West Virginia § 44-16-1 Definitions

West Virginia Statutes

§ 44-16-1 — Definitions

West Virginia § 44-16-1

Ch. 44ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES AND TRUSTS

Art. 16TRUSTS FOR CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

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Bluebook

W. Va. Code § 44-16-1 (2026).

Text

For purposes of this article, the following terms have the meanings ascribed to them, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(a)"Autism" means a complex developmental disability and spectrum disorder, whose diagnosis must be clinically confirmed by qualified physicians and psychiatrists after extensive examination and testing, defined by a certain set of behaviors and symptoms which affects a person's ability to communicate and interact with others.

(b)"Board" means the West Virginia Children with Autism Trust Board created in section three of this article.

(c)"Child with autism" means a child, under the age of eighteen, who has been clinically diagnosed as having autism to a degree to which it results in a moderate or severe impairment in two or more areas of daily living,

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For purposes of this article, the following terms have the meanings ascribed to them, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(a) "Autism" means a complex developmental disability and spectrum disorder, whose diagnosis must be clinically confirmed by qualified physicians and psychiatrists after extensive examination and testing, defined by a certain set of behaviors and symptoms which affects a person's ability to communicate and interact with others.

(b) "Board" means the West Virginia Children with Autism Trust Board created in section three of this article.

(c) "Child with autism" means a child, under the age of eighteen, who has been clinically diagnosed as having autism to a degree to which it results in a moderate or severe impairment in two or more areas of daily living, as the terms "moderate impairment", "severe impairment" and "daily living" are defined under Title II or Title XVI of the Social Security Disability Act, or a child who has been clinically diagnosed with autism and has been determined to be disabled under either Title II or Title XVI of the Social Security Disability Act for any reason.

(d) "Guardian" means a person lawfully invested with the power and charged with the duty of taking care of another person and managing the property and rights of another person who for some peculiarity of status or defect of age, understanding or self-control is considered incapable of administering his or her own affairs.

(e) "Parent" means a person who is another person's natural or adoptive mother or father or who has been granted parental rights by valid court order and whose parental rights have not been terminated by a court of law.

(f) "Qualified trust for a child with autism" means a trust account for a child with autism that: (1) Is established at a national bank, a state bank of a state of the United States or a trust company that at all times is no less than adequately capitalized as determined by standards adopted by United States banking regulators and that is either regulated by state banking laws of a state of the United States or is a member of the Federal Reserve System; and (2) has been approved by the West Virginia Children with Autism Trust Board in accordance with this article.

(g) “Qualified trustee” means any person authorized by the laws of this state or of the United States to act as a trustee who has been approved by the board to serve as the trustee of a qualified trust for a child with autism.

(h) “Tax Commissioner” means the same as that term is used in section one, article one, chapter eleven of this code.