Del. Roger Hanshaw

Maddy summaryThis bill (HCR 11) is a concurrent resolution requesting the West Virginia Division of Highways to rename Bridge Number 54-014/00-013.22 (locally known as the Fifth Street Bridge) in Wood County as the "Thomas A. Azinger Memorial Bridge." It directly affects the bridge signage and official designation for the structure carrying WV 014 over the Little Kanawha River. The resolution, adopted by the House and referred to the Senate, formally commemorates Delegate Thomas A. Azinger, a former West Virginia House member who served from 1994-2012 and 2018, and passed away in July 2024.

Maddy summaryHCR 94 is a request for the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study establishing an artificial intelligence (AI) elective course in West Virginia public high schools. The study would assess current AI education programs, identify gaps in student access, evaluate funding options, analyze AI’s impact on future industries, and recommend legislative or partnership actions. If implemented, the proposed course would teach foundational AI concepts (like machine learning), practical applications in fields like business and defense, and hands-on tool usage. This resolution does not create the course but asks for a study to inform future decisions. The committee must report findings by the 2026 legislative session.

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 summaryHB 3417 would require the West Virginia State Police to cover the cost of incarcerating individuals they arrest until those individuals are convicted of a crime or released. Currently, counties pay for the incarceration of people arrested by local law enforcement, but this bill shifts that financial responsibility to the state police for arrests they make. The bill amends state law to specify that when an inmate is arrested by the state police, the state police must pay the per diem cost for housing in a jail facility. This change would directly affect the state police budget and reduce counties' financial obligations for cases initiated by the state police.

Maddy summaryHB 3410 establishes new rules for regulating power generation facilities and their property taxation in West Virginia. It creates a "certified microgrid program" with specific qualification requirements for microgrid operators, including minimum service terms, and sets methods for property taxation in certified microgrid districts. The bill also defines "high impact business development districts" where electricity generation must be certified, limits the number of such districts, and requires Public Service Commission approval for special utility rates for eligible customers. These changes directly affect power generation facilities, business development districts, and microgrid operators seeking certification under the new framework.

Maddy summaryHB 3362 increases funding for five existing West Virginia Department of Human Services (DHS) social services divisions by supplementing their current fiscal year 2025 budget allocations. It adds money to specific lines for the Office of the Commissioner, Child Protective Services Case Workers, Social Services Case Workers, Adult Protective Services Case Workers, and Youth Service Case Workers. The bill uses unappropriated surplus funds from the State Fund, General Revenue, to boost their budgets without creating new programs or changing eligibility. This is a routine budget adjustment, not a policy change, affecting DHS staff and the services they provide.

Maddy summaryHB 3355 is a procedural funding bill that increases the existing $3,500,000 appropriation for the West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) operations during fiscal year 2025. It allocates unspent balances from the State Road Fund - identified in the Governor’s budget document - to supplement the DMV’s current expenses line item (Fund 9007, Org 0802). The bill does not create new programs or change DMV services; it simply adds additional funding to the already-planned budget for ongoing DMV operations. This supplemental appropriation is intended for use before the fiscal year ends on June 30, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 3348 adds $25,000 in funding to the West Virginia Board of Licensed Dietitians' existing budget for the 2025 fiscal year. This supplemental appropriation specifically increases the "Personal Services and Employee Benefits" line item under Fund 8680 for the Dietitians Licensure Board (Organization 0936). The bill directly affects the Board of Licensed Dietitians by providing additional resources for its operational costs during fiscal year 2025. It does not create new policy or alter licensure requirements, but simply allocates existing unappropriated funds to the Board's designated account.

Maddy summaryThis bill adds $500,000 from the state's unappropriated surplus funds to the Division of Culture and History (Department of Arts, Culture, and History) for fiscal year 2025. It directly affects state cultural programs by providing supplemental funding for operations, specifically noted as "ARCH Outdoor" in the bill title. The funding is allocated from the General Revenue fund (account 0293) to support existing cultural and historical initiatives. As a procedural budget adjustment, it does not create new policy but modifies existing appropriations.

Maddy summaryHB 3353 adds $1,000,000 in supplemental funding to the Department of Commerce's iHub program for fiscal year 2025, using unexpended funds previously allocated to the "Jobs for WV Graduates" initiative. This funding, designated as a "Directed Transfer" under appropriation 70000, will specifically support the iHub's operations within the Department of Commerce. The bill redirects these existing unappropriated funds (from a prior program's surplus) to the iHub, rather than creating new spending. This is a routine budget adjustment to reallocate unused state funds for a specific program, not a new policy change.