Del. Elliott Pritt

Maddy summaryHB 3194 provides a pay increase for West Virginia Capitol Police officers and support staff to address retention challenges. It mandates a $15,000 annual raise for all Capitol Police officers and a $7,500 annual raise for support staff, effective July 1, 2025. Funding will come from existing Capitol Police general revenue appropriations, as specified in the bill. This measure directly affects all employees of the Capitol Police Division at West Virginia Capitol Complex properties.

Maddy summaryHB 3206 allows West Virginia residents without a permanent address to obtain driver's licenses or identification certificates by creating a new process for such applicants. It requires the Department of Motor Vehicles to audit these addresses, establish cancellation standards for licenses issued under this provision, and provide a fee waiver for applicants without permanent addresses. The bill directly affects individuals without fixed housing (e.g., homeless residents, those in transitional housing) who previously faced barriers to obtaining licenses due to address requirements. Key mechanisms include the new application pathway, mandatory DMV address verification, and elimination of fees for this group. This amendment to West Virginia law aims to expand access to driver's licenses for people without permanent addresses while adding oversight for these licenses.

Maddy summaryHB 2437 clarifies enhanced penalties for crimes involving fentanyl, specifically targeting individuals convicted of possessing, delivering, or manufacturing fentanyl as a Schedule II substance. It increases penalties for these offenses: a $50,000 fine or 3-15 years in prison (instead of the standard $25,000 fine or 1-15 years), directly affecting those convicted of fentanyl-related crimes. The bill amends West Virginia law to explicitly state these higher penalties when fentanyl - alone or mixed with other substances - is the Schedule II controlled substance involved. It does not change penalties for other drugs or create new offenses, only clarifying existing sentencing for fentanyl cases. The bill passed the House on March 5, 2025, and is now pending in the Senate.

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.

Maddy summaryHB 2542 requires Child Protective Services (CPS) workers to record audio during all investigation visits with individuals under investigation for child abuse or neglect allegations. This applies to every interaction between CPS staff and a person under investigation, with exceptions: audio recording must have the person's informed consent or a court order during home visits or private interviews. The bill mandates that CPS must conduct a face-to-face interview with the child within 14 days of receiving a report. This law directly affects CPS workers who must implement the recording requirement and families involved in active investigations.

Maddy summaryHB 2927 authorizes West Virginia counties to test a four-day school week (with 10-hour days instead of five eight-hour days) through a two-year pilot program. County school systems must submit detailed plans to the State Board of Education demonstrating how the schedule change maintains required instructional time, preserves teacher planning periods (at least 40 minutes daily for elementary), and analyzes impacts on student absenteeism and fiscal savings. The bill requires pilot programs to focus solely on improving student learning outcomes and must align with state education standards. It does not mandate the schedule change statewide but creates a framework for local experimentation. The State Board of Education would review and approve proposals based on specific criteria outlined in the bill.

Maddy summaryHB 2681 requires all West Virginia high school students to learn proper American flag etiquette - including handling, folding, displaying, honoring, and retiring the flag - as part of their graduation requirements. This bill amends existing curriculum standards to add flag etiquette instruction to civics and history courses, mandating that students pass an exam on this topic before graduating. The requirement applies specifically to public high schools and builds upon current mandates for U.S. history, civics, and government education. The bill does not alter existing health or other curriculum standards but adds a new, specific knowledge requirement for graduation.

Maddy summaryHB 2931 would require West Virginia school districts to designate up to five days per year (not monthly) without students present for school staff to engage in planning and professional development. These days would be added to the existing school calendar as "noninstructional days" for staff use, specifically to improve instruction, and would count toward the district's required 200-day employment term for staff. The bill directly affects school staff (teachers, administrators) by mandating dedicated time for planning, not students who would be absent on these days. It amends existing law (§18-5-45) to formalize this provision within current school calendar requirements. The bill does not change instructional day lengths or student attendance requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 3161 clarifies and updates verification requirements for sex offenders in West Virginia. It requires all registered sex offenders to verify their address and online information annually (or monthly based on birth month), while sexually violent predators must verify quarterly. The State Police must verify addresses every 90 days for high-risk offenders and annually for others, and may request new fingerprints or photos during verification. The bill does not create new registration rules but streamlines existing processes to ensure accurate and timely updates to public registries.

Maddy summaryHB 3107 creates West Virginia's State Black Lung Program to provide pain and suffering benefits to coal miners diagnosed with black lung disease (occupational pneumoconiosis). It establishes automatic eligibility for miners with 10+ years of mining exposure in West Virginia over a 15-year period, eliminating the need for total disability proof. Benefits include a $200 monthly base payment plus $15 per additional year of exposure (calculated by work hours), with a tax credit against state income tax. The program is funded by a 0.1x increase on existing severance taxes for coal, natural gas, oil, and electricity generated by solar/wind sources, deposited into the State Black Lung Fund. This bill directly affects current and former West Virginia coal miners with qualifying exposure.