Del. Dana Ferrell

Maddy summaryHB 3501, titled the "West Virginia Abolishment of Wholesaling Act," prohibits real estate brokers and salespersons from engaging in wholesaling - reselling property quickly without making improvements or holding title. It directly affects licensed real estate professionals who currently use assignment contracts to transfer purchase agreements for profit. The bill defines "wholesaling" as selling or assigning a contract to buy property without acting as a broker, with exceptions for owners, attorneys, auctioneers, and banks. The law would require brokers to comply with standard real estate transaction rules instead of the current wholesale practice.

Maddy summaryHB 2635 sets specific classroom size limits for West Virginia public schools in kindergarten through sixth grade, requiring counties to maintain ratios of no more than 20 students per teacher in kindergarten (with one aide for classes over 10 students) and 25 students per teacher in grades 1-6 (with aides for grades 1-3 starting 2023-2026). It mandates that if classrooms exceed these limits, they must be split into two equally sized classes by the 2025-2026 school year to preserve aide coverage and individualized teacher time. County boards must implement these changes or use full/part-time interventionists as alternatives, and teachers in oversized classrooms face additional pay based on the excess student count. The bill directly affects K-6 public schools, teachers, and aides across West Virginia, with compliance deadlines phased through 2026.

Maddy summaryHJR 40 proposes a constitutional amendment to change how members of the West Virginia State Board of Education are selected. It would replace the current system of nine appointed members with a hybrid model: five members elected on a partisan basis from five geographic regions (serving staggered four-year terms), and four members appointed by the Governor with Senate consent. The amendment would require the Board to submit any rules or policies they create to the Legislature for review, approval, amendment, or rejection. If approved by voters in the 2026 general election, these changes would take effect with the 2028 general election, modifying the current appointment system for the Board.

Maddy summaryHB 3469 would provide a $3,000 annual salary increase for West Virginia State Police troopers serving in field duty, effective July 1, 2025. This applies to troopers in ranks like trooper, senior trooper, trooper first class, and corporal as listed in the current salary schedule. The bill amends §15-2-5 of West Virginia law to add this amount to each position's base pay. The change directly affects field-duty troopers, not administrative staff or forensic lab personnel.

Maddy summaryHB 3414 automatically establishes a $100 Smart 529 savings account for every newborn in West Virginia who resides in the state at birth or is adopted by West Virginia residents. The bill requires the Department of Human Services to share birth data with the State Treasurer within 90 days of birth, triggering the grant to cover college costs at eligible institutions. It creates the "Mountaineer Scholars Grant Program," with funds drawn from the Savings Plan Trust Fund to provide one-time grants plus investment earnings for qualified higher education expenses. The program applies to children born after December 31, 2024, and excludes parents who opt out.

Maddy summaryHCR 92 is a non-binding legislative resolution prohibiting compensation for assisting veterans with benefits applications, except as permitted under federal law. It bans charging fees for preparing, presenting, or advising on veterans' benefits claims, guaranteeing specific benefit amounts, or charging excessive fees. The resolution requires written agreements meeting federal fee standards (38 CFR §14.636) before any assistance is provided. It aims to protect veterans from exploitative fees when seeking benefits support.

Maddy summaryHB 2774, the "Coach Protection Act," amends West Virginia law to increase penalties for assault and battery against athletic officials and participants during sports events. It establishes minimum jail terms (5 days for assault, 10 days for battery) and fines ($250-$500 for assault, $500-$1,000 for battery), explicitly defining "athletic official or participant" to include coaches, referees, players, and team supervisors. The bill also authorizes school boards to ban convicted offenders from all state school sports events for at least one year, with violations treated as trespassing. This directly affects individuals who commit violence at sports events, schools enforcing bans, and participants in organized sports.

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 summaryThis bill (HB 3323) requires healthcare providers, law enforcement, and emergency responders to report overdose data within 24 hours to the Office of Drug Control Policy. The collected data will populate a public dashboard tracking non-fatal and fatal overdoses, opioid antagonist use, drug types, and treatment outcomes - including location, demographics, and trends - to inform resource allocation and program effectiveness. It does not expand diversion programs to include felonies, as mistakenly implied in the title; the actual provisions focus solely on overdose reporting and data transparency. The bill mandates a daily-updated public dashboard with visualizations, including overdose hotspots and medication-assisted treatment coordination. This policy change directly affects hospitals, first responders, and law enforcement agencies by requiring standardized data reporting.

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.