Relating to adding requirements to the foster child bill of rights

Added specific rights for children aged 13 and older to receive notice of legal hearings, attend hearings, and have hearing outcomes explained by their guardian ad litem or legal counsel.

Expanded the list of rights to include 24 total items, adding provisions for accessing educational options, maintaining contact with previous caregivers, and meeting with case workers at least every 30 days.

Added a requirement for the foster care ombudsman to submit an annual written summary of complaints and investigations to state officials by December 15.

Changed the bill title from a committee amendment to a full text amendment introduced by Delegate Akers.

The bill title was officially amended by the Judiciary Committee to explicitly list the three new rights being added: timely notice of hearings, the right to attend hearings, and the right to have hearing outcomes explained.

Committee amendment identifiers (HB4749 S JUD AMT #1 2-25) and adoption status were added to the document.

Original website navigation menus and footer links were removed as they are not part of the legislative text.

The bill's status changed from 'Engrossed' to 'Enrolled', and the effective date was updated to 90 days from passage (June 3, 2026).

The introductory text was updated to reflect the bill's passage and final enrollment status.

Added a new right for children 13+ to receive timely notice of hearings that may have legal implications for them.

Added a new right for children 13+ to attend hearings that may have legal implications for them, with specific guidance on handling distressing information.

Added a new right for children 13+ to have the outcome of any hearing with legal implications explained to them by their guardian ad litem or legal counsel.

Corrected a typo in Section (6) by changing 'foster of kinship family' to 'foster to kinship family'.