Plain English Breakdown
The plain English breakdown is still being put together. The official documents below are already here.
HB4573 • 2026
Foster Youth Post-Secondary Transition Awareness Act
Foster Youth Post-Secondary Transition Awareness Act
Agriculture
Children
Education
Parental Rights
Privacy
Passed Legislature
This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.
Amendments
These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.
Plain English: HB4573 SFA TAYLOR #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Taylor moved to amend the bill on page 2, after line 28, by adding a new section 56, to read as follows: §18-5-56.
- HB4573 SFA TAYLOR #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Taylor moved to amend the bill on page 2, after line 28, by adding a new section 56, to read as follows: §18-5-56.
- Protection of vocational education agriculture programs.
- (a) The Legislature finds that agriculture offers many benefits to the state and its individual citizens such as enhanced self-sufficiency, additional food security, contributions to the economy, and the enjoyment and satisfaction that can be experienced from various forms of agriculture.
- (b) Vocational education agriculture programs shall be offered to all students, and these programs may only be terminated if the enrollment is the lowest enrollment of all vocational education programs.
- This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
Plain English: HB4573 SFA TAYLOR #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Taylor moved to amend the bill on page 2, after line 28, by adding a new section 56, to read as follows: §18-5-56.
- HB4573 SFA TAYLOR #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Taylor moved to amend the bill on page 2, after line 28, by adding a new section 56, to read as follows: §18-5-56.
- Protection of vocational education agriculture programs.
- (a) The Legislature finds that agriculture offers many benefits to the state and its individual citizens such as enhanced self-sufficiency, additional food security, contributions to the economy, and the enjoyment and satisfaction that can be experienced from various forms of agriculture.
- (b) Vocational education agriculture programs shall be offered to all students, and these programs may only be terminated if the enrollment is the lowest enrollment of all vocational education programs.
- This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
Plain English: HB4573 SFAT GRADY #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Grady moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows: Eng.
- HB4573 SFAT GRADY #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Grady moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows: Eng.
- Com.
- Sub.
- for House Bill 4573 —A Bill to amend the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §18-5-55, relating to foster children; requiring the Department of Human Services to provide to the West Virginia Department of Education and county boards of education information regarding available post-secondary transition programs and services for students with current or former foster care experience; specifying minimum information that can be shared; allowing the Department of Human Services to continue sharing information directly with students in foster care and their foster families or legal guardians in certain instances; requiring county boards of education to ensure that information received is shared with appropriate school personnel and used for student informational purposes only; and clarifying that new provisions do not require disclosure of foster care status in violation of state or federal privacy laws.
- This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
Plain English: HB4573 SFAT GRADY #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Grady moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows: Eng.
- HB4573 SFAT GRADY #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Grady moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows: Eng.
- Com.
- Sub.
- for House Bill 4573 —A Bill to amend the code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §18-5-55, relating to foster children; requiring the Department of Human Services to provide to the West Virginia Department of Education and county boards of education information regarding available post-secondary transition programs and services for students with current or former foster care experience; specifying minimum information that can be shared; allowing the Department of Human Services to continue sharing information directly with students in foster care and their foster families or legal guardians in certain instances; requiring county boards of education to ensure that information received is shared with appropriate school personnel and used for student informational purposes only; and clarifying that new provisions do not require disclosure of foster care status in violation of state or federal privacy laws.
- This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
Plain English: HB4573 SFAT TAYLOR #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Taylor moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows: Eng.
- HB4573 SFAT TAYLOR #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Taylor moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows: Eng.
- Com.
- Sub.
- for House Bill 4573 —A Bill to amend the code of Wes Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding two new sections, designated §18-5-55 and 18-5-56, relating to relating to education generally; requiring the Department of Human Services to provide to the West Virginia Department of Education and county boards of education information regarding available post-secondary transition programs and services for students with current or former foster care experience; specifying minimum information that can be shared; allowing the Department of Human Services to continue sharing information directly with students in foster care and their foster families or legal guardians in certain instances; requiring county boards of education to ensure that information received is shared with appropriate school personnel and used for student informational purposes only; clarifying that new provisions do not require disclosure of foster care status in violation of state or federal privacy laws requiring vocational education agriculture programs to be offered to all students; making findings; allowing termination of a vocational education agriculture program only if enrollment is the lowest enrollment of all vocational education programs; and requiring if a county school district terminates its vocational education agriculture program that the district submit a report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability explaining the reasoning for terminating its program.
- This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
Plain English: HB4573 SFAT TAYLOR #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Taylor moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows: Eng.
- HB4573 SFAT TAYLOR #1 3-12 Hager 7871 Senator Taylor moved to amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting therefor a new title, to read as follows: Eng.
- Com.
- Sub.
