Del. Roy Cooper

Maddy summaryHB 4813 exempts all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) used as farm equipment from West Virginia's sales tax. This applies specifically to farmers who use these vehicles for agricultural operations, not for recreational purposes. The bill amends West Virginia Code §11-15-3c to add ATVs and UTVs to the list of farm equipment eligible for sales tax exemption. This change directly affects farmers purchasing or using these vehicles for farm work, reducing their costs for necessary agricultural equipment.

Maddy summaryHB 4814, the Equipment Right to Repair Act, requires manufacturers of farm equipment sold or leased in West Virginia to provide independent repair providers and equipment owners with necessary tools, manuals, parts, and technical updates after the new equipment warranty expires. It specifically covers farm equipment like tractors, combines, and sprayers (excluding road vehicles) and applies to all owners and independent repair shops operating in the state. The law mandates that manufacturers make these resources available without restrictions, such as requiring repair shops to become authorized providers or register tools. The Commissioner of Agriculture will enforce the law, which prohibits manufacturers from disclosing trade secrets but requires access to repair information. This directly affects farmers, independent repair businesses, and manufacturers of agricultural equipment sold in West Virginia.

Maddy summaryHB 4494 would exempt non-resident landowners (people who live outside West Virginia but own land here), their spouse, and their children living with them from needing a non-resident hunting license when hunting on their own West Virginia property. The exemption requires that the landowner's home state also allows West Virginia residents to hunt on their land without a license. It specifically excludes grandchildren from this exemption. The bill proposes a direct change to hunting license requirements for this specific group of landowners.

Maddy summaryThe Disaster Recovery Acceleration Act allows West Virginia homeowners to rebuild or repair homes damaged by natural disasters up to 125% of the original square footage without triggering new development standards or lengthy environmental reviews. It requires rebuilding to follow current building codes, while preserving any grandfathered rules (such as older construction standards) that applied to the original property. This applies directly to individuals restoring their own residential property after a disaster, aiming to simplify and speed up recovery efforts. The bill does not alter building code requirements but removes additional regulatory barriers for reconstruction.

Maddy summaryHB 4479 provides tax credits to West Virginia manufacturers that transform locally harvested wood into value-added products like veneer, engineered lumber, or wood pellets. The credits - ranging from $1.25 to $6 per ton of processed wood - apply to corporate or personal income tax based on volume tiers, with annual caps of $1.25 million for existing facilities and $2.5 million for new operations or expansions. To qualify, manufacturers must meet a "minimum transformation standard" (e.g., altering wood structure) using West Virginia-sourced feedstock, excluding basic handling like cutting or sorting. Credits are prorated based on the percentage of West Virginia wood used in production.

Maddy summaryHB 4429 creates a pilot program for a "work/incarceration prison" in West Virginia, targeting non-violent offenders sentenced to two years or less who have not been convicted of sex-related offenses. Eligible offenders can work at the facility and earn a 20% reduction in their sentence for good conduct, but serious rule violations result in transfer to a standard facility with an additional year added to their sentence. The bill allows only one county to establish the pilot (with a $500,000 suggested initial appropriation), requires the program to be self-sustaining through offender work, and mandates an annual evaluation by the Division of Corrections to assess effectiveness and potential expansion. The program does not apply to violent offenders or those with longer sentences.

Maddy summaryHB 4457 would allow unaffiliated voters (such as independents) to request voting in any major political party's primary election ballot, if the party's state committee permits it. Currently, unaffiliated voters in West Virginia cannot vote for party candidates in primaries and only receive ballots for nonpartisan races and public questions. The bill requires each major party's state executive committee to decide whether to allow unaffiliated voters to cast a ballot for that party's candidates. Unaffiliated voters would still receive separate ballots for nonpartisan races and public questions, as required by existing law.

Maddy summaryHB 4441 requires anyone applying for a commercial driver's license (CDL) in West Virginia to be able to read and speak English. This applies specifically to new CDL applicants seeking a license in the state. The bill amends existing law (§17E-1-9) to explicitly add this language requirement alongside other existing standards like passing knowledge/skills tests and meeting federal regulations. It does not affect current CDL holders or change other existing qualifications for obtaining a CDL.

Maddy summaryHB 4480 modifies West Virginia's rules for access points to state highways used by commercial or industrial properties. It removes permit requirements for new access points, streamlining the process for businesses. The bill also creates standards for reviewing existing access points (especially those over 50 feet wide on highways with speed limits above 45 mph), allowing the Division of Highways to require safety changes like "no parking" signs based on traffic data. These changes directly affect property owners with highway-facing commercial or industrial properties.

Maddy summaryHB 4424 allows landowners or lessees whose property is damaged by deer or other wildlife to hire a third-party hunter to kill the animals using a bow and arrow. Landowners must report the damage to wildlife authorities, who will investigate and issue a permit enabling the hiring of a hunter. The hunter must follow the same bow and arrow restrictions as during regular hunting seasons, such as minimum bow poundage requirements. This bill does not change hunting seasons but provides a specific method for landowners to address property damage.