H. B. 4303


(By Delegates Swartzmiller, Mahan, Michael,
Kominar, Cann and Beach)
[Introduced January 31, 2006; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]



A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §49-6A-9a, relating to requiring that a letter of explanation from the Department of Health and Human Resources be provided to parents whose children are contacted at school for purposes of investigating reports of abuse or neglect.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §49-6A-9a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 6A. REPORTS OF CHILDREN SUSPECTED TO BE ABUSED OR NEGLECTED.

§49-6A-9a. Parental notice in cases where contact is made at school.

In all cases in which a face-to-face meeting with a child is made, pursuant to the provisions of section nine of this article, at any elementary, middle or high school in this state, the department is required to provide a letter of explanation to the parents of the child. The letter of explanation shall be given to the child the same day of the face-to-face meeting, to be sent home with the child and delivered to the parents of the child.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require that a letter of explanation from the Department of Health and Human Resources be provided to parents whose children are contacted at school for purposes of investigating reports of abuse or neglect.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.