For several years, Delegate Fleischauer worked on creating a new misdemeanor offense for child abuse. HB 4005, which she co-sponsored, was in part a response to the death in Pennsylvania of “Baby Madison Dotson” who died in Pennsylvania, after her parents had been reported to WV child welfare officials. The thinking behind the statute was that having a lower level offense would allow prosecutors to intervene earlier and perhaps prevent the injury or death of an endangered child.