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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill HB 4664 Increases Court-Appointed Attorney Pay Rates and Mandates Guardian Ad Litem Reporting
Last action · January 21, 2026: To House JudiciarySponsors: Adam Burkhammer and 8 others
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 4664 increases hourly compensation rates for court-appointed s and requires Public Defender Services to submit an annual report starting December 1, 2026, detailing legal services provided by guardians ad litem in child abuse and neglect cases.
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.
Panel attorneys
Panel attorneys receive updated hourly compensation rates, specific voucher submission deadlines, and standardized review procedures for their fees and expenses.
Guardians ad litem
Guardians ad litem are subject to new aggregate reporting requirements regarding multidisciplinary team meetings, client visits, and billed hours.
Public Defender Services
Public Defender Services must review vouchers, expedite child abuse and neglect case payments, and compile an annual report for oversight bodies starting December 1, 2026.
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 compensation rates for court-appointed panel attorneys?
When does Public Defender Services have to begin submitting the guardian ad litem report?
What happens if a voucher is submitted more than 90 business days after the last date of service?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Jan 21, 2026HouseCommitteeTo House Judiciary
- Jan 21, 2026HouseIntroducedIntroduced in House
- Jan 21, 2026HouseCommitteeTo Judiciary then Finance
- Jan 21, 2026HouseIntroducedFiled 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
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Introduction of Mandated Guardian Ad Litem Reporting
The bill introduces a statutory requirement for Public Defender Services to track and report specific performance and workload metrics regarding guardians ad litem starting December 1, 2026.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 75)
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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