Requiring Department of Human Services use mobile technology to assist in certain investigations

SB 421 requires West Virginia's Department of Human Services to implement a two-county pilot program starting October 1, 2027, equipping child protective services workers with mobile devices (like tablets) to conduct child abuse and neglect investigations. The bill mandates that these devices must create digital records in real time during investigations, automatically upload data daily to department servers, and meet specific technical requirements like interoperability with existing systems and 70% case usage in pilot counties. The pilot will last five years, with annual reports to the Legislative Oversight Commission detailing technology use and quality metrics for system improvement. This directly affects child welfare workers and the children involved in investigations by replacing manual data entry with digital workflows.