exemptions allowing workers to refrain from using cameras if it would compromise child privacy or impede investigation, with documentation required.

Added requirement that audio and video recordings be stored for the duration the case is open and classified as confidential records.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new subsection (h) regarding personal liability protection for caseworkers making professional decisions.

Added new subsection (g)(3)(C) through (E) expanding court review standards for administrative subpoenas.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 25, 2025

Committee

To Finance

upper

Mar 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee substitute reported, but first to Finance

upper

Mar 20, 2025

Committee

To Health and Human Resources

upper

Mar 20, 2025

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Mar 20, 2025

Committee

To Health and Human Resources then Finance

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor