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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Senate Bill 527 Establishes Pre-Adjudicatory Alternative Disposition Process in Abuse and Neglect Cases
Last action · January 20, 2026: To JudiciarySponsors: Vince Deeds and 3 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Senate Bill 527 establishes a legal process for a in child abuse and neglect proceedings, allowing eligible parents to pursue relative guardianship in lieu of a formal adjudication finding, provided certain conditions and consent requirements are met.
Parents facing abuse and neglect allegations who meet specific criteria can resolve cases through relative guardianship rather than formal adjudication, altering registry sealing timelines and court procedures for family permanency.
- Senate Bill 527 was introduced in the West Virginia Legislature during the 2026 Regular Session following a recommendation by the Joint Committee on Children and Families. context
- Public Defender Services is a state agency in West Virginia responsible for funding and overseeing legal representation for eligible indigent clients in criminal, juvenile, and child welfare 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.
Parents facing child abuse and neglect allegations
Parents gain the option to seek a relative guardianship instead of facing formal adjudication, with specific rules governing record sealing and consent requirements.
Department of Human Services
The department is required to evaluate motions, provide written recommendations and consent determinations within 30 days, and manage registry sealing.
Minor children in abuse and neglect proceedings
Children may be placed under relative guardianship as a permanency measure while underlying abuse and neglect court cases are stayed and subsequently dismissed.
Key Facts
- Senate Bill 527 introduces a statutory framework for a pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition in child abuse and neglect cases, enabling relative guardianship in lieu of a formal adjudication finding.
- Parents may file a written motion for a pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition at least five days prior to the scheduled adjudicatory hearing, provided the child is removed and placed with a ratified relative.
- The circuit court must order the Department of Human Services and the guardian ad litem to review the motion and file written reports within 30 days.
- All adults asserting parental rights must consent to the pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition and proposed relative guardianship.
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- Underlying child abuse and neglect proceedings are stayed with 60-day review hearings until the guardianship is adjudicated, after which the abuse and neglect case is dismissed.
- Pre-adjudicatory alternative dispositions are prohibited if the parent has subjected the child to aggravated circumstances, murder, voluntary manslaughter, serious bodily injury, or sexual assault.
- Records related to substantiated allegations resolved via pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition may be sealed after the minor reaches 18 and at least five years have passed since the dismissal of the underlying proceeding.
- Guardians appointed under this process are exempt from posting bond pursuant to amended §44-10-5.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition?
Who is eligible to request this alternative disposition?
When is a pre-adjudicatory alternative disposition unavailable?
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News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in Senate committee.
Procedural history
4 actions- Jan 20, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Jan 20, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Jan 20, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Jan 20, 2026SenateIntroducedFiled 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 Pre-Adjudicatory Alternative Disposition in Child Welfare
The bill bridges juvenile abuse and neglect law with minor guardianship law, allowing alternative case resolution without formal adjudication findings.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy30Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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