H. B. 2610
(By Delegates Gillespie and Azinger)
[Introduced March 19, 1997; referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary.]
A BILL to amend article two, chapter forty-nine of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section
eighteen, relating to allowing child custody and child abuse
and neglect proceedings to be open to the public.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article two, chapter forty-nine of the code of West
Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be
be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated section
eighteen to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2. STATE RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE PROTECTION AND CARE
OF CHILDREN.
§49-2-18. Certain proceedings permitted to be open.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, all proceedings conducted in this state with regard to
child custody or allegedly abused or neglected children may, in
the court's or master's discretion, be open to the public.
NOTE: The purpose of this section is to authorize circuit
court judges and family law masters to open child custody and
child abuse and neglect proceedings to the public.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.