Del. Hollis Lewis

Maddy summaryHB 2904 clarifies that West Virginia's Lottery Education Fund and Excess Lottery Fund can now be directly used to support early childhood education programs statewide. The bill amends existing law to explicitly include these two lottery funds as allowable sources for financing early childhood education, which county school boards must provide for children who turn four before September 1 (or July 1 starting 2018-2019). This change removes ambiguity about funding eligibility for programs meeting specific requirements, such as providing at least 48,000 annual instructional minutes. The bill directly affects county school boards responsible for implementing these programs, ensuring they can access these dedicated lottery funds.

Maddy summaryHB 2914 authorizes municipal fire departments in West Virginia to use specialized license plates on their vehicles. The bill specifies that these plates must feature blue lettering on a white background with "West Virginia" displayed on top, along with a fire department insignia to clearly identify the vehicle as belonging to a municipal fire department. This change modifies existing vehicle registration rules to add fire departments to the list of entities eligible for distinctive plates, similar to those already provided for law enforcement and county vehicles. The plates must be reflective and affixed to both the front and rear of fire department vehicles, following the design standards set by the Motor Vehicle Commissioner. This is a procedural update to license plate regulations, not a new funding or policy measure.

Maddy summaryHB 2887 would legalize cannabis production, sales, and adult consumption for individuals aged 21 and older in West Virginia, but only after counties hold voter referendums to approve local implementation. It establishes a regulatory framework where the Bureau of Public Health would issue licenses for cultivation, manufacturing, and retail sales, while the Department of Revenue would collect a special excise tax and manage local sales tax revenue for county governments. The bill preserves existing laws prohibiting underage use, driving under the influence, and workplace cannabis use, and requires cannabis products to be labeled and tested like alcohol. It explicitly states this law does not affect the current West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act.

Maddy summaryHB 2911 sets new compensation rates for Guardians Ad Litem (GALs) in cases involving minor settlement proceedings and requires GALs to complete continuing education. The bill amends West Virginia law to establish standardized payment rates for GALs in these specific cases and mandates ongoing training to maintain professional competency. It directly affects GALs appointed in juvenile or family court cases where minors are involved in settlements. The changes aim to standardize payments and ensure GALs meet updated professional requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 2852 establishes a state-administered "West Virginia Portable Insurance Benefit Plan" for residents working as independent contractors. The plan provides insurance coverage that remains with the worker when switching between different hiring parties, rather than being tied to a single employer. Employers may voluntarily contribute to the plan, but these payments cannot be used to determine employment classification or establish employer liability for workers' compensation. The plan is administered by a state director appointed by the governor, with oversight from a finance board, and aims to manage costs while improving healthcare delivery and coverage options.

Maddy summaryHB 2854 would remove marijuana, psilocybin, and tetrahydrocannabinols (THC) from West Virginia's Schedule I of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act. This reclassifies these substances from the most restrictive category to a less restricted status under state law. The bill directly affects medical cannabis patients, providers, and businesses operating under West Virginia's medical marijuana program. The change would allow legal medical use of these substances within the state, aligning with the state's existing medical cannabis framework.

Maddy summaryHB 2768 creates a 17-member Juvenile Justice Reform Oversight Committee to monitor West Virginia's juvenile justice system reforms. The committee, including state officials, court representatives, and community stakeholders, must track youth recidivism rates, calculate state savings from reduced out-of-home placements, and issue annual reports with recommendations for reinvesting those savings into community-based alternatives to incarceration. The bill requires collecting standardized data on program outcomes and mandates the committee to analyze cost savings to fund expanded services for youth who would otherwise be placed in residential facilities. This bill directly affects state agencies managing juvenile justice, youth in the system, and future budget decisions for juvenile services.

Maddy summaryHB 2766 creates a tax credit program to help low-income workers obtain vehicles by providing refundable tax credits to individuals and dealers. It allows individual taxpayers who donate eligible vehicles to qualified charities to receive up to $6,000 per vehicle, and licensed automobile dealers who sell or donate such vehicles to low-income workers to receive up to $6,000 per vehicle based on the discount from fair market value. Eligible vehicles must be safe (no salvage history, no open safety recalls, and with a 90-day warranty) and are provided to workers in households earning at or below 150% of the federal poverty level through qualified charitable organizations. The program has a maximum annual tax credit limit of $300,000 for 2021-2022 and $1 million for subsequent years, with the Tax Commissioner tracking claims.

Maddy summaryHB 2765 amends West Virginia's medical cannabis law by clarifying definitions related to patient eligibility certification. It updates the definition of "certified medical use" to specify that it includes "enabling the patient to tolerate treatment for the serious medical condition" and revises other key terms like "patient," "caregiver," and "continuing care." The bill does not change who qualifies for medical cannabis but refines how eligibility and treatment are documented within the existing program. This procedural update directly affects patients, healthcare providers, and the Bureau for Public Health as they implement certification under the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act. The bill was introduced on February 21, 2025, and referred to the House Health and Human Resources Committee.

Maddy summaryHB 2767 establishes a legal framework for worker cooperative corporations in West Virginia, enabling employee-owned businesses to form under specific rules. It requires these cooperatives to include "This corporation is a worker cooperative corporation" in their articles of incorporation and defines key terms like "capital account cooperative" (where net value is tracked per member) and "patronage" (measured by labor contribution, not stock ownership). The bill outlines how earnings must be distributed based on members' work (e.g., hours, wages, or jobs created) rather than shareholder profit, and allows for capital accounts to manage member equity and redemption terms. This directly affects workers seeking to create or join democratically run businesses focused on local economic stability and employee wealth, not investor profits.