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WV HB4405

Bill

Official Source

Status

Introduced

1/16/2026

Primary Sponsor

Scot Heckert

Click for details

Origin

House of Delegates

2026 Regular Session

AI Summary

  • Expands the authority of the executive director to create, merge, or dissolve public defender corporations to include improving availability of legal representation and addressing conflicts of interest
  • Requires mandatory splitting of public defender corporations into two separate, independent corporations when the office employs six or more assistant public defenders (including the public defender)
  • The newly created public defender corporation resulting from a split would be governed by the same board of directors as the existing corporation in that judicial circuit
  • Any creation, merger, or dissolution of a public defender corporation still requires approval from the Indigent Defense Commission and a report to the Legislature

Legislative Description

Expanding the reasons that an executive director may create, merge, or dissolve a public defender corporation

Courts

Last Action

To House Finance

2/12/2026

Committee Referrals

Finance2/12/2026
Judiciary2/9/2026
Legal Services2/6/2026
Judiciary1/16/2026

Full Bill Text

No bill text available