SB 543 West Virginia Senate · 2026 Regular Session

Requiring Bureau for Social Services to file legislative rule

This bill requires West Virginia's Bureau for Social Services to officially file its entire policy manual - including all rules on Child Protective Services, foster care, youth services, licensing, and casework - as a legislative rule by July 1, 2026. Future updates to these policies must also be filed as amendments to this rule under state procedures. The law aims to make bureau policies transparent and subject to standard rulemaking processes, directly affecting how the agency operates. It does not change program eligibility or funding but ensures policies are formally documented and accessible.

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Feb 2026

Senate Passage

Feb 2026

House of Delegates Passage

Governor

Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Last action Feb 25, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Version → Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to correct agency names and clarify that future policy updates must be filed as amendments rather than entirely new rules. It also adds a critical legal provision stating that these rule-making requirements do not create new private lawsuits against the agency or its staff, while preserving existing immunities.

Scope change

The scope of the agency affected was updated from 'Bureau of Social Service' to 'Bureau for Social Services', and the scope of the rule-making requirement was clarified to apply to amendments as well as the initial manual.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the agency name from 'Bureau of Social Service' to 'Bureau for Social Services' throughout the text.

Updated the filing deadline recipient from 'Secretary of States' Office' to 'Secretary of State's office'.

Clarified that subsequent changes to the policy manual must be filed as amendments to the legislative rule, rather than as entirely new legislative rules.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a new subsection explicitly stating that the rule-making requirements do not create a private cause of action (lawsuit) against the agency or its employees.

DEFINITION

Capitalized 'Child Protective Services' to match standard legal terminology.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 11, 2026

How they voted

31–0

Passed · 2 other

Total votes 33

Feb 11, 2026

D Democratic2

2 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican31

29 Yea 2

93% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 25, 2026

Committee

To House Judiciary

lower

Feb 25, 2026

Committee

Do pass, but first to Judiciary

lower

Feb 12, 2026

Committee

To House Health and Human Resources

lower

Feb 12, 2026

Committee

To Health and Human Resources then Judiciary

lower

Feb 12, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in House

lower

Feb 11, 2026

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (Roll No. 63)

upper

Feb 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Committee substitute reported

upper

Jan 28, 2026

Committee

To Judiciary

upper

Jan 28, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported do pass, but first to Judiciary

upper

Jan 20, 2026

Committee

To Health and Human Resources

upper

Jan 20, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in Senate

upper

Jan 20, 2026

Committee

To Health and Human Resources then Judiciary

upper

1 primary · 7 co-sponsors