WEST virginia legislature
2022 regular session
Committee Substitute
for
House Bill 4032
By Delegates Smith, Steele, Brown, Lovejoy, McGeehan, Rowan, Ellington, Skaff, Hanshaw (Mr. Speaker), Capito, and Garcia
[Introduced January 12, 2022; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary]
A BILL to amend and reenact §61-8D-3 and §61-8D-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to modifying the criminal penalties imposed on a parent, guardian or custodian for child abuse resulting in injury and child abuse or neglect creating risk of injury; providing that a prior conviction under this section subjects a person to increased penalties; and providing a definition for a prior conviction.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
ARTICLE 8D. CHILD ABUSE.
§61-8D-3. Child abuse resulting in injury; child abuse creating risk of injury; criminal penalties.
(a) If any a
parent, guardian or custodian shall abuse abuses a child and by such
the abuse cause such causes the child bodily injury as such
the term is defined in §61-8B-1 of this code, then such the
parent, guardian or custodian shall be is guilty of a felony and,
upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000
and imprisoned in a state correctional facility for one not less than
two nor more than five 10 years, or in the discretion of the
court, be confined in jail for not more than one year..
(b) If any a
parent, guardian or custodian shall abuse abuses a child and by such
the abuse cause said causes the child serious bodily
injury as such the term is defined in §61-8B-1 of this code, then
such the parent, guardian or custodian shall be is
guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than
$1,000 nor more than $5,000 and committed to the custody of the Division of
Corrections imprisoned in a state correctional facility not less
than two five nor more than ten 15 years.
(c) Any A
parent, guardian or custodian who abuses a child and by the abuse creates a
substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury to the child, as
serious bodily injury is defined in §61-8B-1 of this code, to
the child is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be
fined not more than $3,000 or imprisoned in a state correctional facility for
not less than one two nor more than five 10 years,
or both fined and imprisoned.
(d)(1) If a parent,
guardian or custodian who has not previously been convicted under this section,
section four of this article §61-8D-4 of
this code, or a law of another state or the federal government with the
same essential elements abuses a child and by the abuse creates a substantial
risk of bodily injury, as bodily injury is defined in section one, article
eight-b of this chapter §61-8B-1 of this code, to the child is
guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less
than $100 nor more than $1,000 or confined in jail not more than six months, or
both.
(2) For a second offense
under this subsection or for a person with one prior conviction under this
section, section four of this article or a law of another state or the federal
government with the same essential elements, the parent, guardian or custodian
is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not
more than $1,500 and confined in jail not less than thirty days nor more than
one year, or both.
(32) For a third
or subsequent second offense under this subsection or for a
person with two or more one prior convictions under this subsection,
section four of this article §61-8D-4(d) of
this code, or a law of another state or the federal government with the
same essential elements, the parent, guardian or custodian is guilty of a
felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not more than $3,000 and
imprisoned in a state correctional facility not less than one year nor more
than three five years, or both.
(e) Any person convicted of a second or subsequent felony offense under this section, under §61-8D-4 of this code, or under a law of another state or the federal government with the same essential elements, may be imprisoned for a term up to twice the term otherwise authorized, fined an amount up to twice that otherwise authorized, or both.
(e)(f) Any
person convicted of a misdemeanor offense under this section:
(1) May be required to complete parenting classes, substance abuse counseling, anger management counseling, or other appropriate services, or any combination thereof, as determined by Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Children and Families through its services assessment evaluation, which shall be submitted to the court of conviction upon written request;
(2) Shall May
not be required to register pursuant to §15-13-1 et seq. of this code;
and
(3) Shall May
not, solely by virtue of the conviction, have their custody, visitation or
parental rights automatically restricted.
(f)(g) Nothing
in This section shall does not preclude a parent, guardian or
custodian from providing reasonable discipline to a child.
§61-8D-4. Child neglect resulting in injury; child neglect creating risk of injury; criminal penalties.
(a) If a parent, guardian or custodian neglects a child and by such neglect causes the child bodily injury, as bodily injury is defined in §61-8B-1 of this code, then the parent, guardian or custodian is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 or imprisoned in a state correctional facility for not less than one nor more than three years, or in the discretion of the court, be confined in jail for not more than one year, or both.
(b) If a parent, guardian
or custodian neglects a child and by such neglect cause the child serious
bodily injury, as serious bodily injury is defined in §61-8B-1 of this code, then the parent, guardian or custodian is guilty of
a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less than $300 nor
more than $3,000 dollars or imprisoned in a state correctional facility
for not less than one nor more than 10 years, or both fined and imprisoned.
(c) If a parent, guardian
or custodian grossly neglects a child and by that gross neglect creates a
substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury, as serious bodily injury is
defined in §61-8B-1 of this code, of the child then the parent, guardian or custodian
is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not less
than $1,000 nor more than $3,000 dollars or imprisoned in a state
correctional facility for not less than one nor more than five 10
years, or both fined and imprisoned.
(d)(1) If a parent,
guardian or custodian who has not been previously convicted under this section,
section three of this article §61-8D-3 of this code, or a law of
another state or the federal government with the same essential elements
neglects a child and by that neglect creates a substantial risk of bodily
injury, as defined in section one, article eight-b of this chapter §61-8B-1
of this code, to the child, then the parent, guardian or custodian, is
guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, for a first offense,
shall be fined not less than $100 nor more than $1,000 or confined in jail not
more than six months, or both fined and confined.
(2) For a second offense
under this subsection or for a person with one prior conviction under this
section, section three of this article or a law of another state or the federal
government with the same essential elements, the parent, guardian or custodian
is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be fined not
more than $1,000 and confined in jail not less than thirty days nor more than
one year, or both.
(32) For a third
or subsequent second offense under this subsection or for a person
with two or more one prior convictions under this subsection,
section three of this article §61-8D-3(d) of this code, or a law
of another state or the federal government with the same essential elements,
the parent, guardian or custodian is guilty of a felony and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be fined not more than $2,000 and imprisoned in a state
correctional facility not less than one year nor more than three five
years, or both fined and imprisoned.
(e) Any person convicted of a second or subsequent felony offense under this section, under §61-8D-3 of this code, or under a law of another state or the federal government with the same essential elements, may be imprisoned for a term up to twice the term otherwise authorized, fined an amount up to twice that otherwise authorized, or both.
(e)(f) The
provisions of this section shall may not apply if the neglect by
the parent, guardian or custodian is due primarily to a lack of financial means
on the part of such parent, guardian or custodian.
(f)(g) Any
person convicted of a misdemeanor offense under this section:
(1) May be required to complete parenting classes, substance abuse counseling, anger management counseling, or other appropriate services, or any combination thereof, as determined by Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau for Children and Families through its services assessment evaluation, which shall be submitted to the court of conviction upon written request;
(2) Shall May
not be required to register pursuant to the requirements of §15-13-1 et seq. of this code; and
(3) Shall May
not, solely by virtue of the conviction, have their custody, visitation or
parental rights automatically restricted.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to modify the criminal penalties imposed on a parent, guardian or custodian for child abuse resulting in injury and child abuse or neglect creating risk of injury.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.