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HB 5669WEST VIRGINIASession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

West Virginia Bill HB 5669 Prohibits Home Schooling During Active Child Abuse Investigations Initiated by School Personnel

Original title: Prohibiting the home schooling of children in certain circumstances

Last action · March 5, 2026: On 2nd reading, House CalendarSponsors: Shawn Fluharty and 1 other

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

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What This Bill Proposed

West Virginia House Bill 5669 prohibits county school boards from approving home instruction for public school students who are the subject of an active child abuse or neglect investigation initiated by school personnel. Under the measure, known as Raylee's Law, home instruction requests must be paused until the Department of Human Services confirms the complaint status or 7 days pass without substantiation.

Background
  • Child abuse and neglect investigations in West Virginia are investigated by the Department of Human Services under Chapter 49 of the state code. context
  • Mandatory reporting laws require school personnel to report suspected abuse or neglect encountered in the course of their professional duties. 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

public school students

Students whose custodial parents or instructors face school-initiated abuse investigations cannot be approved for home instruction until the investigation status is resolved.

Directly affected

custodial parents or guardians

Parents facing pending school-reported abuse investigations are barred from transitioning their children to home schooling during the review window.

Directly affected

county superintendents

Superintendents must establish new tracking policies, request case status confirmations from state agencies, and manage home instruction freezes.

Directly affected

Department of Human Services

The department must respond to county superintendent confirmation requests within a mandatory 48-hour window.

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 triggers the restriction on home schooling under HB 5669?
The restriction is triggered when a public school student is the subject of a pending child abuse or neglect investigation initiated by a schoolteacher or other school personnel against their custodial parent, guardian, or instructor.
How long does the Department of Human Services have to respond to a superintendent's inquiry?
The Department of Human Services must provide case status confirmation within 48 hours of receiving the request from the county superintendent.
What happens if an abuse complaint is not substantiated quickly?
If the complaint is not within 7 days of initiation, the superintendent must permit home instruction, assuming all other eligibility requirements are met.

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 · on the House floor.

Procedural history

13 actions
  1. Mar 5, 2026House
    On 2nd reading, House Calendar
  2. Mar 5, 2026House
    Placed on House Calendar
  3. Mar 5, 2026House
    On 2nd reading, Special Calendar
  4. Mar 4, 2026House
    Constitutional Rule Suspension Rejected (Roll No. 344)
  5. Mar 4, 2026House
    Read 1st time
  6. Mar 4, 2026House
    Dispensed with Constitutional Rule Rejected (Roll No. 277)
Show 7 earlier actions
  1. Mar 4, 2026House
    On 1st reading, Special Calendar
  2. Mar 3, 2026House
    2nd reference dispensed
  3. Mar 3, 2026House
    By substitute, do pass, but first to Judiciary
  4. Feb 17, 2026HouseCommittee
    To House Education
  5. Feb 17, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Introduced in House
  6. Feb 17, 2026HouseCommittee
    To Education then Judiciary
  7. Feb 17, 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

Shawn FluhartyHouse · District 5DemocraticPrimary sponsor
Sean HornbuckleHouse · District 25DemocraticSponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

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

policy shift98% confidence

Introduction of Raylee's Law

The measure establishes specific educational placement protections named Raylee's Law to prevent home school transitions during active abuse investigations.

Department of Human Services

Connected Entities

Shawn Fluharty, Department of Human Services, Sean Hornbuckle
PersonShawn Fluharty“Lead delegate sponsor of House Bill 5669.”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Human Services“State agency responsible for confirming child abuse or neglect case status.”Map →
PersonSean Hornbuckle“Co-sponsor of House Bill 5669.”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
  • Controversy60
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz40
    Current news / social attention level

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