POLISCOPE
Back to bills
Part ofJuveniles →

The civic record

Read. Follow. Verify.
HB 5443WEST VIRGINIASession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

West Virginia Bill 5443 increases panel attorney and guardian ad litem compensation and establishes assistant guardian ad litem roles

Original title: Relating to the reimbursement for panel attorneys and guardian ad litems

Last action · February 11, 2026: To House FinanceSponsor: Adam Burkhammer

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

Track this bill to get notified when it advances a stage. One tap to stop, anytime.

Public stanceCommunity reactions are separate from the official record and reporting.

What This Bill Proposed

House Bill 5443 raises statutory compensation rates for s, paralegals, assistant guardians ad litem, and investigators within the West Virginia Public Defender Services system, while establishing new assistant positions and expanding child abuse and neglect procedures.

Why it matters

Changes hourly pay floors and maximum case reimbursement caps for court-appointed legal professionals representing indigent clients and children, and adds reporting requirements regarding multidisciplinary team meetings.

Background
  • House Bill 5443 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session of the West Virginia Legislature by Delegate Burkhammer and referred to the House Finance Committee. context
  • Public Defender Services in West Virginia administers the assignment and compensation of private panel attorneys who represent indigent clients and children in criminal, juvenile, and abuse and neglect proceedings. 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

Panel attorneys

Panel attorneys receive increased minimum hourly compensation rates of at least $100 per hour, higher maximum case caps, and new reporting and voucher submission guidelines.

Directly affected

Guardians ad litem and assistant guardians ad litem

Assistant guardians ad litem are newly established positions with defined duties and a minimum hourly compensation rate of $40, while guardians ad litem oversee these assistants and face updated training and reporting requirements.

Directly affected

Public Defender Services

Public Defender Services is required to review and process vouchers under new timelines, prioritize child abuse and neglect vouchers, publish annual compensation rates, and compile annual summaries for oversight bodies.

Directly affected

Indigent defendants and juveniles in abuse and neglect proceedings

Individuals receiving court-appointed representation are impacted by structural changes to legal representation, assistant guardian ad litem support, and case progression timelines.

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

What are the new hourly pay rates for court-appointed attorneys and professionals under HB 5443?
s must be compensated at a rate of not less than $100 per hour, paralegals at not less than $20 per hour, assistant guardians ad litem at not less than $40 per hour, and investigators at not less than $30 per hour.
What is the role of an assistant guardian ad litem created by the bill?
An assistant is an individual appointed by the court in a juvenile abuse and neglect proceeding who is supervised by and reports to the guardian ad litem on the protected juvenile's current placement, situation, and living conditions.
What changes are made to maximum compensation caps for eligible court proceedings?
The maximum amount of compensation for out-of-court and in-court work in eligible proceedings, excluding life imprisonment felonies, is increased from $4,500 to $6,000.
When must Public Defender Services publish annual compensation rates?
No later than June 15 of each year, West Virginia Public Defender Services must publish on their website the rates of compensation for s, paralegals, assistant guardians ad litem, and investigators for the next fiscal year.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Follow the record

Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

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

Procedural history

4 actions
  1. Feb 11, 2026HouseCommittee
    To House Finance
  2. Feb 11, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Introduced in House
  3. Feb 11, 2026HouseCommittee
    To Finance
  4. Feb 11, 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

Adam BurkhammerHouse · District 64RepublicanPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

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

policy shift95% confidence

Restructuring of Appointed Counsel Compensation

The bill transitions compensation for panel attorneys, paralegals, assistant guardians ad litem, and investigators to explicit statutory minimum floors and annual website publication requirements.

Public Defender Services

Connected Entities

Public Defender Services, Court Improvement Program, Foster Care Ombudsman and 2 more
OrganizationPublic Defender Services“Administers panel attorney vouchers, compensation, and reporting.”Map →
OrganizationCourt Improvement Program“Establishes Parent Resource Navigators.”Map →
OrganizationFoster Care Ombudsman“Receives annual summaries of guardian ad litem vouchers.”Map →
OrganizationLegislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources“Receives annual summaries of guardian ad litem vouchers.”Map →
OrganizationWest Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals“Receives annual summaries, approves training, and sets procedural rules.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
  • Controversy25
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

Publisher tools

Share or embed this record

POLISCOPE publisher tools

Share or embed this record