Creating Persons with Disabilities Registry

HB 4554 Text

skip navigation

SENATE

PRESIDENT

SENATORS

COMMITTEES

VIDEO/AUDIO

DISTRICT MAPS

SENATE CLERK

SENATE RULES

HOUSE

SPEAKER

DELEGATES

COMMITTEES

VIDEO/AUDIO

DISTRICT MAPS

HOUSE CLERK

HOUSE RULES

HOUSE STAFF

JOINT

INTERIM COMMITTEES

LEGISLATIVE ADMINISTRATOR

LEGISLATIVE SERVICES DIVISION

PUBLIC INFORMATION

LEGISLATIVE AUTOMATED SYSTEMS DIVISION

LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR'S OFFICE

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION & RESEARCH DIVISION

POST AUDIT DIVISION

BUDGET DIVISION

REGULATORY AND FISCAL AFFAIRS DIVISION

CLAIMS COMMISSION

CRIME VICTIMS

RULE-MAKING REVIEW

SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS

JUDICIAL COMP. COMMISSION

JOINT RULES

STAFF INFO

BILL STATUS

BILL STATUS

BILL TRACKING

STATE LAW

WEST VIRGINIA CODE

ACTS OF THE LEGISLATURE

CODE OF 1931

WV CONSTITUTION

US CONSTITUTION

REPORTS

AGENCY REPORTS

AGENCY GRANT AWARDS

PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS

POST AUDITS

EDUCATIONAL

CITIZEN’S GUIDE

INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

PAGE PROGRAM

PUBLICATIONS

PHOTO GALLERY

CAPITOL HISTORY

HOW A BILL BECOMES LAW

CONTACT

SENATE ROSTER

HOUSE ROSTER

PUBLIC INFO.

NEWS RELEASES

HELPFUL LINKS

Introduced Version

House Bill 4554 History

|
Email

Key:
Green
= existing Code.
Red
= new code to be enacted

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2026
REGULAR SESSION

FISCAL NOTE

Introduced
House Bill 4554
By Delegates Brooks, Pritt, and Green
[Introduced January 20, 2026; referred to the Committee on Health and Human Resources then the Judiciary]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new article, designated §61-7D-1, relating to the creation of a Persons with Disabilities Registry; and providing for a public records exemption.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

Article 7D.
Persons with Disabilities Registry.

§61-7D-1.
Persons with Disabilities Registry; public records exemption.

(a)(1) A local law enforcement agency may develop and maintain a database, to be known as a "Persons with Disabilities Registry," listing persons who have developmental, psychological, or other disabilities or conditions that may be relevant to their interactions with law enforcement officers. Persons with any type of confirmed developmental, psychological, or other disability or condition, including, but not limited to, autism spectrum disorder, Alzheimer’s disease or a dementia-related disorder, or Down
s
syndrome, may be enrolled in a registry.
(2) An adult with a disability or condition may enroll himself or herself in a registry. If a person with a disability has been declared incapacitated under §61-2-29, a parent or legal guardian of the person may enroll him or her in a registry. An incapacitated adult enrolled by another person must be notified of that enrollment by the local law enforcement agency in writing at his or her address of record within five business days after enrollment in a registry.
(3) A minor with a disability or condition may be enrolled in a registry by his or her parent or legal guardian. A minor who was enrolled by another person must be notified by the local law enforcement agency in writing of that enrollment at his or her address of record within five business days after he or she reaches 18 years of age.
(4) At the time of registration, proof of eligibility for enrollment in a registry must be submitted to the local law enforcement agency. The local law enforcement agency may accept any of the following documents for proof of eligibility:
(A) Certification of the disability or condition from a:
(i) Physician or physician assistant licensed under §30-3-1
et seq
. or an advanced practice registered nurse licensed under §30-3-1
et seq
.; or
(ii) Psychologist licensed under §27-1-10, a mental health counselor licensed under §30-31-3, or a psychiatrist as defined in this code, if the registration is based on psychological conditions.
(B) Documentation of the legal authority for a parent or legal guardian to enroll a child or ward, including, but not limited to, proof of parentage or guardianship, through:
(i) A birth certificate as described in §16-5-10;
(ii) A power of attorney, as defined in §39B-1-1
et seq
.;
(iii) A court order establishing parental rights or guardianship; or
(iv) Letters of guardianship as described in §44-10-3.
(5) A registration is valid until the person is removed from the registry. A minor or an incapacitated adult may be removed from a registry by the minor’s parent or legal guardian or the adult’s legal guardian, respectively. A competent person who has reached 18 years of age may also choose to have his or her name removed from a registry. Upon a valid verbal or written request for removal of a person from a registry, the local law enforcement agency must remove the person’s information from the registry within five business days after the request is made.
(b) A registry may include, but need not be limited to, any of the following information:
(1) The listed person’s name, contact information, personal identifying information, and disability or condition that may be relevant to interactions with law enforcement officers.
(2) If a person did not enroll himself or herself, the name, contact information, and personal identifying information of the person who enrolled the listed person in the registry.
(3) Any additional information provided by the enrollee or the person who enrolled the listed person in the registry, including the certification of the disability or condition.
(4) A local law enforcement agency may provide relevant information from a registry to a law enforcement officer engaged in his or her official duties.
(c) All records and personal identifying information relating to the enrollment of persons in a persons with disabilities registry held by a local law enforcement agency are confidential and exempt from disclosure under FOIA. It is the intent of the Legislature that this exemption apply to persons with disabilities registries held by a local law enforcement agency before, on, or after the effective date of this paragraph.
(d) Information made confidential and exempt by this subsection may be disclosed upon a showing of good cause before a court of competent jurisdiction, or in furtherance of the official duties and responsibilities of the agency holding the information, to:
(1) Another local law enforcement agency;
(2) A county emergency management agency;
(3) A local fire department; or
(4) Another local, state, or federal agency.
(e) The entities or persons receiving such information shall maintain the exempt status of the information.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create a Persons with Disabilities Registry; and provide for a public records exemption.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

Bill Status
|

Bill Tracking
|

Legacy WV Code
|

Bulletin Board
|

District Maps
|

Senate Roster
|

House Roster
|

Live
|

Blog
|

Jobs
|

Links
|

Home

This Web site is maintained by the
West Virginia Legislature's Office of Reference & Information.
|
Terms of Use
|

Webmaster
| © 2026 West Virginia Legislature **

Print On Demand

Name:

Email:

Phone: