Del. Roy Cooper

Maddy summaryHB 2640 amends West Virginia law to increase the maximum age for appointment as a State Police trooper from 39 to 45 years. This change directly affects individuals seeking to join the West Virginia State Police as troopers. The bill modifies the existing qualification requirement in §15-2-7(c) of the code, removing the 39-year cap and replacing it with 45 years. The policy change aims to expand the pool of eligible applicants without altering other recruitment or qualification standards.

Maddy summaryHB 2509 increases the maximum fees sheriffs can charge for specific court-related services, such as serving summonses and process, from $25 to $30 per instance. It also raises the portion of these fees allocated to the West Virginia Deputy Sheriff Retirement Fund from $2 to $5 per fee. County commissions would need to update their fee schedules to reflect these changes. The bill does not affect other sheriff fees, such as those for transporting prisoners or handling bonds.

Maddy summaryHB 2639 prohibits public schools in West Virginia from allowing students in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade to use any electronic calculators. The bill directly affects all K-6 public school students and their teachers by banning calculator use in math instruction. Its key provision requires schools to eliminate electronic calculator access for these grades to focus on developing foundational math and arithmetic skills without digital aids. The bill's stated purpose is to ensure students master basic math concepts before using electronic tools.

Maddy summaryHB 2638 requires West Virginia courts to initiate criminal charges against parents when children are removed from their custody due to abuse or neglect. Specifically, it mandates that courts must bring criminal charges in two situations: (1) when a parent is convicted of an offense against a child (as defined in state law), and (2) when a parent's rights are terminated following a child's removal due to abuse or neglect. The bill directs courts to follow existing state laws (§61-8D-3 through §61-8D-5) to determine applicable penalties and fines for these offenses. This change directly affects parents whose children are removed from their care due to abuse or neglect, ensuring legal consequences are pursued.

Maddy summaryHB 2522 lowers the eligibility age for annual retirement annuity adjustments under the West Virginia State Police Retirement System from 63 to 60 years. It directly affects current and future retirees who are 60 or older (previously only 63+), as well as surviving spouses receiving benefits under specified sections. The bill modifies Section 15-2A-7 to allow these individuals to receive an annual 1% adjustment to their retirement award, paid in equal monthly installments starting July 1 each year. The adjustment is not retroactive and supplements existing retirement benefits without changing the benefit amount itself. This change applies to retirees under Section 15-2A-6 and surviving spouses under Sections 15-2A-12 through 15-2A-14.

Maddy summaryHB 2520 changes West Virginia's school meal staffing rules by requiring one cook for every 110 meals prepared and served, effective with the 2026-2027 school year. This replaces the previous tiered system (which varied by meal volume) with a single minimum ratio for all public school districts. The bill directly affects school food service operations, as it sets a new standard for cook-to-meal ratios in school lunch programs. It also defines a school lunch as one full meal and other meals as three-fourths of a lunch for calculation purposes. The change applies to all schools following the new standard, without exceptions.

Maddy summaryHB 2519 raises minimum monthly salaries for West Virginia school service personnel by $900 effective July 1, 2023-2026. The bill updates the State Minimum Pay Scale Pay Grade Schedule, setting new minimum pay levels for all service employees working over 3.5 hours daily (with part-time staff receiving half the rate). It directly affects school support staff like custodians, cafeteria workers, and maintenance personnel across the state. The policy creates a concrete, uniform salary increase tied to years of experience, with specific pay amounts detailed in the updated schedule.

Maddy summaryHB 2512 creates three distinct job classifications for school bus operators in West Virginia public schools: Bus Operator I, Bus Operator II, and Bus Operator III. The bill establishes separate pay scales for each title based on years of employment, replacing the current single classification for all bus operators. This directly affects school bus drivers statewide by changing their job titles and salary structures under state law. The policy change modifies existing sections of the West Virginia Code to define these new classifications and their corresponding compensation levels.

Maddy summaryHB 2346 amends West Virginia's pawnbroker regulations to enhance transparency and consumer protection. It requires pawnbrokers to document each transaction with detailed property descriptions (including serial numbers for firearms and jewelry specifics), take a photograph of sellers without government ID, and retain items in their original condition for five business days before altering or disposing of them. The bill also increases penalties for violations and mandates reporting certain transactions to local law enforcement. These changes directly affect pawnbrokers and their customers by standardizing record-keeping and adding safeguards against property tampering.

Maddy summaryHB 2373, the Equipment Right to Repair Act, requires manufacturers of farm equipment (like tractors, combines, and harvesters) to provide independent repair shops and equipment owners with necessary documentation, parts, and tools after the equipment's new warranty expires. This applies to any equipment used in farming operations, excluding standard road vehicles. The bill mandates that manufacturers make these resources available without imposing restrictions like mandatory registration or requiring repair shops to become authorized providers. It aims to give farmers and independent repair businesses greater access to repair their equipment directly, rather than relying solely on manufacturer-authorized services.