West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Enacted 5 R cosponsors

HB 4749 — Relating to adding requirements to the foster child bill of rights

Last action — Chapter 71, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed House of Delegates
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 21, 2026. Enacted.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

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A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 80% · moderate confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 5 sponsors

    1 primary, 4 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (5 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 3 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

This bill adds requirements to the foster child bill of rights.

The bill proposes new requirements to enhance the rights of foster children. It aims to ensure that foster children have specific protections and entitlements.

Summary

Relating to adding requirements to the foster child bill of rights

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

49 added · 30 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to House Bill 4749 adds three important rights for foster children and those in kinship placements. These new rights include being informed about hearings that could affect them, attending those hearings if they are over 13, and having the results of the hearings explained to them clearly. This change matters because it empowers older children in the foster care system to be more involved in decisions that affect their lives, promoting their understanding and participation in the legal process.

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WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION ENGROSSED House Bill 4749 By Delegates Worrell, Hite, Kimble, Hornby, and Heckert [Introduced January 22, 2026;
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION ENROLLED House Bill 4749 B YD ELEGATESW ORRELL, HIT, IMBLE, ORNBY ,AND HECKERT [Passed March 5, 2026;
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary] Eng HB 4749 A BILL to amend and reenact §49-2-126 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, relating to adding three additional rights that foster children and children in a kinship placement have in the foster child bill of rights including the right to have timely notice of a hearing that may have legal implications for a child over 13, the right to attend a hearing that may have legal implications for a child over the age of 13, and the right to have the outcome of any hearing that has legal implications for the child explained to them by their guardian ad litem or legal counsel.
in effect 90 days from passage (June 3, 2026)] Enr HB 4749 AN ACT to amend and reenact §49-2-126 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to adding three additional rights that foster children and children in a kinship placement have in the foster child bill of rights including the right to have timely notice of a hearing that may have legal implications for a child over 13, the right to attend a hearing that may have legal implications for a child over the age of 13, and the right to have the outcome of any hearing that has legal implications for the child explained to them by their guardian ad litem or legal counsel.
Eng HB 4749 (7) The right, as appropriate to the child’s age and development, to be informed on any medication or chemical substance to be administered to the child;
Enr HB 4749 (7) The right, as appropriate to the child’s age and development, to be informed on any medication or chemical substance to be administered to the child;
Eng HB 4749 (19) The right to receive a copy of, and receive an explanation of, the rights set forth in this section from the child’s guardian ad litem, caseworker, and attorney;
Enr HB 4749 (19) The right to receive a copy of, and receive an explanation of, the rights set forth in this section from the child’s guardian ad litem, caseworker, and attorney;
(24) The right to have the outcome of any hearing pursuant to this chapter that has legal implications for the child explained by the child’s guardian ad litem or legal counsel;
(24) The right to have the outcome of any hearing pursuant to this chapter that has legal implications for the child explained by the child’s guardian ad litem or legal counsel.
On or before December 15, 2021 and on or before December 15 of every year thereafter, the foster care ombudsman shall submit a written summary of the number and nature of reports received, Eng HB 4749 and investigations conducted in response to said reports, to the Joint Standing Committee on Government and Finance, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, and the Governor:
On or before December 15, 2021, and on or before December 15 of every year thereafter, the foster care ombudsman shall submit a written summary of the number and nature of reports received, Enr HB 4749 and investigations conducted in response to said reports, to the Joint Standing Committee on Government and Finance, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, and the Governor:
Enr HB 4749 The Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of the Senate hereby certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.
...............................................................
Clerk of the House of Delegates ...............................................................
Clerk of the Senate Originated in the House of Delegates.
In effect 90 days from passage.
...............................................................
Speaker of the House of Delegates ...............................................................
President of the Senate __________ The within is ................................................
this the...........................................
Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2026.
.............................................................
Governor 5
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Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. To Judiciary

  3. Introduced in House

  4. To House Judiciary

  5. Do pass

  6. On 1st reading, Special Calendar

  7. Markup Discussion

  8. Read 1st time

  9. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  10. Read 2nd time

  11. On 3rd reading with right to amend, Special Calendar

  12. Read 3rd time

  13. Amendment reported by the Clerk

  14. Amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  15. Read 3rd time

  16. Passed House (Roll No. 67)

  17. Title amendment adopted (Voice vote)

  18. Communicated to Senate

  19. Introduced in Senate

  20. To Health and Human Resources then Judiciary

  21. To Health and Human Resources

  22. Without recommendation, but first to Judiciary

  23. To Judiciary

  24. Reported do pass, with title amendment

  25. On 1st reading

  26. Read 1st time

  27. On 2nd reading

  28. Read 2nd time

  29. On 3rd reading

  30. Read 3rd time

  31. Passed Senate with amended title (Roll No. 314)

  32. Senate requests House to concur

  33. House received Senate message

  34. House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 351)

  35. Completed legislative action

  36. House Message received

  37. To Governor 3/6/2026

  38. To Governor 3/6/2026 - Senate Journal

  39. Approved by Governor 3/12/2026 - Senate Journal

  40. Approved by Governor 3/12/2026

  41. Approved by Governor 3/13/2026 - House Journal

  42. Chapter 71, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 4 co-sponsors · 147 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (4)

Not signed on (147)

147 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 147 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Roll Call

Passed 33 Yea · 0 Nay · 1 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Democrat 4000
Republican 28001
Unaffiliated 1000
Total 33001
% of votes cast 97%0%0%3%
How each member voted (34)
Member Party Vote
MR PRESIDENT — Yea
Anitra Hamilton Democrat Yea
Mike Woelfel Democrat Yea
Mike Woelfel Democrat Yea
Rick Garcia Democrat Yea
Ben Queen Republican Yea
Carl Martin Republican Yea
Chris Phillips Republican Yea
Chris Rose Republican Yea
Chris Rose Republican Yea
Dean Jeffries Republican Yea
Eric Tarr Republican Yea
Eric Tarr Republican Not Voting
Glenn Jeffries Republican Yea
Jack Woodrum Republican Yea
Jack Woodrum Republican Yea
Jay Taylor Republican Yea
Jimmy Willis Republican Yea
Mark R. Maynard Republican Yea
Mike Oliverio Republican Yea
Patricia Rucker Republican Yea
Patricia Rucker Republican Yea
Robbie Morris Republican Yea
Rollan A. Roberts Republican Yea
Rollan A. Roberts Republican Yea
Rupie Phillips Republican Yea
Rupie Phillips Republican Yea
Ryan Weld Republican Yea
Ryan Weld Republican Yea
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Willis Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

What does HB 4749 do?
Relating to adding requirements to the foster child bill of rights
Who sponsors HB 4749?
HB 4749 is sponsored by Evan Worrell (Republican), Michael Hite (Republican), Laura Kimble (Republican), Michael Hornby (Republican), and Scot C. Heckert (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 4749?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 21, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track HB 4749?
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