Bill > HB4044

This bill mandates hair follicle drug testing for parents or guardians in West Virginia when child abuse or neglect is substantiated, aiming to improve child safety and well-being by ensuring a more reliable drug screening method than urine or oral swabs, which can be easily manipulated. Specifically, within 48 hours of a substantiated finding, the parent or guardian must undergo a 90-day, 12-panel hair follicle drug test before unsupervised visitation or before children are returned to their care. This testing is intended to validate prior drug screens and is crucial for court and child protective services to determine the best interests of the child. If the parent or guardian tests positive for illegal drugs or prescription drugs without a valid prescription, the minor children, including unborn fetuses, will also undergo hair follicle drug testing. The bill also outlines procedures for handling positive results, including mandatory neurological examinations for exposed children and considers any attempt to alter the hair sample as a positive test, with non-compliance also treated as a positive result.

Justice

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=4044&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill