Del. Jarred Cannon

Maddy summaryHB 2422 would require all municipal elections in West Virginia to be held on the same day as statewide primary or general elections, which occur on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November during even-numbered years for general elections. This change would directly affect cities and towns (municipalities), eliminating separate local election dates and mandating coordination with county commissions on election timing, administrative costs, and election official use. Municipalities would share election costs based on their proportion of registered voters in the county, and must comply with existing rules for county election official coordination. The bill aims to streamline election administration by aligning municipal elections with the established statewide election cycle.

Maddy summaryHB 2879 creates the West Virginia Math, Science and Special Education Teacher Scholarship Act, providing debt relief to qualifying educators. It offers up to $2,000 in debt relief after three years of teaching in West Virginia public schools and an additional $2,000 after six years, totaling a maximum of $4,000 per teacher. To qualify, teachers must hold a master's degree in math, science, or special education, be West Virginia residents for at least one year, and work full-time in eligible public school positions. The program, funded through state budget appropriations, runs from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2036.

Maddy summaryHB 3097 prohibits credit services organizations from selling consumer information to third-party financing entities. The bill specifically bans these organizations from furnishing consumer reports for credit transactions not initiated by the consumer. It directly affects credit services organizations and consumers whose data they handle, preventing the sale of personal financial information for external financing purposes. The key provision (section 7 of §46A-6C-3) creates a clear legal barrier against this data-sharing practice.

Maddy summaryHB 3481 would establish a regulatory framework for daily fantasy sports contests in West Virginia, requiring operators to obtain a license from the West Virginia Lottery Commission and pay a 15% tax on their gross receipts. The bill prohibits contests on high school or below sports events, mandates independent audits of operators, and requires self-exclusion options for players to support compulsive gaming assistance. It defines daily fantasy sports as skill-based contests (not gambling), sets a minimum age of 19 for participants, and creates a fund to distribute tax revenue for gaming support services. This law aims to ensure operators meet financial and compliance standards while operating within the state.

Maddy summaryHB 3485 requires West Virginia's State Treasurer to provide a written recommendation before the state issues refunding bonds, which are bonds used to replace existing debt. The bill establishes new procedures for issuing refunding bonds, including requiring the Treasurer to select bond counsel and financial advisors, create debt service funds for each bond series, and avoid conflicts of interest. It directly affects the state government's process for managing bonded debt, specifically the Treasurer's office and related financial operations. The legislation aims to add oversight to bond issuance while clarifying procedures for debt management under West Virginia law.

Maddy summaryHCR 94 is a request for the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study establishing an artificial intelligence (AI) elective course in West Virginia public high schools. The study would assess current AI education programs, identify gaps in student access, evaluate funding options, analyze AI’s impact on future industries, and recommend legislative or partnership actions. If implemented, the proposed course would teach foundational AI concepts (like machine learning), practical applications in fields like business and defense, and hands-on tool usage. This resolution does not create the course but asks for a study to inform future decisions. The committee must report findings by the 2026 legislative session.

Maddy summaryHB 3480 establishes the "Resiliency and Environmental System Investment Charge Program" (SEI Program) for West Virginia water and wastewater utilities. The bill allows these utilities to petition the Public Service Commission to recover costs associated with specific infrastructure projects - including replacing aging systems, improving environmental protection, or relocating infrastructure for public projects - that enhance resiliency, safety, or environmental health. Utilities must submit detailed project plans, cost estimates, and rate impact analyses to the Commission for approval before recovering costs through a new rate charge. The program covers eligible costs like depreciation, operations, maintenance, property taxes, and a "pretax return" on investments, but excludes fines or projects solely for customer growth. This is a procedural mechanism to help utilities fund critical infrastructure upgrades without waiting for full rate case reviews.

Maddy summaryThis bill aligns West Virginia's public employee retirement systems with federal law by clarifying key terms like "bona fide separation from service" and updating definitions. It adds the Emergency Medical Service Retirement System to contribution pick-up provisions and modifies rules to allow retired public safety officers to cover qualified health insurance premiums from their retirement plans. These changes directly affect public employees enrolled in multiple retirement systems, including teachers, police, firefighters, and state workers, ensuring compliance with federal requirements for retirement benefits.

Maddy summaryHB 3193 establishes a process for police officers and firefighters hired on or after July 1, 2015, to transfer from the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) to the Municipal Police Officers and Firefighters Retirement System. It requires municipalities to elect participation in the new system by July 1, 2025, and notify eligible employees within 30 days of that election. Employees then have 90 days to choose to transfer, triggering a 60-day timeline for the state retirement agency to move their service credit and assets (with 7.5% annual interest) from PERS to the municipal system. This bill directly affects municipalities deciding to adopt the system and eligible post-2015 hires who may switch retirement plans.

Maddy summaryHB 3183 makes personally identifiable information (like Social Security numbers, addresses, medical details, and direct deposit info) for members, retirees, beneficiaries, and alternate payees of West Virginia's public retirement systems confidential and exempt from public disclosure under state law. This protects individuals from potential fraud or identity theft by preventing this sensitive data from being released through public records requests. The bill specifically exempts such information maintained by the Consolidated Public Retirement Board from disclosure requirements under West Virginia's freedom of information laws. Individuals affected can still access their own information directly.