Del. Lori Dittman

Maddy summaryHB 5030 modifies West Virginia's tax code to expand tax exemptions for certain public safety pensions. It adds Division of Natural Resources police, deputy sheriffs, full-time firefighters, and municipal police officers to the existing list of law enforcement personnel who can exclude the first $2,000 of retirement benefits from state taxable income. The bill amends §11-21-12(c)(6) of the West Virginia Code to include these roles under the tax-exempt pension provision. This change directly affects current and future retirees in these specific public safety professions by reducing their state income tax burden on pension payments. The policy change is limited to the first $2,000 of qualifying pension income per year, consistent with existing tax rules.

Maddy summaryHB 5047 creates a Mobile Career and Technical Education Classroom Program to address limited access to career training and specialized education in rural and coalfield counties of West Virginia. The program, administered by the state Department of Education, provides funding specifically for converting buses or vehicles into mobile classrooms equipped for career and technical education, workforce training, and fine arts instruction. Funds may cover vehicle conversion, renovation, instructional equipment, and safety modifications, but cannot be used for standard school buses. This initiative prioritizes applications submitted jointly by counties, career centers, or workforce development agencies to expand educational opportunities in underserved communities.

Maddy summaryHB 5020 prohibits individuals on the state sex offender registry, convicted of sexual assault, or convicted of juvenile abuse from entering public school property or attending school events. It directly affects these individuals and requires schools to hold parent-teacher conferences with them via phone or virtual meeting instead of on-site. Violating this ban is a misdemeanor for a first offense (up to six months in jail) and a felony for repeat offenses (one to five years in prison). The bill also allows the State Board of Education to create implementing rules.

Maddy summaryHB 4987 requires all West Virginia public schools serving students in grades K-12 to provide annual evidence-based social inclusion training (at least one hour per year), and schools serving grades 6-12 must also provide annual youth violence prevention training (at least one hour per year). The West Virginia Department of Education must develop and maintain publicly available lists of proven effective programs for both trainings, including no-cost options, with updates every 36 months. Schools may optionally form student-led violence prevention clubs focused on awareness and leadership, though public charter and nonpublic schools can opt out of the training requirements. The bill encourages seeking state or federal funding to cover implementation costs but does not mandate new state spending.

Maddy summaryHB 4870 extends campaign finance report deadlines for West Virginia legislators during legislative sessions. It requires that reports due while the Legislature is in session (regular, extraordinary, or special) be filed seven days after the session ends, instead of the original statutory date. This applies only to legislators and ensures no late fees or penalties are applied for reports filed under this extension. The bill aims to align reporting requirements with legislators' session duties without reducing transparency.

Maddy summaryHB 4856 requires all rebates from state agency purchasing cards (P-cards) to be directed entirely to the PEIA Rainy Day Fund, replacing current allocations. Currently, rebates are split between multiple funds (e.g., Purchasing Improvement Fund, Entrepreneurship Fund, Hatfield-McCoy Authority, and State Parks), but this bill eliminates those other transfers. The bill amends WV Code §12-3-10d to mandate that all remaining rebate funds - after any necessary operational costs - be transferred to the PEIA fund within three days of receipt. This directly affects state agencies using P-cards, as their card spending rebates will now solely support the PEIA fund’s stability.

Maddy summaryHB 4844 modifies West Virginia teachers' personal leave policies. It increases the annual leave without cause from four to five days (effective July 2023), requires 14 days' notice for consecutive days off or 24 hours for non-consecutive days (with exceptions for emergencies), and mandates substitute coverage for classroom absences. The bill also establishes "leave banks" allowing teachers to contribute up to two days annually, which can be used by colleagues with fewer than five accumulated days for illness or accidents, but not for retirement or insurance purposes. These changes directly affect all full-time public school teachers in West Virginia county school districts.

Maddy summaryHB 4478 creates legal immunity for West Virginia racing facilities from certain civil claims by surrounding property owners. It protects facilities operating lawfully for five or more years against lawsuits based on noise, vibration, nuisance, or similar claims brought by owners who acquired property after the facility opened or failed to sue within five years. The bill also prohibits local governments from enacting rules that conflict with this immunity. Key provisions include defining "racing facility" broadly and stating that compliance with state/federal law is prima facie evidence of reasonable operation. The law would take effect immediately upon passage.

Maddy summaryHB 4694 requires West Virginia's Division of Motor Vehicles to deactivate the barcodes on expired or expiring driver's licenses when a person renews their license. This applies to all license holders who present their expired license during renewal, directly affecting businesses selling alcohol or tobacco products by preventing them from using expired licenses for age verification. The bill amends state law to mandate that barcodes on expired licenses become inactive upon renewal, eliminating a potential loophole where expired licenses could still be used to falsely verify age. The purpose is to prevent underage individuals from using expired licenses to purchase age-restricted products.

Maddy summaryHB 4773 would increase the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for retired state employees by 20% - not 15% as the title states - applying to retirees from the Public Employees Retirement System and State Teachers Retirement System who voluntarily retired in good standing. The bill requires the first full payment of this 20% adjustment to be issued by June 30, 2026, with benefits also shared proportionally to eligible beneficiaries. The adjustment is subject to IRS limits and mandates a legislative review every decade to assess future COLA increases.