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HB 5213WEST VIRGINIASession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

West Virginia expands involuntary commitment pilot program to Cabell, Berkeley, Hampshire, Morgan, Ohio, and Wood counties

Original title: Relating to involuntary commitment process pilot program.

Last action · February 5, 2026: To House JudiciarySponsor: Scot Heckert

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

House Bill 5213 authorizes the Supreme Court of Appeals, mental health facilities, law enforcement, and state agencies to participate in pilot projects in six specific West Virginia counties. The measure establishes that cannot be used until formal standards for their role, scope, regulation, and training are fully developed.

Why it matters

Expands the geographical reach of mental health pilot initiatives to six new counties and restricts the use of alternative transport providers until state-level regulatory standards are finalized.

Background
  • West Virginia's civil involuntary commitment framework governs the legal process by which individuals experiencing severe mental health crises can be evaluated and treated in inpatient facilities. context
  • House Bill 5213 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session of the West Virginia Legislature by Delegate Heckert and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Department of Human Services

The department is tasked with establishing retrospective quarterly audits of civil involuntary commitment forms and collaborating on alternative transportation evaluations.

Directly affected

Mental health facilities

Facilities must provide qualified personnel to conduct prompt in-person or videoconference evaluations and communicate necessary information to state hospitals.

Directly affected

Alternative transportation providers

Providers are prohibited from operating until formal standards defining their role, scope, regulation, and training are implemented.

Directly affected

Residents in Cabell, Berkeley, Hampshire, Morgan, Ohio, and Wood counties

Residents in these specified counties become subject to the local implementation of the involuntary commitment process pilot projects.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which counties are included in the expanded involuntary commitment pilot projects under HB 5213?
The pilot projects include Cabell, Berkeley, Hampshire, Morgan, Ohio, and Wood counties.
Are alternative transportation providers allowed to be used immediately under this bill?
No. The bill explicitly states that no alternative transportation provider may be utilized until standards defining their role, scope, regulation, and training are developed and implemented.
How are mental health evaluations for commitment required to be conducted?
Evaluations must be conducted in person unless an in-person evaluation would create a substantial delay, in which case they may be conducted via videoconference.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

4 actions
  1. Feb 5, 2026HouseCommittee
    To House Judiciary
  2. Feb 5, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Introduced in House
  3. Feb 5, 2026HouseCommittee
    To Judiciary
  4. Feb 5, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Filed for introduction

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Scot HeckertHouse · District 13RepublicanPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Geographic Expansion of Commitment Pilots

The legislation formally expands trial involuntary commitment frameworks into six distinct West Virginia counties while conditioning alternative transportation use on new administrative standards.

CabellBerkeleyHampshireMorganOhioWoodSupreme Court of AppealsDepartment of Human Services

Connected Entities

Morgan, Public Defender Services, Wood and 13 more
locationMorgan“County included in the pilot project”Map →
OrganizationPublic Defender Services“Entity collaborating on alternative transportation evaluations”Map →
locationWood“County included in the pilot project”Map →
locationCabell“County included in the pilot project”Map →
OrganizationSupreme Court of Appeals“Judicial body requested to cooperate in evaluations and pilot participation”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Human Services“State agency tasked with duties regarding evaluations and audits”Map →
locationBerkeley“County included in the pilot project”Map →
PersonScot Heckert“Delegate who introduced House Bill 5213”Map →
OrganizationDangerousness Assessment Advisory Board“Advisory board collaborating on evaluations”Map →
OrganizationBehavioral Health Providers Association“Association collaborating on alternative transportation evaluations”Map →
OrganizationProsecuting Attorney's Association“Association collaborating on alternative transportation evaluations”Map →
OrganizationSheriff's Association“Association collaborating on alternative transportation evaluations”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Health Facilities“State department authorized to participate in pilot projects”Map →
OrganizationDisability Rights of West Virginia“Organization collaborating on alternative transportation evaluations”Map →
locationOhio“County included in the pilot project”Map →
locationHampshire“County included in the pilot project”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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