Del. Elliott Pritt

Maddy summaryHB 2492 creates a separate pay category for non-uniform administrative staff within West Virginia's Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, directly affecting these employees. It mandates a 3% salary adjustment for eligible staff with three or more years of continuous service, effective July 1, 2025, with future adjustments for newer hires after they reach three years. Funding for these increases comes from the division's general revenue appropriations, and the bill allows employees to exceed standard pay grade maximums if the adjustment pushes them above the limit. The bill aims to address recruitment and retention challenges for these specific correctional facility staff.

Maddy summaryHJR 15 is a constitutional amendment proposal (not a law) that would allow West Virginia lawmakers to create a future tax exemption for owner-occupied homes without mortgages. If adopted, it would permit the legislature to exempt from property taxes the value of residential property (including mobile homes) occupied by the owner as their primary residence, provided the property has no mortgage and the owner is a West Virginia citizen. The exemption would apply only to homes without mortgages - taxes would resume if a mortgage is later obtained. This amendment requires voter approval at the 2025 general election and does not change current tax appraisal processes. It is currently in the early legislative stage, referred to the House Finance Committee.

Maddy summaryHB 2487 would eliminate West Virginia's twice-yearly clock changes by making Eastern Standard Time the permanent official time for all state government operations. Starting July 1, 2025, public schools, colleges, state agencies, and local governments would operate year-round on Eastern Standard Time instead of switching to daylight saving time. The bill amends state law to replace all references to daylight saving time with Eastern Standard Time after that effective date.

Maddy summaryHB 2476 would increase all West Virginia state teacher salaries by 25% across every salary scale, effective for the 2024-2025 school year and continuing annually. This bill directly affects all public school teachers in the state, raising base pay rates shown in the State Minimum Salary Schedule table. The legislation amends existing law to implement this across-the-board increase, replacing current salary figures with new rates calculated at 125% of the existing amounts. It also maintains existing provisions for special education and math teachers (adding three years of experience for salary purposes) and the $600 annual payment for teachers with 20+ years of experience.

Maddy summaryHB 2498 requires all public and private utilities in West Virginia (including water, electricity, and gas providers) that receive a rate increase approved by the West Virginia Public Service Commission to set aside 5% of the new revenue from that increase into a dedicated "infrastructure improvement fund." This fund must be used *only* for physical infrastructure repairs and upgrades (such as water lines, power transmission lines, or treatment facilities), not for routine maintenance or general operations. Crucially, utilities cannot pass the cost of funding this reserve onto consumers through future rate hikes or fees. The bill directly affects utility companies receiving rate approvals and aims to create a dedicated source of funding for infrastructure improvements without increasing customer bills.

Maddy summaryHB 2500 modifies West Virginia law to prevent school districts from re-advertising teaching vacancies after making a good-faith job offer to a qualified applicant who has accepted the position. It specifically requires that for classroom teaching roles, if a principal and faculty senate both recommend the same candidate, the school board must appoint that candidate without applying other hiring criteria. The bill also clarifies seniority rules for teachers, including how it’s calculated based on full-time certified employment and special provisions for identical seniority dates (requiring random selection). These changes directly affect school districts, principals, faculty senates, and teachers applying for classroom positions.

Maddy summaryHB 2504 prevents West Virginia counties or school officials from blocking teachers from using modern fundraising methods like online crowd-sourcing. The bill amends existing law to explicitly state that no county board member, officer, or administrator may stop teachers from raising funds through these current methods. Schools must publicly announce such fundraising efforts and designate the generated funds before starting, treating them as school system "quasipublic funds." This directly affects teachers seeking to fund classroom materials or activities through non-traditional channels, without requiring county approval for their chosen methods.

Maddy summaryHB 2474 would increase the minimum monthly pay for all West Virginia state school service personnel by 25% across every salary grade. This affects non-teaching school support staff, including aides, custodians, cafeteria workers, and other classified roles listed in the bill's pay scale schedule. The bill amends existing law to set new minimum pay rates effective July 1, 2024, applying the 25% increase uniformly to all existing pay grades (A-H) and experience levels. The change directly affects thousands of state school support workers by raising their baseline compensation.

Maddy summaryHB 2483 allows West Virginia county school boards to remove students deemed "chronically disruptive" from public schools for one year and provide their parents or guardians with a proportional share of the student's education funding. A student is defined as chronically disruptive if they commit physical abuse plus four or more verbal abuse incidents (as verified by educators), with different requirements for elementary vs. secondary grades. Parents must use the funds solely for the student's homeschooling or approved alternative education, and misuse incurs a 15% penalty. The student must be reevaluated after one year for potential return to public school, and the policy excludes foster care or state wards.

Maddy summaryHB 2490 requires the West Virginia Division of Corrections to provide every individual released from a correctional facility with a physical copy of their birth certificate and a physical copy of their Social Security Administration card. This applies specifically to probationers upon their release, directly affecting individuals transitioning from incarceration back into the community. The bill mandates that these two essential documents be provided as a standard part of the release process, without requiring additional court orders or documentation. This policy change aims to help released individuals access critical services like employment, housing, and government benefits that typically require these documents. The requirement takes effect upon release from any Division of Corrections facility.