West Virginia Bill 4405 requires splitting large public defender corporations and expands executive director authority

Original title: Expanding the reasons that an executive director may create, merge, or dissolve a public defender corporation

Last action · February 12, 2026: To House FinanceSponsors: Scot Heckert and 2 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Proposed

House Bill 4405 requires the executive director of public defender services to split any employing six or more assistant public defenders into two separate and independent corporations governed by the same board.

Why it matters

Changes organizational structures for public defender offices across judicial circuits that cross the six-attorney threshold, altering administrative operations while retaining shared board governance.

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

public defender corporations

Entities employing six or more assistant public defenders must be divided into two independent corporations.

Directly affected

Indigent Defense Commission

Must consult with judges, approve actions, and submit reports to the Legislature prior to creation, merger, or dissolution.

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

When is a public defender corporation required to be split into two?

A must be split into two separate and independent corporations when the executive director determines that it employs six or more assistant public defenders, inclusive of the public defender.

Who governs the newly created public defender corporation after a split?

The newly created is governed by the same board of directors that governs the already existing public defender corporation in that judicial circuit.

What else do you want to know?

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Where This Stands

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

Procedural history

10 actions

Feb 12, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Finance
Feb 12, 2026House
Do pass, but first to Finance
Feb 10, 2026House
Markup Discussion
Feb 9, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Judiciary
Feb 6, 2026House
Markup Discussion
Feb 6, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Legal Services

Show 4 earlier actions

Jan 16, 2026HouseCommittee
To House Judiciary
Jan 16, 2026HouseIntroduced
Introduced in House
Jan 16, 2026HouseCommittee
To Judiciary then Finance
Jan 16, 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.

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