MORGANTOWN – A bill introduced in the West Virginia House of Delegates aims to bring “uniform oversight, registration, and enforcement standards” to West Virginia’s homeless shelters. House Bill 4403, or the West Virginia Homeless Shelter Oversight & Safety Act, was introduced Jan. 16 by Delegates Scot Heckert, R-Wood; Michael Amos, R-Wayne; and Rick Hillenbrand, R-Hampshire. According to the language in HB 4403, if adopted in its current form:Every homeless shelter operating in West Virginia shall register annually with the Bureau for Public Health. Shelters operated by churches or faith-based organizations would remain eligible for religious protections under federal law but must comply with the health and safety components. According to the West Virginia Legislature website, HB 4403 is currently pending before the House Health and Human Resources Committee.