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Read. Follow. Verify.West Virginia Bill SB 538 increases hourly compensation for panel attorneys and mandates annual guardian ad litem reports
Last action · February 12, 2026: To FinanceSponsors: Vince Deeds and 6 others
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What This Bill Proposed
Senate Bill 538 increases out-of-court and in-court hourly pay rates for s representing eligible clients and requires Public Defender Services to submit annual reports starting December 1, 2026, detailing services in child abuse and neglect cases.
Changes financial compensation rates for court-appointed attorneys handling indigent defense and child welfare cases, while establishing mandatory state reporting on performance metrics starting in late 2026.
- Panel attorneys in West Virginia are court-appointed private lawyers who represent indigent defendants in criminal cases and children and parents in abuse and neglect proceedings. context
- Public Defender Services is the state agency responsible for funding, overseeing, and processing fee vouchers submitted by court-appointed panel attorneys. 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.
Panel attorneys
Panel attorneys receive increased hourly compensation rates for out-of-court and in-court services.
Public Defender Services
Public Defender Services must process vouchers, prioritize child abuse and neglect cases, and compile annual guardian ad litem reports.
Guardians ad litem
Guardians ad litem have their casework metrics and billing hours summarized in mandatory annual agency reports.
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 rates for panel attorneys?
When does Public Defender Services have to begin submitting reports on guardians ad litem?
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 Senate committee.
Procedural history
6 actions- Feb 12, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Finance
- Feb 12, 2026SenateCommitteeReported do pass, but first to Finance
- Jan 20, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary
- Jan 20, 2026SenateIntroducedIntroduced in Senate
- Jan 20, 2026SenateCommitteeTo Judiciary then Finance
- 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 Mandated Guardian ad Litem Reporting
The bill establishes a new requirement for Public Defender Services to track and report specific child welfare metrics, such as multidisciplinary team meetings and in-person client visits, starting in December 2026.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.wvlegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy20Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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