HB 4354: Relating to necessity allowance - West Virginia

hb4354 s jud am _1 2-23 adopted.htm → hb4354 s jud amt 2-23 adopted.htm · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to replace a general amendment motion with a specific title and new legislative text establishing a clothing allowance program. The new version defines 'adequate wardrobe' and 'approved necessities,' mandates an initial funding minimum of $375, and outlines specific payment methods including reloadable cards and reimbursement processes for foster and kinship caregivers.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded from a vague amendment motion to a specific statutory article creating new legal requirements for the Department of Human Services and placement providers regarding child clothing allowances.

REQUIREMENT

The amendment process changed from a generic 'strike and insert' motion to a specific instruction to substitute the entire title and text with new provisions.

New requirements mandate that placement providers review a child's wardrobe at initial placement and maintain an updated inventory throughout the placement period.

DEFINITION

New definitions were added for 'adequate wardrobe,' 'approved necessities,' 'inventory,' and 'placement provider' to clarify the program's terms.

FISCAL

A specific minimum funding amount of $375 was established for the initial clothing allowance.

Specific payment methods were introduced, including a reloadable electronic-transfer payment card, purchasing cards for workers, and reimbursement for kinship and foster caregivers using their own funds.

Committee Substitute → hb4354 s jud am _1 2-23 adopted.htm · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to simplify language, standardize gender terms to 'his or her', and clarify that the Department of Human Services (rather than the Bureau of Social Services) is responsible for issuing payments. The amendment also added a new definition for 'Placement' and updated the reimbursement process for foster care providers to require an invoice from the placing agency.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains the same regarding the provision of clothing allowances, but the specific agency responsible for administration was clarified in the definitions and payment sections.

DEFINITION

Added a definition for 'Placement' to clarify that it includes foster homes, kinship parent homes, and residential care provider homes.

Changed the definition of 'Bureau' to 'Bureau of Social Services' and clarified the definition of 'Department' as the Department of Human Services.

Updated definitions to use gender-neutral language ('his or her') instead of gender-specific terms.

FISCAL

Clarified that the Department of Human Services, not the Bureau of Social Services, is the entity that issues the initial clothing allowance and designates payment methods.

REQUIREMENT

Revised the reimbursement process for foster care providers to require them to submit an invoice to their child placing agency, which then invoices the department.

Added a specific requirement that reimbursements are limited to the funds available under the initial or supplementary clothing allowance.

Enrolled Committee Substitute → Committee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was converted from a finalized 'Enrolled' version into a draft 'Committee Substitute' version, accompanied by a completely rewritten introduction and definitions section. While the core funding amount ($375) and payment methods remain consistent, the legislative text now includes a new, simplified definitions section and rephrased requirements to clarify the obligations of placement providers and the Department of Human Services.

Scope change

The scope of applicability remains unchanged; the bill still applies to children in out-of-home placement under the Department of Human Services.

DEFINITION

The definitions section was significantly rewritten to use clearer, more concise language and to explicitly include 'kinship/relative provider' in the definition of a placement provider.

REQUIREMENT

The procedural requirements for assessing a child's needs and issuing allowances were rephrased to streamline the language and emphasize the provider's ongoing obligation to supply necessities.

TECHNICAL

The document format changed from a finalized enrolled bill to a committee substitute draft, including the addition of navigation links and a new introductory bill summary.

Engrossed Committee Substitute → Enrolled Committee Substitute · 6 edits · Apr 1, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was finalized into its enrolled version, updating the text to reflect the official legislative history and clarifying the roles of the Bureau of Social Services versus the Department of Human Services. The core policy requirements for funding foster care clothing allowances and the payment methods remain substantively unchanged, though the language was refined to ensure consistency with other state codes.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on providing adequate clothing and necessities for children in out-of-home placement, with no change in the population served or the general purpose of the legislation.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Bureau' was added to clarify that the Bureau of Social Services is the funding source, while 'Department' continues to refer to the Department of Human Services.

The definition of 'Placement' was added to explicitly include foster homes, kinship parent homes, and residential care provider homes.

REQUIREMENT

The requirements section was reorganized to clarify that the initial clothing allowance is not intended to completely outfit the child but only to supply immediate needs.

Payment methods were clarified to list a reloadable electronic card as the primary option, followed by a purchasing card, and finally reimbursement as a last resort.

The reimbursement process for kinship and foster care providers was detailed to specify that invoices must go through the child placing agency before reaching the department.

TECHNICAL

Signatures and certification lines for the Clerks of the House and Senate, the Speaker, the President of the Senate, and the Governor were added to finalize the bill.

Introduced Version → Engrossed Committee Substitute · 4 edits · Mar 13, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was amended to streamline the text by removing redundant definitions and clarifying the payment process. The most significant change is the addition of a specific requirement for foster care providers to submit receipts to their placing agency to receive reimbursement, ensuring financial accountability. The bill also updated the department name to 'Department of Human Services' and simplified the language regarding the 'instant card' and purchasing procedures.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on clothing allowances for children in foster care, but the applicability of the reimbursement process is now more clearly defined for different types of providers (kinship vs. foster care).

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Department' was updated from 'Department of Human Services' to 'Department of Social Services' in the original text, but the Engrossed version clarifies it as 'Department of Human Services' in the definitions section.

REQUIREMENT

The requirements for reimbursement were significantly clarified. The Engrossed version explicitly mandates that kinship providers must supply receipts to the child welfare worker for reimbursement, and foster care providers must provide all receipts to their placing agency to invoice the department.

FISCAL

The text was consolidated to remove redundant paragraphs regarding the 'purchasing card' and 'demand payment' processes, merging them into clearer, numbered subsections under the payment section.

TECHNICAL

New navigation links and website footer content were added, indicating this is the official Engrossed Committee Substitute version available on the legislature's website.

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