SB 744 — Relating to Critical Incident Review Team

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION IntroducedEnrolled Senate Bill 744 B YSENATORS HELTON, WILLI, EEDS,AND GARCIA [Introduced[Passed FebruaryMarch 4,11, 2026;

referredin toeffect the90 Committeedays onfrom Healthpassage and(June Human9, Resources]2026)] IntrEnr SB 744 AAN BILLACT to amend and reenact §49-11-101, §61-12B-1, §61-12B-3, and §61-12B-5 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to the Critical Incident Review Team;

The date of the incident, the IntrEnr SB 744 child’s sex, and the child’s age.

The commissioner shall send a notification, within 24 hours of child fatalities or near fatalities, to the Secretary of Human Services Office of Inspector General to enable it to convene a meeting of the Critical Incident Review Team.

The Critical Incident Review Team is created continued under the Department of Human Services Office of Inspector General for the purpose of reviewing fatalities and near fatalities involving children involved in the child welfare system and making recommendations to identify effective prevention and intervention processes to decrease preventable child fatalities and near fatalities in the child welfare system.

(a) The Critical Incident Review Team is created continued under the Office of the Inspector General and is a multidisciplinary team created to oversee and coordinate the examination, review, and assessment of:

IntrEnr SB 744 (1) The fatality or near fatality of a child in the custody of the Department of Human Services;

(1) The Commissioner of the Bureau for Social Services, or his or her designee, who is to serve as the chairperson, and is responsible for calling and coordinating meetings of the Critical Incident Review Team The Foster Care Ombudsman, or his or her designee, is to serve as the chairperson, and is responsible for calling and coordinating meetings of the Critical Incident Review Team;

(2) (3) The Director of the Division of Planning and Quality Improvement;

(3) The Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau for Social Services;

(6) TheA Fosterrepresentative Careof Ombudsman,the orWest hisVirginia orSupreme herCourt designee;of Appeals, Division of Children Services;

(7) (6) A representative offrom the WestProsecuting VirginiaAttorneys SupremeInstitute; Court of Appeals, Division of Children Services;

(8) (7)The ASuperintendent representativeof from the ProsecutingWest AttorneysVirginia Institute;State Police or his or her designee;

(9) (8)A Themember Superintendent of the West Virginia StateSenate, Policeappointed orby histhe orPresident herof designee;the Senate, who shall serve as an ex officio member;

Intrand SB 744 (10) (9) A member of the West Virginia Senate,House of Delegates, appointed by the PresidentSpeaker of the Senate,House, who shall serve as an ex officio member;member.

andEnr (11)SB (10)744 A(c) Each member ofshall theserve Westwithout Virginiaadditional Housecompensation ofand Delegates,may appointednot bybe reimbursed for any expenses incurred in the Speakerdischarge of thehis House,or whoher shallduties serveunder asthe anprovisions exof officiothis member.article.

(c) Each member shall serve without additional compensation and may not be reimbursed for any expenses incurred in the discharge of his or her duties under the provisions of this article.

(a)(1) The Critical Incident Review Team Office of Inspector General shall submit an initial report within 75 days of the fatality or near fatality to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability with updated reports every 90 days.

(c) The Critical Incident Review Team Office of Inspector General may provide reporting to child residential facilities to inform their internal peer review activities.

Enr SB 744 The Clerk of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Delegates hereby certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.

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Clerk of the Senate ...............................................................

Clerk of the House of Delegates Originated in the Senate.

In effect 90 days from passage.

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President of the Senate ...............................................................

Speaker of the House of Delegates __________ The within is ................................................

this the...........................................

Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2026.

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Governor 5