Del. Jeff Campbell

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 3268 modifies rules governing student transfers for athletic and academic eligibility in West Virginia secondary schools. It requires the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission to update its rules regarding athletic eligibility for students transferring between schools and for incoming ninth-grade students' academic eligibility. The bill amends existing statutes to clarify the commission's authority to adjust these rules, directly affecting student-athletes and their eligibility to participate in school sports programs. This is a procedural change to commission rulemaking authority, not a new law affecting student rights or school funding.

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 3127 adds a 50-cent fee to every new vehicle registration and registration renewal in West Virginia. This fee, collected by the DMV, will directly fund the Deputy Sheriff’s Retirement Fund. The bill amends existing law to redirect these registration fees - paid by all vehicle owners - to support retirement benefits for deputy sheriffs. It does not change registration requirements or create new taxes beyond the specified fee. The policy change is limited to reallocating this existing fee stream to a specific retirement fund.

Maddy summaryHB 3151, the Closed Captioning Act, requires public venues like restaurants, bars, hospitals, colleges, and government buildings to have at least half of their public-facing televisions display closed captions continuously during regular hours. It mandates that these venues prevent patrons from disabling captions and distribute captioned TVs so they are visible to all guests. Exceptions apply if no TVs are present or if available TVs cannot display captions. The bill defines "closed captioning" as on-screen text of audio content and takes effect upon passage. This law aims to improve accessibility for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals in public spaces.

Maddy summaryHB 3115 expands expungement eligibility in West Virginia to include individuals who plead guilty to certain misdemeanors after successfully completing pre-trial diversion or deferred adjudication programs. It allows these individuals to petition a circuit court for the removal of all related arrest, charge, and misdemeanor conviction records, treating the matter as if it never occurred. The process requires a 60-day waiting period after program completion, no filing fees, and mandates agencies to certify expungement within 60 days. This applies only to qualifying misdemeanors and excludes felony convictions, domestic violence cases involving family members, and records held by the Division of Motor Vehicles.

Maddy summaryHB 2515 requires West Virginia K-6 teachers to document and report student behavior that is violent, threatening, intimidating, or creates an unsafe learning environment. Teachers must file a report in the WVEIS system within 24 hours of excluding a student, and students excluded three times in a month may face in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension, or alternative learning center placement. The bill clarifies it does not conflict with federal disability laws (IDEA and Section 504) and prohibits suspending students solely for absenteeism. It also mandates the State Board adopt a statewide disciplinary policy for grades 6-12. This directly affects elementary school teachers, students with disruptive behavior, and school administrators managing discipline.

Maddy summaryHB 2727 requires that at least one member of both the West Virginia University (WVU) Board of Governors and the West Virginia State University (WVSU) Board of Governors must have a background in agriculture or an agricultural field. This bill amends existing law governing university board composition, adding a specific qualification requirement for these two boards. It directly affects WVU and WVSU governance by mandating this expertise in agricultural matters for one appointed board member. The change modifies current appointment rules without altering other board composition requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 2970 requires election officials to include specific verification information on absentee ballot envelopes in West Virginia. This information allows election officials to confirm a voter's identity with high confidence when ballots are returned, without publishing personal details like signatures. The bill directly affects absentee voters and election officials who process mail-in ballots. It modifies existing absentee voting procedures under §3-3-5 of West Virginia law to add this verification step, ensuring identity confirmation while protecting voter privacy. The change applies to all absentee ballots returned by mail or electronically.

Maddy summaryHB 2971 updates West Virginia's back-to-school sales tax holiday by increasing the price limits for exempt items. It raises the maximum price for clothing to $150 (from $125), school supplies to $60 (from $50), instructional materials to $25 (from $20), laptops/tablets to $600 (from $500), and sports equipment to $180 (from $150). The holiday remains active during the first Sunday of August plus the preceding Friday and Saturday and the following Monday. This change directly affects West Virginia consumers purchasing qualifying school items during this period, excluding business or trade purchases.