House 4022

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Committee Substitute for

House Bill 4022

By Delegates Hanshaw (Mr. Speaker) and Hornbuckle
[BY REQUEST OF THE EXECUTIVE]

[Introduced Standing Committee on Health and Human Resources; Reported on January 20, 2026]

A BILL to amend and reenact §49-2-102 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to child protective services workers; the allocating of child protective service workers; the stationing of child protective workers; and requiring a report.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 2. STATE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CHILDREN.

§49-2-102. Staffing Allocation for Child Protective Services Workers.

(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, effective July 1, 2024, the commissioner shall allocate and station child protective services workers by county based on population, referrals, and average caseload. The county population shall be based on the United States Census : Provided, That the commissioner may adjust the allocation and station of child protective services workers based on immediate needs of each county, as demonstrated by the present referrals and caseload.

The allocation may not decrease below the bureau’s allocation of January 1, 2023

(b)The county population shall be based on the United States Census. The bureau shall report the allocation to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability by July 1 of each year.  The annual report on allocation shall reflect each change in allocation that occurred in the twelve months preceding July 1 and persisted for more than three weeks, along with a brief explanation justifying each change in allocation.