HB 4749 amends West Virginia's Foster Child Bill of Rights to ensure foster children aged 13 and older receive specific protections during court hearings affecting their care. The bill requires legal representatives (like guardians ad litem) to notify these children about upcoming hearings, ask if they wish to attend, and explain that the hearing might be distressing without discouraging attendance. It also mandates that the hearing outcome be explained to the child by their legal representative. These provisions directly affect foster youth in West Virginia aged 13+ involved in court proceedings related to their placement.
HB 4798 requires all West Virginia schools to implement a wearable panic alert system called "Alyssa's Law" for staff by December 31, 2026. The bill mandates that every school staff member (including teachers) receives a device capable of instantly triggering 9-1-1 calls and campus-wide lockdowns while integrating with local emergency systems. Schools must also provide annual training on device use and share security data (like cameras and maps) with law enforcement. This policy directly affects all school staff across the state and aims to improve emergency response during crises. The bill is currently in committee review and has not yet become law.
HB 4390 requires West Virginia to temporarily pay kinship parents (family caregivers raising relatives' children) the same monthly rate as foster parents, under specific conditions. To qualify, kinship parents must pass a background check within five days, pass a home safety screening, and receive assistance from the Department of Human Services to become foster parent-certified. This temporary payment lasts up to six months to help families complete certification, after which the rate reverts to standard kinship payments if certification isn't achieved. The bill directly affects family caregivers in foster care placements who meet these initial requirements.
HB 4022 amends West Virginia law to establish how child protective services (CPS) workers are allocated and stationed across counties. It requires the state agency to base allocations on county population (using U.S. Census data), current referrals for child safety concerns, and average caseloads, effective July 1, 2024. The bill prevents allocations from dropping below the January 1, 2023, levels when all positions were filled, but allows adjustments for immediate needs like vacancies. It mandates an annual report to the Legislative Oversight Commission by July 1 each year, detailing all allocation changes lasting over three weeks and their justifications. This bill directly affects county CPS offices and the state agency managing child welfare staffing.
HB 4354 establishes requirements for clothing and essential item allowances for children in foster care in West Virginia. It mandates that foster care providers assess a child's clothing and necessity needs at placement, with the state providing an initial allowance of at least $375 if items are missing. The allowance can be paid via a reloadable card (issued within 48 hours), a child welfare worker's purchasing card, or reimbursement to the provider. The bill requires an inventory of the child's wardrobe and necessities that must be updated and follow the child through all placements. This directly affects foster children, placement providers, and the Department of Human Services.
HB 4412 requires websites where pornography is a substantial portion of content to verify that users are over 18 before accessing material. It applies to commercial entities (like businesses or corporations) hosting such content and mandates the use of "reasonable" age verification methods, such as digital IDs like West Virginia Mobile ID. Failure to comply creates civil liability for the entity, allowing lawsuits with a five-year statute of limitations, while clarifying that internet service providers aren't liable for hosting content they didn't create. The bill defines "minor" as under 18 and specifies that websites must retain verification data, but exempts news organizations and existing legal content like child pornography.
HB 4126 modifies how royalties from mineral leasing beneath the Ohio River are distributed to state park funding. Starting July 1, 2026, 50% of these royalties will fund state park operations, maintenance, and improvements unless the fund balance reaches $100 million, at which point 100% will be allocated. The bill directly affects state parks, forests, and rail trails by changing their primary revenue source from these mineral royalties. It does not create new programs but adjusts existing distribution rules based on the fund's balance. The change aims to ensure consistent funding for recreational facilities while allowing the fund to grow toward a $100 million threshold.
This bill creates a Central Abuse Registry in West Virginia to track individuals convicted of crimes involving child abuse, neglect of incapacitated adults, abuse of adults receiving behavioral health services, and property misappropriation by those providing care services. It also adds specific sex offenses to the registration requirements and clarifies that people convicted of certain past offenses must remain on the registry. The legislation establishes a single annual fee of $125 for individuals required to register under both the abuse registry and sex offender registry, simplifying compliance by requiring only one payment. Funds collected from these fees will be used first to support mental health services for current and former state police employees before being applied to general state police operations.
HB 4755 adds "aggravated vehicular homicide" (defined in §17C-5-1(c)) to West Virginia's list of offenses that trigger enhanced sentencing for repeat offenders. This change directly affects individuals convicted of aggravated vehicular homicide who have prior qualifying offenses under the state's recidivism laws. The bill amends Section 61-11-18 of the West Virginia Code to include this offense, meaning a second or third conviction for this crime could result in harsher penalties if the offender has previous serious convictions. The law focuses on increasing penalties for repeat offenders in cases involving severe DUI-related fatalities.
This bill authorizes the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals to establish a program of child protection commissioners to support child welfare services across the state. The legislation defines the qualifications, powers, and duties of these commissioners while allowing for multi-circuit regions to improve efficiency. It also specifies that retired senior judges and justices may serve in this role without losing their retirement annuities, and requires the court to report annually on the program's activities.
HB 5325 creates an honorific "emeritus license" for retired physicians, podiatric physicians, and physician assistants in West Virginia who meet specific criteria. To qualify, applicants must have practiced in West Virginia for at least 10 years, fully retired from clinical practice, not be under investigation, and have no disciplinary history. The license is purely symbolic - it does not permit any clinical practice, exempts holders from continuing education requirements, and remains valid for life unless the holder returns to active practice or the board revokes it. The bill also includes a temporary provision for those whose licenses expired before July 2025.
HB 5022 expands the annual review of healthcare reimbursement rates to include additional programs beyond the current four (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Waiver, Aged and Disabled Waiver, Personal Care Services, and Traumatic Brain Injury Waiver). The bill requires the Bureau for Medical Services to annually study provider costs - including inflation, staffing expenses, and contract changes - and compare rates with similar programs in other states. Providers must submit financial data to support these reviews, and the bureau must report findings and rate adjustment recommendations to the Joint Committee on Finance each year. This change directly affects healthcare providers serving Medicaid waiver program participants in West Virginia.
