Del. Corby Dillon

Maddy summaryHB 4766 increases West Virginia's homestead property tax exemption for eligible homeowners from a flat $20,000 to 50% of a property's assessed value (capped at $20,000 if the property is valued below $40,000). This change directly affects homeowners aged 65 or older or certified as permanently and totally disabled who meet the state's residency requirements. The bill modifies existing law (§11-6B-3) to adjust the exemption calculation method while preserving the same eligibility criteria. It does not alter residency rules or other qualifying conditions for the exemption.

Maddy summaryHB 4788 allows current West Virginia county school board members to run for state legislative seats while retaining their school board position during the campaign. It amends eligibility rules to explicitly permit school board members to seek other public office (including the state legislature) without resigning from the school board, as long as they do not receive compensation for other boards related to public schools. The bill also provides legal protections, requiring county boards to reimburse members for legal costs if they rely on an Ethics Commission advisory opinion confirming eligibility. This directly affects school board members who wish to pursue state legislative office without leaving their current role. The change removes a previous restriction that barred school board members from holding other public office during campaigns.

Maddy summaryHJR 25 proposes a constitutional amendment to change how West Virginia's state superintendent of schools is selected. Currently, the superintendent is appointed by the West Virginia Board of Education (a body appointed by the governor). The amendment would require the superintendent to be elected directly by voters in general elections every four years. This change would make the position a publicly elected constitutional officer, shifting selection from an appointment to a direct vote.

Maddy summaryHB 4757 (West Virginia, 2026) prohibits requiring patients to receive, be administered, or disclose medical treatment history unless the manufacturer of the medical product is liable for death or serious injury caused by it. The bill directly affects patients and healthcare providers by blocking mandatory treatments or disclosure of medical product use, applying to all medical devices, drugs, and biologics. Its key mechanism requires manufacturer liability as a condition before any medical product use or disclosure can be mandated. The bill aims to establish privacy rights around medical treatments but does not create new penalties or enforcement procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 4671 requires West Virginia law enforcement to immediately transfer individuals determined to be in the country without legal immigration status to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation. For a second offense (if the same person is again found without legal status), the bill classifies it as a felony, mandating 3 to 5 years in state prison before deportation. The bill also prohibits state and local law enforcement from interfering with this process or overriding federal immigration policy. It directly affects individuals without legal immigration status who are apprehended by law enforcement in the state.

Maddy summaryHB 4632 requires beekeepers in West Virginia to register their apiaries (beekeeping operations) with the Agriculture Commissioner within 10 days of acquiring bees and renew annually by June 30. It creates liability protection for registered beekeepers who follow state-approved best practices, shielding them from claims related to beekeeping activities (excluding intentional harm or gross negligence). The bill mandates annual inspections for apiaries producing queens or packaged bees, allows limited inspections during reasonable hours with owner permission, and requires the Commissioner to quarantine apiaries with pest outbreaks - reporting quarantine details publicly online within 30 days. These provisions directly affect commercial and hobbyist beekeepers, focusing on registration, safety standards, and pest management.

Maddy summaryHB 4681 would allow West Virginia residents injured by Covid-19 vaccines to sue pharmaceutical companies for damages without limits on the amount they can recover. Currently, drug manufacturers typically avoid liability for vaccine injuries by providing warnings to healthcare providers (the "learned intermediary" rule), but this bill removes that protection specifically for Covid-19 vaccines. The law change would let injured individuals seek full compensation in court for vaccine-related harm. This exception applies only to Covid-19 vaccines and does not affect liability rules for other drugs or medical devices.

Maddy summaryHB 4692 would require West Virginia's legislature to vote on extending a governor's state of emergency (beyond 60 days) or state of preparedness (beyond 30 days), rather than allowing the governor to unilaterally extend these declarations. The bill mandates that if the governor declares a state of emergency, the legislature must convene within 48 hours to decide whether to continue the emergency and which actions to maintain. This directly affects the governor's emergency powers and gives the legislature a formal role in approving extensions of emergency authority. The bill aims to limit the governor's unilateral emergency powers by requiring legislative oversight for continued emergency declarations.

Maddy summaryHB 4635 requires West Virginia's Public Service Commission to hold hearings on rate adjustment requests from public electric utilities and issue recommendations to the legislature. The bill shifts final approval authority for utility rate changes from the Commission to the state legislature, ending the Commission's prior power to approve such adjustments. It also directly affects coal-fired electricity generators by mandating they maintain a minimum average rate of electricity production. This bill applies specifically to public electric utilities, particularly those operating coal-fired facilities, and changes the process for approving rate increases.

Maddy summaryHB 4631, the "Internet Reliability Act," reclassifies Internet Service Providers (ISPs) as telecommunications utilities under West Virginia law. This means ISPs operating in the state would fall under the regulatory authority of the Public Service Commission (PSC), similar to traditional phone and cable companies. The bill amends existing law to explicitly include ISPs in the PSC’s jurisdiction for regulating rates, service standards, and other utility-related matters. It does not create new service requirements but clarifies that ISPs will be subject to the same oversight as other telecommunications providers.