Adopted by House March 8, 2012

SB484 HFAT Miley 3-08

Committee Substitute for S.B. 484–“A bill to repeal §49-5-21 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to repeal §49-6-5a of said code; to amend and reenact §49-1-3 of said code; to amend and reenact §49-2-17 of said code; to amend and reenact §49-5-13 of said code; to amend and reenact §49-5D-2, §49-5D-3 and §49-5D-3a of said code; to amend said code by adding thereto two new sections, designated §49-5D-3b and §49-5D-3c; to amend and reenact §49-6-2, §49-6-3, §49-6-5, §49-6-6, §49-6-8 and §49-6-12 of said code; to amend and reenact §49-6A-5 of said code; to amend and reenact §49-6D-3 of said code; to amend and reenact §49-7-1 of said code; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §49-7-36, all relating generally to child welfare; defining “court appointed special advocate program”; establishing a system of assistance from funds appropriated to the Department of Health and Human Resources for facilitating the adoption or legal guardianship of children who are dependents of the department or of a child welfare agency licenced to place children for adoption; providing when a juvenile is ordered into out-of-state placement, the reasons why the juvenile was not placed in state be included in the court order; adding additional members to the multidisciplinary team; providing a process for multidisciplinary treatment planning in cases involving child abuse and neglect; providing a process for multidisciplinary treatment planning in cases involving status offense or delinquency; increasing the continuing education hours required for attorneys appointed in child abuse and neglect cases; providing that reasonable efforts to preserve the family are not required when a person is required by state or federal law to register with a sex offender registry; providing that the court may modify a dispositional order when it finds a material change of circumstances has occurred and such modification is in the child’s best interests; clarifying that the circuit court of origin has exclusive jurisdiction over placement of a child in a child abuse and neglect case; providing a process for permanency hearings and permanent placement reviews; providing that any combination of improvement periods cannot cause a child to be in foster care more than fifteen months of the most recent twenty-two months unless the court finds that it is in the child’s best interests; providing for modifications and requests for expunging of records; requiring the secretary to promulgate legislative rules; providing guidelines for unified child and family case plans; confidentiality of records; and requiring a quarterly status review hearing and yearly permanency hearings for transitioning adults.”