Senate 459

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 459

By Senator Chapman

[Introduced January 16, 2026; referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary]

A BILL amend and reenact §48-9-102 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to ensuring meaningful contact between a child and his or her step-siblings.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 9. ALLOCATION OF CUSTODIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND DECISION-MAKING RESPONSIBILITY OF CHILDREN.

§48-9-102. Objectives; best interests of the child.

(a) The primary objective of this article is to serve the child’s best interests, by facilitating:

(1) Stability of the child;

(2) Parental planning and agreement about the child’s custodial arrangements and upbringing;

(3) Continuity of existing parent-child attachments;

(4) Meaningful contact between a child and each parent;

(5) Caretaking and parenting relationships by adults who love the child, know how to provide for the child’s needs, and who place a high priority on doing so;

(6) Security from exposure to physical or emotional harm;

(7) Expeditious, predictable decision-making and avoidance of prolonged uncertainty respecting arrangements for the child’s care and control; and

(8) Meaningful contact between a child and his or her siblings, including half-siblings and step-siblings.

(b) A secondary objective of article is to achieve fairness between the parents.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to add meaningful contact with step-siblings to be considered a factor in determining the child’s best interests.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.