HB4395 Continues School Personnel Child Safety Investigations
Summary
West Virginia Governor signed HB4395 into law on April 1, 2026, requiring schools to continue investigating allegations of child safety violations against school personnel even after the employee obtains another job or transfers to another school. The bill ensures that investigations into potential jeopardization of student health, safety, or welfare cannot be circumvented by employment changes. K-12 public schools and school districts in West Virginia must maintain investigative procedures for former or transferred employees.
What changed
HB4395 modifies West Virginia education law to require that investigations into allegations of child safety violations involving school personnel continue even after the employee obtains new employment or transfers to another school. Previously, such investigations may have been discontinued when personnel left. The bill ensures that schools cannot avoid accountability by changing jobs or transferring between schools. Schools and school districts must now maintain investigative follow-through for cases involving current, former, or transferred employees to protect student welfare.
For affected educational institutions, this law creates new procedural obligations to track and complete investigations regardless of employment status changes. School districts will need to revise personnel policies, implement tracking systems for pending investigations, and establish coordination protocols with receiving schools. Non-compliance could result in regulatory action by the West Virginia Department of Education and potential liability for failure to protect students.
What to do next
- Update school district policies to continue child safety investigations regardless of employee transfer or separation
- Establish procedures to track and complete investigations for employees who have left or transferred
- Train school administrators and HR personnel on new investigation continuation requirements
Source document (simplified)
ChangeBridge / West Virginia / HB4395 Signed by Governor HB4395 House Bill Signed by Governor 2026-03-14
Relating to investigations of allegations of child safety violations for school personnel.
The purpose of this bill is to continue investigations of allegations that school personnel have jeopardized the health, safety, or welfare of a student after the school personnel obtains another job or transfers to another school.
Bill Details
State West Virginia
Session 2026 Regular Session
Chamber House
Official Source www.wvlegislature.gov/BillStatus/Billshi...
LegiScan View on LegiScan
Sponsors
Sarah Drennan (Rep - R) Michael Hite (Rep - R) Kathie Crouse (Rep - R) Erica Moore (Rep - R) Lori Dittman (Rep - R) Jonathan Kyle (Rep - R) David McCormick (Rep - R) Jeffrey Stephens (Rep - R) Tristan Leavitt (Rep - R) Adam Burkhammer (Rep - R) Michael Hornby (Rep - R)
Action History
2026-04-01 H Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 2026-03-14 H Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal 2026-03-14 S Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal 2026-03-18 H To Governor 3/18/2026 2026-03-14 S To Governor 3/18/2026 - Senate Journal 2026-03-14 S House Message received 2026-03-13 H Completed legislative action 2026-03-13 H Communicated to Senate 2026-03-13 H House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 498) 2026-03-13 H House received Senate message 2026-03-10 S Senate requests House to concur 2026-03-10 S Title amendment adopted 2026-03-10 S Passed Senate (Roll No. 396) 2026-03-10 S Read 3rd time 2026-03-10 S On 3rd reading 2026-03-09 S Floor amendment adopted (Voice vote) 2026-03-09 S Read 2nd time 2026-03-09 S On 2nd reading 2026-03-06 S Read 1st time 2026-03-06 S On 1st reading 2026-03-05 S Reported do pass 2026-03-04 S To Education 2026-03-04 S To Education 2026-03-04 S Introduced in Senate 2026-02-27 H Communicated to Senate 2026-02-27 H Passed House (Roll No. 220) 2026-02-27 H Amendment adopted (Voice vote) 2026-02-27 H Amendment reported by the Clerk 2026-02-27 H Read 3rd time 2026-02-26 H Postponed on 3rd reading, Special Calendar, until 2/27/2026 2026-02-26 H On 3rd reading, Special Calendar 2026-02-25 H Read 2nd time 2026-02-25 H On 2nd reading, Special Calendar 2026-02-24 H Read 1st time 2026-02-24 H On 1st reading, Special Calendar 2026-02-23 H By substitute, do pass 2026-02-20 H Markup Discussion 2026-02-17 H To House Education 2026-02-08 H Markup Discussion 2026-01-19 H To House Public Education 2026-01-15 H To House Education 2026-01-15 H Introduced in House 2026-01-15 H To Education 2026-01-15 H Filed for introduction
Votes
2026-02-27 Passed House (Roll No. 220) Yea: 93 Nay: 0 2026-03-10 Passed Senate (Roll No. 396) Yea: 34 Nay: 0 2026-03-13 House concurred in Senate amendment and passed bill (Roll No. 498) Yea: 96 Nay: 0
Committee Referrals
2026-01-15 H Education 2026-01-19 H Public Education 2026-02-17 H Education 2026-03-04 S Education
Amendments
2026-02-26 hb4395 hfa foggin 2-26 _1 2026-02-26 hb4395 hfa foggin 2-26 _1 adopted Adopted 2026-03-09 hb4395 sfa grady _1 3-9 2026-03-09 hb4395 sfa grady _1 3-9 adopetd 2026-03-10 hb4395 sfat grady _1 3-10 2026-03-10 hb4395 sfat grady _1 3-10 adopted Adopted
Bill Text Versions
0000-00-00 Introduced 0000-00-00 Comm Sub 0000-00-00 Engrossed 0000-00-00 Enrolled
Subjects
Education (K12) Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
Named provisions
Related changes
Get daily alerts for West Virginia Legislative Events
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
Source
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when West Virginia Legislative Events publishes new changes.