KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to West Virginia

SB455 • 2026

Ensuring equal financial support to kinship parents and fictive kin

Ensuring equal financial support to kinship parents and fictive kin

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Chapman
Last action
2026-01-16
Official status
S To Health and Human Resources 01/16/26
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Ensuring equal financial support to kinship parents and fictive kin

Ensuring equal financial support to kinship parents and fictive kin

What This Bill Does

  • Ensuring equal financial support to kinship parents and fictive kin

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-01-16 S

    To Health and Human Resources

  2. 2026-01-16 S

    Introduced in Senate

  3. 2026-01-16 S

    To Health and Human Resources then Finance

  4. 2026-01-16 S

    Filed for introduction

Official Summary Text

Ensuring equal financial support to kinship parents and fictive kin

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
SB 455 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

Senate Bill 455 History

|
Email

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

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

FISCAL NOTE

2026
REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
Senate Bill 455
By Senator Chapman
[Introduced January 16, 2026; referred
to the Committee on Health and Human Resources; and then to the Committee on Finance]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §49-2-131, relating to state responsibilities for children; and ensuring equal financial support by the state for kinship parents and fictive kin as provided to certified foster parents.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 2. STATE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR CHILDREN.

Part I. General Authority and Duties of the Department of Health and Human Resources.

§49-2-131. Financial support for kinship parents and fictive kin as provided to certified foster parents.

(a) The state shall ensure that all available financial support and resources that are currently available to certified foster parents will be given to kinship parents and fictive kin. Neither kinship parents nor fictive kin shall be required to become certified. A safety check and background check are still required for placement.
(b) This covers all support that is presently provided to foster parents in this article.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to ensure that all financial support presently available to certified foster parents is provided to kinship parents and fictive kin. The barriers and burdens placed upon kinship parents and fictive kin are too onerous.
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: