Rep. Scot Heckert

Maddy summaryHB 5214 requires parents who have been legally found to have abused or neglected their child to pass a lab-confirmed drug test before their child can return home from foster care. The test covers alcohol and specific drugs (including opioids, cocaine, and marijuana), and a positive result without a valid prescription or medical marijuana card blocks reunification. If a parent fails the initial test, the court must hold a hearing within 10 days. This policy directly affects parents seeking to reunify with children after substantiated abuse or neglect cases in West Virginia.

Maddy summaryHB 4749 amends West Virginia's Foster Child Bill of Rights to ensure foster children aged 13 and older receive specific protections during court hearings affecting their care. The bill requires legal representatives (like guardians ad litem) to notify these children about upcoming hearings, ask if they wish to attend, and explain that the hearing might be distressing without discouraging attendance. It also mandates that the hearing outcome be explained to the child by their legal representative. These provisions directly affect foster youth in West Virginia aged 13+ involved in court proceedings related to their placement.

Maddy summaryHB 4390 requires West Virginia to temporarily pay kinship parents (family caregivers raising relatives' children) the same monthly rate as foster parents, under specific conditions. To qualify, kinship parents must pass a background check within five days, pass a home safety screening, and receive assistance from the Department of Human Services to become foster parent-certified. This temporary payment lasts up to six months to help families complete certification, after which the rate reverts to standard kinship payments if certification isn't achieved. The bill directly affects family caregivers in foster care placements who meet these initial requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 4412 requires websites where pornography is a substantial portion of content to verify that users are over 18 before accessing material. It applies to commercial entities (like businesses or corporations) hosting such content and mandates the use of "reasonable" age verification methods, such as digital IDs like West Virginia Mobile ID. Failure to comply creates civil liability for the entity, allowing lawsuits with a five-year statute of limitations, while clarifying that internet service providers aren't liable for hosting content they didn't create. The bill defines "minor" as under 18 and specifies that websites must retain verification data, but exempts news organizations and existing legal content like child pornography.

Maddy summaryThis bill authorizes the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals to establish a program of child protection commissioners to support child welfare services across the state. The legislation defines the qualifications, powers, and duties of these commissioners while allowing for multi-circuit regions to improve efficiency. It also specifies that retired senior judges and justices may serve in this role without losing their retirement annuities, and requires the court to report annually on the program's activities.

Maddy summaryHB 5182 authorizes security personnel employed by West Virginia's State Treasurer to carry concealed firearms while performing official duties. To qualify, staff must obtain the Treasurer's written approval, hold a valid concealed handgun license, pass firearms training equivalent to police academy standards, and maintain annual requalification. The State Treasurer may reimburse staff for training costs, and the state assumes liability for security personnel acting in good faith during official duties. This bill directly affects the Treasurer's security team and establishes specific safety requirements for firearm use.

Maddy summaryHB 5323 amends West Virginia law to require that future increases to wildlife license and stamp fees (e.g., hunting or fishing permits) be tied to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for "All Items" published by the U.S. Department of Labor. The bill specifies that any fee adjustments must be rounded down to the nearest dollar, and explicitly prohibits fee increases based on CPI after January 1, 2021. This directly affects individuals and businesses purchasing wildlife licenses or stamps in West Virginia. The change ensures fee adjustments automatically reflect inflation but limits the mechanism to apply only to fees set before 2021.

Maddy summaryHB 5582 extends the expiration date of West Virginia's program requiring drug screening for adult applicants seeking Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits. The program, originally set to end December 31, 2026, will now operate until December 31, 2030. Under this program, applicants who test positive for drugs must complete substance abuse treatment and job skills programs to continue receiving TANF benefits, though they may keep benefits while participating. The bill does not change existing screening requirements or treatment rules - it only extends the program's authorization period.

Maddy summaryHB 5406 updates West Virginia's DUI laws by shifting authority for chemical testing oversight from the Bureau of Public Health to the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory. It eliminates outdated references to urine testing, removes propoxyphene from drug testing requirements, and permits trained phlebotomists to collect blood samples for analysis. The bill also corrects blood alcohol concentration thresholds for juvenile drivers and clarifies that refusing only a blood test - without refusing a breath test - will not automatically trigger license revocation. These changes streamline DUI testing procedures for law enforcement and ensure current medical standards are reflected in the law.

Maddy summaryHB 5086 establishes standards for peer support programs in West Virginia, directly affecting healthcare workers (covered caregivers like nurses, doctors, social workers, and first responders) and the peer support teams that assist them. The bill defines "peer support services" as nonclinical emotional or practical assistance provided by trained colleagues to help workers manage stress from high-pressure jobs, and requires peer support team members to complete 8 hours of initial training plus quarterly refreshers covering confidentiality, mental health resources, and communication skills. It prohibits licensing boards from disciplining peer support providers or requesting their communications, creating legal protections for these interactions under new §57-3-11. The law also defines key terms and sets training requirements through new sections §21-18-1 and §21-18-2.