Transfer oversight of childcare from the Department of Human Services to the Department of Education
HB 4659 transfers oversight of most childcare services in West Virginia from the Department of Human Services to the West Virginia Department of Education. It requires residential child-care centers, day-care centers, and family day-care facilities to obtain licenses, certifications, or registrations from the Department of Education instead of the previous agency. The bill also updates requirements for evacuation plans, facility registrations, and exemptions (like public schools or summer camps) while maintaining existing standards for care. This change directly affects childcare providers operating under state oversight, shifting their regulatory authority to the education department.
Bill status
in committee
1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 21, 2026
Last action Jan 21, 2026
Floor votes
How they voted
No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
4
Key actions
0
Committee
2
Jan 21, 2026
Committee
To House Education
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Introduced
Introduced in House
lower
Jan 21, 2026
Committee
To Education then Finance
lower
1 primary · 10 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Mike Hornby
RRepublican
Co
Bob Fehrenbacher
RRepublican
Co
Elliott Pritt
RRepublican
Co
Jeff Stephens
RRepublican
Co
Joe Ellington
RRepublican
Co
Jordan Maynor
RRepublican
Co
Josh Holstein
RRepublican
Co
Matthew Rohrbach
RRepublican
Co
Ryan Browning
RRepublican
Co
Scot Heckert
RRepublican
Co
Wayne Clark
RRepublican
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