Del. Jeff Stephens

Maddy summaryHB 3266 amends West Virginia's compulsory school attendance law to establish specific requirements for families choosing home instruction. It requires parents to submit a notice of intent, provide proof of educational qualifications (like a high school diploma or college degree), and have children assessed annually through standardized tests, public school testing programs, or certified teacher-reviewed portfolios. The bill also specifies that county boards may deny home instruction requests only after a court order showing clear evidence of educational neglect. This directly affects families opting for home schooling, ensuring they meet state educational standards while maintaining county oversight.

Maddy summaryHB 2883 creates a state-maintained directory of e-cigarette products (ENDS) sold in West Virginia, requiring manufacturers to certify FDA compliance annually. Manufacturers must submit documentation proving their products have FDA marketing authorization or a valid premarket application, pay a $100 fee per product, and list all brands, categories, and flavors. Only products appearing on this publicly accessible directory - updated monthly - can be legally sold, with retailers facing unannounced compliance checks. The Alcohol Beverage Control Administration enforces the rule, imposing fines for violations like selling non-listed products or failing to update certifications. This directly affects e-cigarette manufacturers, retailers, and wholesalers operating in West Virginia.

Maddy summaryHB 3314 would require West Virginia to pay teachers in grades 7-12 an additional $25 per day for each student in their class beyond a 30-student limit, effective for the 2024-2025 school year. This applies to core academic classes but excludes physical education, band, chorus, strings, theater, dance, and other artistic performance courses. The bill amends the state's teacher salary schedule to add this incremental pay for qualifying large classes, without changing base salary rates. It directly affects middle and high school teachers in subject areas with class sizes exceeding 30 students during the 2024-2025 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 3315 adds two new salary increments to West Virginia's teacher pay scale: "Bachelor's Plus 30" (for teachers with a bachelor's degree and 30+ years of experience) and "Master's Plus 60" (for those with a master's degree and 60+ years of experience). These new salary steps will be included in the existing State Minimum Salary Schedule, effective for the 2024-2025 school year and beyond. The bill directly affects teachers who meet these specific degree and experience thresholds, providing them with higher salary placement without altering current pay levels for other experience ranges. It creates two additional columns in the salary table to reflect these new pay tiers for eligible educators.

Maddy summaryHB 2800 requires West Virginia's Public Service Commission (PSC) to survey solid waste collection and transportation fees in border counties by October 1, 2025, and establish an annual maximum rate for these services. It directly affects private commercial waste carriers operating in those border counties, allowing them to adjust fees up to the PSC-set maximum rate. Carriers must provide customers with written notice of any fee increase at least one billing cycle in advance. The bill aims to standardize fees across border counties while giving carriers flexibility within the established rate cap.

Maddy summaryHB 2697 prohibits all state-funded colleges, universities, and community colleges in West Virginia from charging students, former students, or graduates for academic transcripts. The bill directly affects these institutions and their students by banning transcript fees as a standard practice. Key provision: It amends state law to explicitly state that no such institution may impose a fee for issuing transcripts. This is a concrete policy change eliminating a common administrative cost for students. The bill does not alter other fees or services.

Maddy summaryHB 3296 clarifies and strengthens how West Virginia municipalities can address dilapidated or abandoned properties. The bill allows municipalities to locate owners of such properties and report non-compliance to credit agencies, potentially affecting the owner's credit rating. It also requires property owners to cover the costs of demolishing unsafe structures instead of municipalities bearing those expenses. This directly affects property owners of unsafe buildings and local governments responsible for public safety.

Maddy summaryHB 3307 requires non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and nonprofit corporations receiving $100,000 or more in state funding (grants, awards, tax credits, or other support) to limit administrative costs to 15% of that funding. These organizations must submit annual financial reports to the West Virginia State Auditor, including sworn statements verifying funds were used as intended. The bill also mandates an annual audit by the State Auditor for all qualifying NGOs to ensure compliance with the spending limits and reporting requirements. This directly affects nonprofits receiving significant state funds, adding accountability measures to their financial operations.

Maddy summaryHB 3309 would amend West Virginia's retirement law to allow sheriffs in the public retirement system to retire at age 62 with eight years of actual, contributing service, instead of the standard 10 years required for newer members. This change specifically applies to sheriffs who became members through their election as sheriff and are not covered by another retirement plan. The bill creates a separate retirement eligibility standard for sheriffs, lowering the service requirement from 10 to 8 years. This policy directly affects eligible sheriffs by providing an earlier retirement option under the amended law.

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.