Providing parents plain-language statements of immediate rights and ongoing rights

SB 1029 requires West Virginia child protective services (CPS) workers to provide parents with plain-language statements of their rights at the start of an investigation. The bill mandates two specific documents: a "Plain-Language Statement of Immediate Rights" (covering rights like home privacy, refusing entry, and services) and a "Plain-Language Statement of Ongoing Rights" (covering confidentiality, file access, and appeal processes), both written in clear, 8th-grade level English. These documents must be provided on the first contact during a CPS investigation and documented in the case record. The bill directly affects parents involved in CPS cases by ensuring they receive accessible information about their legal rights throughout the process. It does not change CPS procedures but standardizes how rights are communicated to parents.