Del. Hollis Lewis

Maddy summaryHB 5271 would require county boards of education in West Virginia to provide full-time employees with three months of paid leave following the birth of a child, or the placement of a child through adoption or foster care. This leave would be in addition to any other leave benefits employees currently receive. The bill amends existing law to explicitly guarantee this paid leave for all full-time employees (both male and female) working for county school districts. It does not change existing personal leave policies but adds this specific benefit for parental and adoption/foster care situations.

Maddy summaryHB 5270 requires West Virginia public high schools participating in sports, ROTC, or performing arts to employ at least one licensed athletic trainer full-time. The bill mandates that county school boards fund this position using local budgets, levies, or other available funds, and the trainer must be certified by the West Virginia Board of Physical Therapy. Key provisions include requiring trainers to handle specialized health procedures like concussion evaluations and musculoskeletal injury management, while ensuring compliance with state athletic policies on concussions and emergency plans. This directly affects all high school athletic programs across the state by establishing a baseline for on-site medical care during sports activities.

Maddy summaryHB 5237 creates a mechanism for the Governor to borrow up to $50 million from the Revenue Shortfall Reserve Fund into the Unemployment Compensation Fund if the fund's balance falls below $50 million within 30 days, as projected by Workforce West Virginia. The borrowed funds must be used solely to pay unemployment benefits and repaid within 180 days without interest from excess funds in the Unemployment Trust Fund. This bill directly affects unemployed workers by preventing benefit payment disruptions during short-term fund shortages. It applies only when the fund balance drops below $50 million, requiring a formal projection and limiting borrowing to $50 million or the amount needed to maintain that minimum balance. The provision expires on September 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 5204, the Child Captivity Prevention Act, requires West Virginia county school boards to notify the Department of Human Services (DHS) when a family relocates to the state and plans to homeschool their child. DHS must then schedule a non-intrusive home visit to assess the child's well-being and safety, which may include a brief, private conversation with the child if consent is given. The visit aims to identify immediate safety concerns without interfering with lawful homeschooling or parental rights, and any further investigation would follow standard abuse/neglect protocols. All information collected is confidential, and the law explicitly states it does not require parental relocation approval or diminish constitutional rights.

Maddy summaryHB 5239 raises West Virginia's minimum base salary for public school teachers to $50,000 annually, directly affecting all teachers in the state's public school system. The bill amends the state's salary schedule to establish $50,000 as the new minimum starting point for all teachers, regardless of experience level or degree. This change replaces the current lowest salary tier (which was $36,597 for entry-level teachers with zero experience) with a uniform $50,000 floor across all teaching positions. The policy applies to all school districts and takes effect for the 2026-2027 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 5249 would amend West Virginia's Hope Scholarship Program to prohibit the use of state funds for private school tuition or educational services provided by out-of-state schools or providers. This change directly affects families who currently use Hope Scholarship funds to pay for education at schools or services located outside West Virginia. The bill restricts all scholarship funds to only in-state private schools and educational service providers within West Virginia. As a result, families seeking to use state-funded scholarships for out-of-state education would no longer be eligible for that funding.

Maddy summaryHB 5267 requires West Virginia correctional facilities to assist both juvenile and adult offenders in obtaining three essential identity documents - Social Security number/card, birth certificate, and driver's license - before their release. This applies to all inmates except those convicted of unlawful vehicle operation offenses. The bill amends §15A-3-4 of the state code to mandate this assistance as part of the commissioner’s duties, ensuring these documents are provided prior to release. The policy directly affects individuals transitioning from incarceration back into communities by addressing a common barrier to employment and housing. It focuses on concrete administrative changes within correctional facilities, without specifying outcomes or broader program impacts.

Maddy summaryHB 5247 establishes a three-year pilot program in West Virginia schools to provide mental and behavioral health services as an alternative to suspending students for disruptive behavior. It directly affects students with disruptive behaviors, their families, and participating schools that already operate school-based health centers or have implemented the state's "expanded school mental health framework." Schools in the pilot must offer mental health services through direct hire or contracts, accept referrals from school discipline or courts, conduct assessments, involve families, and bill insurance or the school for services. The program aims to redirect students toward support instead of punishment while ensuring services are available for all levels of need.

Maddy summaryHB 5248 creates a statewide initiative to recruit minorities, males, and individuals from rural, isolated, or impoverished areas into public education careers in West Virginia. The bill requires the State Board of Education and county school boards to develop outreach programs (including informational materials and website content) about teacher preparation programs. It also establishes a scholarship fund to support individuals from these underrepresented groups pursuing teaching careers, with academic ability as the primary selection criterion. The scholarship aims to address teacher shortages by incentivizing new educators from these specific demographics.

Maddy summaryThis House Resolution (HR 11) encourages West Virginia's K-12 students to design a new state highway route number shield for the 2026 anniversaries of the U.S. founding (250th) and the U.S. numbered highway system (100th). It directs the West Virginia Division of Highways and Department of Tourism to hold a statewide student design competition, requiring the shield to maintain federal safety standards for legibility while incorporating West Virginia identity. The winning design would be implemented gradually on state highways starting July 2027, replacing existing signs only as they wear out, and the student designer would receive legislative recognition. The resolution is procedural and non-binding, focusing on celebration and civic engagement rather than new policy.