Del. Chris Toney

Maddy summaryHB 3315 adds two new salary increments to West Virginia's teacher pay scale: "Bachelor's Plus 30" (for teachers with a bachelor's degree and 30+ years of experience) and "Master's Plus 60" (for those with a master's degree and 60+ years of experience). These new salary steps will be included in the existing State Minimum Salary Schedule, effective for the 2024-2025 school year and beyond. The bill directly affects teachers who meet these specific degree and experience thresholds, providing them with higher salary placement without altering current pay levels for other experience ranges. It creates two additional columns in the salary table to reflect these new pay tiers for eligible educators.

Maddy summaryHB 2855 defines "first-generation status" for college admissions in West Virginia as applying to applicants whose custodial parents have not completed a U.S. bachelor's degree. This definition directly affects college applicants seeking admission, particularly those from families without a bachelor's degree in the immediate or extended family. The bill establishes four demographic levels to categorize applicants (e.g., parents who attended but didn't complete college, or no family college attendance) to align with federal standards. Its key purpose is to standardize how colleges collect this data to qualify students for federal benefits like scholarships and support services.

Maddy summaryHB 3281 creates a voluntary "Persons with Disabilities Registry" that local law enforcement agencies can maintain. It allows adults with disabilities (like autism or dementia), minors (enrolled by parents/guardians), and incapacitated adults (enrolled by legal guardians) to join by providing medical certification or proof of guardianship. The registry includes personal details and disability information but is strictly confidential - exempt from public records requests under FOIA - and can only be shared with law enforcement during official duties. Individuals can request removal at any time, with agencies required to process requests within five business days.

Maddy summaryHB 3210 modifies West Virginia public school teachers' personal leave procedures. It increases the annual leave without cause from four to five days (effective July 2023) and requires teachers to arrange substitute coverage at least seven days in advance for non-consecutive days off. The bill mandates county school boards to establish leave banks where teachers can contribute up to two days of leave annually, available only to active teachers with fewer than five accumulated days. It also sets rules for principal approval of leave requests (denying if 15% of staff or three employees have already requested the same day) and coordinates leave with workers' compensation benefits.

Maddy summaryHB 2863 clarifies West Virginia sheriffs' authority to hire within their offices by amending civil service rules for deputy sheriffs. It explicitly allows sheriffs to appoint multiple chief deputies with county commission approval (per §7-7-7) and clarifies that current or future chief deputies and jailers retain all civil service rights, including having time in those roles count toward promotion eligibility. The bill does not change existing hiring standards but resolves ambiguity about seniority and appointment flexibility for these positions. It directly affects sheriffs, county commissions, and deputy sheriff staff across West Virginia counties.

Maddy summaryHB 3186 amends West Virginia's labor laws to strengthen the "West Virginia Jobs Act" for public construction projects. It requires employers receiving a local labor utilization waiver (to hire outside the local area) to hire outside workers at the same qualifications and wage rates they provided to Workforce West Virginia. The bill clarifies that the Jobs Act applies to all public construction projects, including those managed by the West Virginia Development Authority, and mandates the Division of Labor to create a public online database of certified payroll records (with personal information redacted) for all employers working on public contracts. This database will include employee residence locations and occupations, making the data accessible to the public for transparency.

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 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 2614 allows full-time county school board employees in West Virginia to receive a lump sum payment for unused personal leave if they die before retirement. The payment, calculated at their final rate of pay (excluding weekends/holidays), goes directly to their estate's personal representative one month after a request. It excludes weekends and holidays, does not deduct retirement contributions, and cannot be used to calculate final retirement salary. This bill specifically applies to county school employees and provides a financial benefit to their estates upon death.

Maddy summaryHB 2166 establishes a Behavioral Health Workforce Education Initiative at West Virginia's Higher Education Policy Commission to address shortages in critical mental health and behavioral health fields. It creates a dedicated revolving fund to provide financial support (minimum $10,000 for most fields, $20,000 for medical/dental students) to West Virginia residents enrolled in qualifying programs like nurse practitioner, clinical psychology, or social work degrees. Recipients must agree to work in underserved areas of the state for two years after graduation or repay the support, with license renewal in West Virginia contingent on full repayment. The bill also sets eligibility criteria, repayment terms, and administrative procedures for the initiative.