Bill > SB421

This bill mandates that the Department of Human Services (DHS) implement a pilot program starting October 1, 2027, in two chosen counties to equip child protective services workers with mobile technology, such as computers or tablets, to access the department's case management system. This technology will enable workers to conduct child abuse and neglect investigations and create digital records directly in the field, contemporaneously with the investigation, reducing the need for manual data entry. The mobile devices will feature a customized operating system for child welfare casework that allows for the creation of a contemporaneous digital record of all investigation components, and this data will be automatically and securely uploaded to the department's server daily. The system will also be interoperable with existing DHS programs to extract quality metrics for systemic improvement analysis, and the mobile devices must be used in at least 70 percent of cases in the pilot counties. The pilot program will conclude five years after its full implementation, and the DHS will submit annual reports to the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability, starting July 1, 2028, detailing the program's progress and technology usage metrics.

Health and Social Services

http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/Bills_history.cfm?input=421&year=2026&sessiontype=RS&btype=bill