WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2024 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5558

By Delegates Jeffries, Kimble, Phillips, Hott, Pinson, and Burkhammer

[Introduced February 12, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Health and Human Resources then Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact §16-66-2 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to providing management agencies receiving funds from the West Virginia Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program the ability, in coordination with the Bureau for Public Health, to promulgate rules, requirements, and procedures for expending funds.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 66. Support For Mothers and babies Act.

§16-66-2. Establishing the West Virginia Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program.

(a) There is hereby established the West Virginia Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program under the Bureau for Public Health.  

(b) A pregnancy help organization is eligible to receive funding from the program, subject to meeting the standards defined by the managing agency.

(c) An abortion industry organization may not receive funding from the program.

(d) Funds distributed under the program shall be distributed on a fee per service arrangement with a fee per service and hour arrangement as set by the management agency. The managing agency may also promulgate rules, requirements, and procedures, in consultation with the Bureau for Public Health, for distributing funds to pregnancy help organizations for capital expenditures, expenditures associated with adding additional services, expenditures associated with meeting requirements established by a relevant licensing, accreditation, or standards-setting organization, and training expenditures for pregnancy help organization staff and volunteers.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide management agencies receiving funds from the West Virginia Mothers and Babies Pregnancy Support Program the ability, in coordination with the Bureau for Public Health, to promulgate rules requirements, and procedures for expending funds.

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