West Virginia 2026 Session Status: Enacted 1 R cosponsors

SB 459 — Ensuring meaningful contact between child and step-siblings

Last action — Chapter 62, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

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

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 16, 2026. Enacted.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 72% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

High

How often bills like it became law.

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 3 recorded votes so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

In plain language

The bill aims to facilitate contact between children and their step-siblings.

This bill ensures that children can maintain meaningful relationships with their step-siblings. It addresses the importance of these connections in a child's life.

What this means for you
  • Families: This means families may need to consider step-sibling relationships during custody discussions.

Summary

Ensuring meaningful contact between child and step-siblings

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

27 added · 7 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill SB 459 includes added enrollment details and specifies its effective date as 90 days after it passes, meaning it will take effect on June 11, 2026. It aims to ensure that children maintain meaningful contact with their step-siblings, which underscores the importance of family connections in blended families. These changes clarify the bill's status and timeline, making it easier for everyone to understand the legislative process and its implications for families in West Virginia.

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Latest
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 459 BYSENATORCHAPMAN [Reported February 26, 2026, from the Committee on the Judiciary] CS for SB 459 A BILL to 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.
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Enrolled Committee Substitute for Senate Bill 459 By Senator Chapman [Passed March 13, 2026;
in effect 90 days from passage (June 11, 2026)] Enr CS for SB 459 AN ACT to 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.
1 Enr CS for SB 459 The Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Delegates hereby certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.
...............................................................
Clerk of the Senate ...............................................................
Clerk of the House of Delegates Originated in the Senate.
In effect 90 days from passage.
...............................................................
President of the Senate ...............................................................
Speaker of the House of Delegates __________ The within is ................................................
this the...........................................
Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2026.
.............................................................
Governor 3
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Action History

  1. Filed for introduction

  2. To Judiciary

  3. Introduced in Senate

  4. To Judiciary

  5. Committee substitute reported

  6. Immediate consideration

  7. Read 1st time

  8. On 2nd reading

  9. Read 2nd time

  10. On 3rd reading

  11. Read 3rd time

  12. Passed Senate (Roll No. 271)

  13. Ordered to House

  14. House received Senate message

  15. Introduced in House

  16. To Judiciary

  17. To House Judiciary

  18. Markup Discussion

  19. Do pass

  20. On 1st reading, Special Calendar

  21. Read 1st time

  22. On 2nd reading, Special Calendar

  23. Read 2nd time

  24. On 3rd reading, Special Calendar

  25. Read 3rd time

  26. Passed House (Roll No. 528)

  27. Communicated to Senate

  28. Completed legislative action

  29. House Message received

  30. To Governor 3/18/2026

  31. To Governor 3/18/2026 - Senate Journal

  32. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026

  33. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal

  34. Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal

  35. Chapter 62, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 151 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (151)

151 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 151 →

"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

PASSAGE

Passed 85 Yea · 0 Nay · 14 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 760012
Democrat 7002
Unaffiliated 2000
Total 850014
% of votes cast 86%0%0%14%
How each member voted (99)
Member Party Vote
Flanigan — Yea
Linville — Yea
Anitra Hamilton Democrat Yea
Evan Hansen Democrat Yea
Hollis Lewis Democrat Not Voting
John Williams Democrat Yea
Kayla Young Democrat Yea
Mike Pushkin Democrat Yea
Rick Garcia Democrat Yea
Sean Hornbuckle Democrat Yea
Shawn Fluharty Democrat Not Voting
Adam Burkhammer Republican Yea
Adam Vance Republican Yea
Andy Shamblin Republican Yea
Betsy Kelly Republican Yea
Bill Bell Republican Yea
Bill Ridenour Republican Yea
Bob Fehrenbacher Republican Yea
Bryan Smith Republican Not Voting
Bryan Ward Republican Not Voting
Carl "Bill" Roop Republican Yea
Carl Martin Republican Not Voting
Charles Sheedy Republican Yea
Chris Phillips Republican Yea
Christopher W. Toney Republican Yea
Chuck Horst Republican Yea
Clay Riley Republican Yea
D. Rolland Jennings Republican Yea
Dana Ferrell Republican Yea
Dave Foggin Republican Yea
David Cannon Republican Yea
David Green Republican Yea
David McCormick Republican Yea
Dean Jeffries Republican Not Voting
Doug Smith Republican Yea
Elias Coop-Gonzalez Republican Yea
Eric Brooks Republican Yea
Erica Moore Republican Yea
Evan Worrell Republican Not Voting
Gary G. Howell Republican Yea
Geno Chiarelli Republican Yea
George Miller Republican Yea
George Street Republican Yea
Gregory A. Watt Republican Yea
Guy Ward Republican Yea
Henry Dillon Republican Not Voting
Ian T. Masters Republican Yea
James Robert "JB" Akers II Republican Yea
Jarred Cannon Republican Yea
Jeff Campbell Republican Yea
Jeff Eldridge Republican Yea
Jeffrey Stephens Republican Not Voting
Jim Butler Republican Yea
Jimmy Willis Republican Yea
Joe Ellington Republican Yea
Joe Funkhouser Republican Yea
Joe Parsons Republican Yea
Joe Statler Republican Yea
John Jordan Republican Yea
John Paul Hott Republican Yea
Jonathan Kyle Republican Not Voting
Jonathan Pinson Republican Yea
Jordan Bridges Republican Not Voting
Jordan Maynor Republican Yea
Josh Holstein Republican Yea
Kathie Hess Crouse Republican Yea
Keith Marple Republican Yea
Laura Kimble Republican Yea
Lisa White Republican Yea
Lori Dittman Republican Yea
Margitta Mazzocchi Republican Yea
Mark Dean Republican Yea
Mark Zatezalo Republican Yea
Marshall W. Clay Republican Yea
Marty Gearheart Republican Yea
Matthew Rohrbach Republican Yea
Michael Amos Republican Not Voting
Michael Hite Republican Yea
Michael Hornby Republican Yea
Mickey Petitto Republican Not Voting
Pat McGeehan Republican Yea
Patrick Lucas Republican Yea
Phil Mallow Republican Yea
Ray Canterbury Republican Yea
Rick Hillenbrand Republican Yea
Roger Hanshaw Republican Yea
Roy Cooper Republican Yea
Ryan Browning Republican Yea
S. Chris Anders Republican Yea
Sarah Drennan Republican Yea
Scot C. Heckert Republican Yea
Stanley Adkins Republican Yea
Tresa Howell Republican Yea
Tristan Leavitt Republican Yea
Vacant1 Republican Yea
Vernon Criss Republican Yea
Walter Hall Republican Yea
Wayne Clark Republican Not Voting
William Anderson Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Roll Call

Passed 31 Yea · 0 Nay · 3 Other
Party YeaNayPresentNot Voting
Republican 26003
Democrat 4000
Unaffiliated 1000
Total 31003
% of votes cast 91%0%0%9%
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 Yea
Glenn Jeffries Republican Not Voting
Jack Woodrum Republican Yea
Jack Woodrum Republican Yea
Jay Taylor Republican Yea
Jimmy Willis Republican Yea
Mark R. Maynard Republican Not Voting
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 Not Voting
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Takubo Republican Yea
Tom Willis Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea
Trenton Barnhart Republican Yea

Official roll call →

Subjects

civil-rights education
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 SB 459 do?
Ensuring meaningful contact between child and step-siblings
Who sponsors SB 459?
SB 459 is sponsored by Laura Wakim Chapman (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 459?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 16, 2026. Enacted.
Where can I track SB 459?
Track SB 459 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 8 days ago · updated continuously

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