# West Virginia SB 459: Ensuring meaningful contact between child and step-siblings West Virginia SB 459, Ensuring meaningful contact between child and step-siblings, is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Laura Wakim Chapman (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-06-25 (Chapter 62, Acts, Regular Session, 2026) (as of 2026-11-04). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB459-2026rs - As of: 2026-11-04 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: West Virginia SB 459 - State: West Virginia - Session: 2026 Regular Session - Title: Ensuring meaningful contact between child and step-siblings - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-16 - Last action: 2026-06-25, Chapter 62, Acts, Regular Session, 2026 - Sponsor: Laura Wakim Chapman (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: §48-9-102 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (116 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 1 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Custody rulings must protect sibling bonds: benefit, low. Beginning June 11, 2026, courts must follow updated child-custody goals. The law makes meaningful contact with a child’s siblings a primary goal. It covers half-siblings and step-siblings. This applies when the child has an established bond and the step-sibling lives at least part-time with the bio… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Laura Wakim Chapman (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-03-13 | House | Passed House (Roll No. 528) | pass | 85 | 0 | | | 2026-03-02 | Senate | Passed Senate (Roll No. 271) | pass | 31 | 0 | | ## Actions (35) - 2026-06-25: Chapter 62, Acts, Regular Session, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-04-01: Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-18: To Governor 3/18/2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-14: House Message received (Senate) - 2026-03-14: To Governor 3/18/2026 - Senate Journal (Senate) - 2026-03-14: Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - Senate Journal (Senate) - 2026-03-14: Approved by Governor 4/1/2026 - House Journal (House) - 2026-03-13: On 3rd reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2026-03-13: Read 3rd time (House) - 2026-03-13: Passed House (Roll No. 528) (House) - 2026-03-13: Communicated to Senate (House) - 2026-03-13: Completed legislative action (House) - 2026-03-12: On 2nd reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2026-03-12: Read 2nd time (House) - 2026-03-11: On 1st reading, Special Calendar (House) - 2026-03-11: Read 1st time (House) - 2026-03-10: Do pass (House) - 2026-03-06: Markup Discussion (House) - 2026-03-03: House received Senate message (House) - 2026-03-03: Introduced in House (House) - 2026-03-03: To Judiciary (House) - 2026-03-03: To House Judiciary (House) - 2026-03-02: On 3rd reading (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Read 3rd time (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Passed Senate (Roll No. 271) (Senate) - 2026-03-02: Ordered to House (Senate) - 2026-02-27: On 2nd reading (Senate) - 2026-02-27: Read 2nd time (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Committee substitute reported (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Immediate consideration (Senate) - 2026-02-26: Read 1st time (Senate) - 2026-01-16: Filed for introduction (Senate) - 2026-01-16: To Judiciary (Senate) - 2026-01-16: Introduced in Senate (Senate) - 2026-01-16: To Judiciary (Senate) ## Bill text - Committee Substitute: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 sub1.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 sub1.pdf) - Enrolled: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 sub1 enr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 sub1 enr.pdf) - Introduced Version: [HTML](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 intr.htm), [PDF](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 intr.pdf) ## Related bills - HB 5694: Supplemental appropriation to Department of Education, fund 0313. (signed) - HB 5353: To bring virtual currency kiosks within the purview of money transmission licensure and create disclosure requirements and daily transaction limitations for ne… (signed) - HB 4452: To remove Mortmain restrictions on religious organizations (signed) - HB 4390: Relating to the temporary payment to a kinship parent of a subsidy equal to that of a foster parent (signed) - HB 4354: Relating to necessity allowance (signed) - HB 4191: Relating to providing child care generally (became law) ## Sources - [Committee Substitute (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 sub1.htm) - [Committee Substitute (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 sub1.pdf) - [Enrolled (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 sub1 enr.htm) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 sub1 enr.pdf) - [Introduced Version (HTML)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 intr.htm) - [Introduced Version (PDF)](https://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Text_HTML/2026_SESSIONS/RS/bills/sb459 intr.pdf) ## Related - [HB 5694: Supplemental appropriation to Department of Education, fund 0313.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB5694-2026rs) - [HB 5353: To bring virtual currency kiosks within the purview of money transmission licen…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB5353-2026rs) - [HB 4452: To remove Mortmain restrictions on religious organizations](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4452-2026rs) - [HB 4390: Relating to the temporary payment to a kinship parent of a subsidy equal to tha…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4390-2026rs) - [HB 4354: Relating to necessity allowance](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4354-2026rs) - [HB 4191: Relating to providing child care generally](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-HB4191-2026rs) - [West Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/west-virginia/bills) - [West Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/west-virginia) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/WV-SB459-2026rs (as of 2026-11-04).