- for House Bill 4573 —A Bill to amend the code of Wes Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding two new sections, designated §18-5-55 and 18-5-56, relating to relating to education generally; requiring the Department of Human Services to provide to the West Virginia Department of Education and county boards of education information regarding available post-secondary transition programs and services for students with current or former foster care experience; specifying minimum information that can be shared; allowing the Department of Human Services to continue sharing information directly with students in foster care and their foster families or legal guardians in certain instances; requiring county boards of education to ensure that information received is shared with appropriate school personnel and used for student informational purposes only; clarifying that new provisions do not require disclosure of foster care status in violation of state or federal privacy laws requiring vocational education agriculture programs to be offered to all students; making findings; allowing termination of a vocational education agriculture program only if enrollment is the lowest enrollment of all vocational education programs; and requiring if a county school district terminates its vocational education agriculture program that the district submit a report to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Education Accountability explaining the reasoning for terminating its program.
- This amendment summary is using official source text because generated interpretation was skipped for this run.
Bill History
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2026-03-14
H
Communicated to Senate
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2026-03-14
H
House refused to concur; requested Senate to recede (Voice)
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2026-03-14
H
House received Senate message
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2026-03-12
S
Senate requests House to concur
-
2026-03-12
S
Title amendment adopted
-
2026-03-12
S
Passed Senate (Roll No. 520)
-
2026-03-12
S
Amended on 3rd reading (Voice vote)
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2026-03-12
S
Unanimous consent to amend on 3rd reading
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2026-03-12
S
Deferred until foot of 2nd reading
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2026-03-12
S
Read 3rd time
-
2026-03-12
S
On 3rd reading
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2026-03-11
S
Read 2nd time
-
2026-03-11
S
On 2nd reading
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2026-03-10
S
Read 1st time
-
2026-03-10
S
Immediate consideration
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2026-03-10
S
Reported do pass
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2026-02-18
S
To Education
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2026-02-18
S
To Education
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2026-02-18
S
Introduced in Senate
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2026-02-17
H
Communicated to Senate
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2026-02-17
H
Passed House (Roll No. 104)
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2026-02-17
H
Read 3rd time
-
2026-02-17
H
On 3rd reading, Special Calendar
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2026-02-16
H
Read 2nd time
-
2026-02-16
H
On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
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2026-02-13
H
Read 1st time
-
2026-02-13
H
On 1st reading, Special Calendar
-
2026-02-12
H
By substitute, do pass
-
2026-02-05
H
Markup Discussion
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2026-01-20
H
To House Education
-
2026-01-20
H
Introduced in House
-
2026-01-20
H
To Education
-
2026-01-20
H
Filed for introduction
Official Summary Text
Foster Youth Post-Secondary Transition Awareness Act
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
HB 4573 Text
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Engrossed Version
House Bill 4573 History
OTHER VERSIONS
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Committee Substitute (1)
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Introduced Version
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Key:
Green
= existing Code.
Red
= new code to be enacted
WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2026
REGULAR SESSION
ENGROSSED
Committee Substitute
for
House Bill 4573
By Delegates Dittman, Pinson, Moore, Drennan, Foggin, Hott, Campbell, Toney, Ellington, and Statler
[Originating February 11, 2026 in the Committee on Education]
A BILL to amend the code of Wes Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §18-5-55, relating to foster children; and authorizing the Department of Human Services to provide to the West Virginia Department of Education and county boards of education information regarding available post-secondary transition programs and services for students with current or former foster care experience.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 5. COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.
§18-5-55. Foster youth post-secondary transition support.
(a) Information sharing by the Department of Human Services. – The Department of Human Services ("DoHS") shall, using electronic communication to minimize cost, provide to the West Virginia Department of Education and county boards of education information regarding available post-secondary transition programs and services for students with current or former foster care experience.
(b) The information shared under this subsection may include, but is not limited to:
(1) Post-secondary education opportunities;
(2) Workforce training and career technical programs;
(3) Housing assistance and independent living services;
(4) Financial aid, scholarships, and tuition assistance;
(5) Counseling, mentoring, and support services; and
(6) Any other state or federally funded transitional programs available to foster youth.
(c) Continued direct communication permitted. – Nothing in this section shall prohibit the Department of Human Services from continuing to share information directly with students in foster care and their foster families or legal guardians as part of routine case management and service delivery, provided such communication complies with applicable privacy laws.
(d) Integration into personal education planning. – Each county board of education shall ensure that information received pursuant to subsection (a) is shared with appropriate school personnel and used for student informational purposes only, as follows:
(1) Beginning in grade eight, for students in foster care, the availability of post-secondary transition programs shall be discussed during the student’s Personal Education Planning ("PEP") process so that the student and family are aware of available supports; and
(2) For students in grades nine through twelve, the school shall provide periodic informational touch points throughout high school, including at least one discussion per school year, to ensure continued awareness of available transition programs and services.
(e) Privacy protections. – Nothing in this section requires the disclosure of a student’s foster care status in violation of state or federal privacy laws, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA").
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