Rep. Ryan Browning

Maddy summaryHB 3220 creates a statewide moratorium on public school closures and consolidations in West Virginia, except for cases of catastrophic structural failure or unresolved safety hazards. It requires the West Virginia Department of Education to review closures considered over the past five years and propose changes to the school funding formula that would prevent at least 80% of those closures based on financial or operational factors. The moratorium remains in effect until the legislature receives the proposed formula and takes action on it. This directly affects all West Virginia public school districts and students by delaying closure decisions pending the new funding approach.

Maddy summaryHB 3306 (The Matthew Casey Wethington Act for Substance Abuse Intervention) allows family members, close relatives, or friends to petition a court for involuntary treatment of an adult with a substance use disorder who poses a danger to themselves or others due to impairment. The bill creates a new process where applicants must verify the danger, guarantee all treatment costs, and request up to 360 days of court-ordered treatment. Courts must hold a hearing within 10 days, require a medical evaluation 24 hours before the hearing, and can order treatment only if proven "beyond a reasonable doubt." This bill directly affects individuals with substance use disorders who don't meet standard hospitalization criteria and their families seeking intervention. The bill is pending in the House Health and Human Resources Committee (introduced March 11, 2025).

Maddy summaryHB 2560 creates a certification program for "Infrastructure Ready Jurisdictions" in West Virginia, allowing counties or municipalities to qualify by adhering only to state-mandated permitting rules. Political subdivisions that meet this standard receive a 5% preferential scoring boost on all state infrastructure grant applications for projects within their certified boundaries. This benefit applies to both public and private projects but does not extend to uncertified municipalities - even if surrounding counties are certified. The bill requires the Department of Economic Development to establish certification rules and ensures the scoring preference does not override federal grant requirements. (Bill status: Passed House, pending in Senate as of March 2025.)

Maddy summaryHB 3309 would amend West Virginia's retirement law to allow sheriffs in the public retirement system to retire at age 62 with eight years of actual, contributing service, instead of the standard 10 years required for newer members. This change specifically applies to sheriffs who became members through their election as sheriff and are not covered by another retirement plan. The bill creates a separate retirement eligibility standard for sheriffs, lowering the service requirement from 10 to 8 years. This policy directly affects eligible sheriffs by providing an earlier retirement option under the amended law.

Maddy summaryHB 3184, the Local Government Freedom Act, requires West Virginia local governments to award construction contracts over $25,000 to the "lowest qualified responsible bidder" rather than allowing them to use pre-hire union agreements (project labor agreements). The bill defines "lowest qualified responsible bidder" as the bidder meeting all legal requirements and offering the lowest price, while prohibiting political subdivisions from entering into project labor agreements for most construction projects. It also sets a $500,000 cap on open-ended maintenance contracts and mandates specific bonding requirements for bidders. This bill directly affects cities, counties, and school boards when procuring construction work.

Maddy summaryHB 3106 would increase the retirement multiplier for West Virginia deputy sheriffs from 2.75% to 3.0% of their final average salary per year of service. This change directly affects current and future deputy sheriffs enrolled in the state's Deputy Sheriff Retirement System by increasing their pension benefits. The bill amends Section 7-14D-2 of West Virginia Code to adjust the calculation method for accrued retirement benefits. This is a specific policy change to the pension formula, not a new benefit program.

Maddy summaryHB 3105 would amend West Virginia's Deputy Sheriff Retirement System Act to allow deputy sheriffs to retire after 20 years of service with full benefits, aligning their retirement eligibility with corrections officers. This change directly affects county deputy sheriffs covered under the retirement system who currently may have different service requirements. The bill modifies §7-14D-5 to establish 20 years as the qualifying service period for full retirement benefits, matching the existing standard for corrections officers. The policy change would apply to new hires and potentially existing members who elect to transfer into this system under the revised terms.

Maddy summaryHB 3185, the Taxpayer Protection Act, prevents employers from misclassifying workers as independent contractors when they should be treated as employees for tax purposes. It requires West Virginia’s Tax Commissioner to apply an "ABC test" to determine worker status: whether the worker has no employer control, performs unusual work for the business, and operates as a separate business. Employers must prove all three criteria to classify a worker as independent; otherwise, the worker is presumed an employee. This directly affects individual taxpayers (workers) and employers who may have misclassified workers, ensuring the state collects proper employment taxes. The bill aims to clarify tax obligations without changing tax rates or creating new revenue streams.

Maddy summaryHB 3191 requires people to maintain a 25-foot distance from law enforcement officers, probation officers, firefighters, or emergency responders while they are performing their duties, particularly when someone is recording interactions. It prohibits approaching or staying within 25 feet after receiving a verbal warning, if the person intends to interfere with the officer’s work, threaten them, or intentionally distress them. Violating this rule is a misdemeanor punishable by a $50-$500 fine, up to one year in jail, or both. The bill directly affects members of the public who record police or emergency interactions near the scene.

Maddy summaryHB 3107 creates West Virginia's State Black Lung Program to provide pain and suffering benefits to coal miners diagnosed with black lung disease (occupational pneumoconiosis). It establishes automatic eligibility for miners with 10+ years of mining exposure in West Virginia over a 15-year period, eliminating the need for total disability proof. Benefits include a $200 monthly base payment plus $15 per additional year of exposure (calculated by work hours), with a tax credit against state income tax. The program is funded by a 0.1x increase on existing severance taxes for coal, natural gas, oil, and electricity generated by solar/wind sources, deposited into the State Black Lung Fund. This bill directly affects current and former West Virginia coal miners with qualifying exposure.