State • West Virginia

HB 4749: Relating to adding requirements to the foster child bill of rights

Evan WorrellIntroduced

HB 4749 status: Introduced — Chapter 71, Acts, Regular Session, 2026 (updated Aug 13, 2026).

1

What this bill does

Overall score

Score85/100 civic fit
RiskLow risk
ImpactModerate impact 60/100

Bill summary

Official

This bill adds more protections to the list of rights for children in foster care to make sure they are treated well. It is currently being debated in the House of Representatives.

Key analysis

Constitutionality90%
Bipartisan70%
Public opinion85%
2

Impact analysis

Environment

Mixed / Neutral
50%

Benefits

  • No direct impact on environmental policy.

Risks

  • No direct impact on environmental policy.

Economy

Mixed / Neutral
50%

Benefits

  • Negligible direct impact on general economic activity.

Risks

  • Potential for increased administrative costs for state-funded child welfare programs.

Society

Positive Outlook
85%

Benefits

  • Enhances legal protections for vulnerable children.
  • Strengthens oversight of foster care placement quality.

Risks

  • Potential implementation challenges for social workers and foster agencies.
3

How trustworthy & consequential it is

Source

OpenStates

Confidence

low

low

Analysis status

OpenStates summary

Warning

Lack of detail on potential unfunded mandates for foster agencies.

Limitation

Analysis is based on a limited summary abstract rather than full bill text.

4

Where it stands

1

Introduced

Current

Chapter 71, Acts, Regular Session, 2026

2

Committee

Upcoming
3

Floor

Upcoming
4

Governor

Upcoming
5

Enacted

Upcoming
5

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6

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