Del. Jim Butler

Maddy summaryHB 4932 amends West Virginia law to allow accounting corporations to use "A.C." as a name ending instead of writing out "accounting corporation." This directly affects accounting corporations formed under West Virginia law, permitting them to use the abbreviation "A.C." in their official names. The bill specifically adds "A.C." to the list of acceptable name endings, replacing the current requirement to include the full phrase. This is a technical naming change with no impact on business operations or regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 5389 creates a 30% transferable tax credit for nonprofit organizations that convert existing hotels, motels, or commercial buildings into housing for homeless veterans. The credit covers 30% of qualified redevelopment costs (like renovation and infrastructure) but excludes land acquisition, and can be applied against corporate income, personal income, or business franchise taxes. Nonprofits can sell or transfer the unused credit to other taxpayers to generate funding, with credits carrying forward up to 10 years. This aims to incentivize supportive housing without creating new state spending or entitlements, targeting veterans facing homelessness through adaptive reuse of underutilized properties.

Maddy summaryHB 5423 would change West Virginia's voting and driver's license requirements to restrict undocumented immigrants. It removes certain identification documents (like out-of-state licenses) from being valid for voting, requiring instead that voters present state-issued IDs with photos or specific federal/military documents. The bill also mandates a special-colored driver's license for documented non-citizens and prohibits the state from recognizing out-of-state licenses issued to undocumented immigrants. These changes directly affect undocumented immigrants in West Virginia who currently use non-compliant IDs for voting or driving.

Maddy summaryHB 5429 amends West Virginia's Foster Child Bill of Rights to replace the term "travel bag" with "luggage" and defines luggage as a suitcase, duffel bag, backpack, or similar container for personal belongings. This change ensures foster care children moving between placements have a proper, durable container to transport their belongings securely. The bill directly affects children in foster care who are transferred between homes, guaranteeing they can move personal items without relying on temporary or inadequate solutions. It clarifies an existing right without creating new state requirements or costs, focusing on practical implementation for child welfare agencies.

Maddy summaryHB 5427, the "Anti-Doxxing and Privacy Protection Act," prohibits publishing another person's personally identifiable information (PII) without consent when intending to harass, threaten, stalk, or cause harm. It directly affects individuals who engage in malicious doxxing (e.g., sharing home addresses, phone numbers, or location data to intimidate) and protects victims, including public officials, healthcare workers, and private citizens. Key provisions establish criminal penalties for violations, allow civil lawsuits for victims, and create procedures for redacting PII from public records when safety is at risk. The bill explicitly excludes lawful public records disclosures, judicial proceedings, and good-faith journalism to preserve constitutional protections.

Maddy summaryHB 5387 amends West Virginia's high school graduation requirements by removing a mandatory stand-alone computer science course. Instead, it establishes a computer literacy proficiency requirement that students must meet to graduate. The bill restores local flexibility for school districts to determine how to implement this requirement while preserving advanced computer science pathways. This change directly affects all West Virginia high school students by altering one of their required graduation courses.

Maddy summaryHB 4522 requires non-government entities providing funds or services for West Virginia election administration (such as ballot initiatives) to certify to the Secretary of State whether they knowingly receive foreign donations. This affects organizations or individuals funding state ballot measures, not voters or candidates. The bill mandates annual certification updates within five business days of new information, with penalties including fines of three times the donation amount for false or late filings, and invalidates agreements for non-compliance. It also requires government entities to submit quarterly reports on such funding and mandates public posting of certifications on the Secretary of State’s website.

Maddy summaryHB 5377, the Burial Equity Act, expands eligibility for burial in West Virginia's state veterans' cemetery to include former National Guard and military reserve members (such as IMA, AGR, ART, and TR) who served at least four years, were West Virginia residents for two years before death, or served in the West Virginia National Guard, with retroactive application to deaths after March 15, 2022. It creates a Burial Equity Grant Program administered by Veterans Affairs, providing up to $1,000 per family to cover burial costs on a first-come, first-served basis. The bill also establishes a dedicated Burial Equity Fund in the state treasury, initially funded with $50,000 from the legislature, plus federal funds and private donations, to sustain the grant program without annual budget reversion.

Maddy summaryHB 5320, the "Welcome Act," aims to address West Virginia's housing shortage by changing how land is taxed during development. It allows property owners to keep their original tax classification for subdivided land until individual lots are sold, directly affecting homeowners and developers. The bill protects property owners' right to further subdivide land after initial sales, requires new parcels to include 24/7 access to a road (without mandating road construction), and limits local governments from imposing stricter road standards than the existing access road. These provisions apply to casual land divisions but not to formally recorded subdivisions with existing deed restrictions.

Maddy summaryHB 4461 requires internet and telecommunications providers in West Virginia to automatically provide prorated bill credits to customers when service is interrupted for five or more consecutive days (120 hours) due to the provider's fault. It directly affects subscribers who lose service for extended periods, ensuring they aren't charged for unavailable service. The bill mandates credits proportional to the outage duration, excludes outages caused by customers, cyberattacks, or force majeure, and sets civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation. Providers must report outage data monthly to the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Division for oversight, though mobile service disruptions are excluded from these rules.