Including step-siblings in Best Interests of Child Protection Act of 2022

SB 614 Text

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Senate Bill 614 History

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Red
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WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE
2026
REGULAR SESSION
Introduced
Senate Bill 614
By Senator Willis
[Introduced January 27, 2026; referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary]
A BILL to amend and reenact §48-9-102 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to domestic relations; allocation of custodial responsibility and decision-making responsibility of children; and adding meaningful contact between a child and his or her step-siblings when considering the best interest of the child.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 9. ALLOCATION OF CUSTODIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND DECISION-MAKING RESPONSIBILITY OF CHILDREN.

§48-9-102. Objectives; best interests of the child.

(a) The primary objective of this article is to serve the child’s best interests, by facilitating:
(1) Stability of the child;
(2) Parental planning and agreement about the child’s custodial arrangements and upbringing;
(3) Continuity of existing parent-child attachments;
(4) Meaningful contact between a child and each parent;
(5) Caretaking and parenting relationships by adults who love the child, know how to provide for the child’s needs, and who place a high priority on doing so;
(6) Security from exposure to physical or emotional harm;
(7) Expeditious, predictable decision-making and avoidance of prolonged uncertainty respecting arrangements for the child’s care and control; and
(8) Meaningful contact between a child and his or her siblings, including half-siblings
and step siblings
.
(b) A secondary objective of article is to achieve fairness between the parents.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to include meaningful contact between a child and a step-sibling when considering the best interests of a child in a custodial decision.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.

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