Seven House Bills were passed Tuesday during the House floor session, including major foster care bill, House Bill 4092.
House Bill 4092 aims to do multiple things to improve the struggling foster care system in West Virginia. The bill increases the per diem rate for foster parents and kinship families, providing a total of $30 per day, per foster child. The Department of Health and Human Resources will pay Child Placing Agencies $75 for each child in placement and foster families will be reimbursed 40% of the daily rate that the CPA receives. Additionally, the bill creates a Foster Child and Foster Parent Bill of Rights and sets “reasonable and prudent” parent standards. Lastly, the bill defines minimum standards for the guardian ad litem, which are the attorneys that represent children in the foster care system or family courts.
This bill seeks to benefit foster families, kinship families and Child Placing Agencies across the state.
This bill has had major bipartisan support throughout the legislative session. Although there is a significant fiscal impact with this legislation due to the per diem rate increases, no funds were cut from the bill during the committee process.
Delegate Jason Barrett, D- Berkeley, said during the floor session that it’s worth noting that the bill came out of the Finance Committee with no changes.
“This is an investment in West Virginian children,” he said. “These improvements over time will have hundreds of thousands of dollars per month.”
The House concurred with the Senate amendments for six bills, therefore completing action for these bills. The House concurred with the Senate amendment for House Bill 4007 but also added an additional amendment. The House refused to concur with the Senate amendment for House Bill 4275. Senate Bill 620 was passed with a title amendment.
Twelve bills were advanced to third reading. Nineteen bills were advanced to second reading.
Two resolutions were introduced.
The House is adjourned until 11:15 a.m. Wednesday.
