Del. Elías Coop-González

Maddy summaryHB 4103 requires all West Virginia public elementary and secondary schools to display a specific, durable poster or framed copy of the Ten Commandments in every classroom by the 2026-2027 school year. The display must measure at least 16x20 inches, include the exact wording from Exodus 20 (King James Version), and be visible from any point in the classroom. Schools without compliant displays must accept private donations meeting these specifications or replace existing displays using public funds. The bill also mandates that unused displays be offered as donations to other public schools. This policy directly affects all West Virginia public K-12 schools and their classroom environments.

Maddy summaryHB 4105 requires West Virginia public schools and universities to provide information about adoption as an option for unplanned pregnancy whenever contraception or sexually transmitted infection (STI) topics are taught or discussed. It mandates that educational institutions include current adoption practices and state resources for adoption support during health education that covers these subjects. The bill integrates adoption information into existing health curricula without creating new standalone programs, aligning with the state's health content standards. It takes effect July 1, 2026, and supersedes conflicting laws.

Maddy summaryHB 4104, the American Civics and History Act, requires all West Virginia public schools to teach at least one semester of U.S. history, one semester of U.S. and West Virginia government, and one semester of American civics before eighth and twelfth grades. The courses must cover government structures (like separation of powers and federalism), analyze political ideologies (including democracy and socialism) using primary sources such as the Constitution and Federalist Papers, and emphasize interactive learning like debates. All instructional materials must be reviewed and approved by the West Virginia Department of Education every four years, with factual errors corrected before use. The bill supplements existing curriculum requirements without replacing them, focusing on factual accuracy and balanced discussion.

Maddy summaryHB 4048 prohibits unlicensed organizations from placing children for adoption or advertising such services. It makes it a felony to sell or barter children for adoption (with penalties up to $5,000 fines or 14 years imprisonment) and a misdemeanor for unlicensed entities to handle child placements (with fines up to $5,000 or 1 year jail). The bill requires all organizations placing children for adoption to hold a valid license from West Virginia’s Department of Human Services. It specifically exempts birth parents from these restrictions while targeting unlicensed operators. The law aims to prevent illegal adoption practices by establishing clear licensing requirements and criminal penalties.

Maddy summaryHB 4101 would exempt married couples and surviving spouses with four or more children from paying West Virginia state income tax. The exemption applies to tax years beginning January 1, 2027, and automatically starts when a family claims their fourth dependent child on their state tax return. Once in effect, the exemption continues for all future tax years in which the family files as married or surviving spouse. This policy change would eliminate state income tax liability for qualifying families starting in 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 4102 requires all publicly-funded medical schools in West Virginia to teach specific evidence-based, life-saving medical procedures. This includes abortion pill reversal (using progesterone within 72 hours of taking mifepristone), ectopic pregnancy treatment, miscarriage management, and perinatal hospice care. The bill mandates these topics be part of standard curriculum, with schools failing to comply risking loss of state funding after review by the Legislative Oversight Commission. It directly affects medical schools receiving state, local, or federal funding. The law cites public health and safety as justification, focusing on required teaching content rather than outcomes.

Maddy summaryHB 4100 requires all West Virginia public, private, parochial, and denominational schools to include specific instruction on human growth and development related to pregnancy and fetal development in health education courses for grades 6-12. The bill establishes a new curriculum called the "Baby Olivia Act" and specifies guidelines for presenting this content. It authorizes the West Virginia Attorney General to sue for violations and impose civil penalties. The bill directly affects school curricula statewide and amends existing education code sections governing required courses.

Maddy summaryHB 4047 removes the 6% sales tax on prepared food purchased from vending machines or money-operated machines in West Virginia, effective January 1, 2027. This change directly affects consumers buying snacks or drinks from vending machines and the businesses operating those machines, as they will no longer collect or remit sales tax on these items. The bill amends existing tax code sections to explicitly exclude vending machine food sales from the standard taxable category, while maintaining tax on other food purchases and all other taxable goods. The policy change simplifies tax collection for vending operations and reduces costs for consumers buying food from these machines.

Maddy summaryHB 4083 prohibits physicians in West Virginia from providing gender reassignment surgery or gender-altering medication to individuals under 18 years old. It allows exceptions only for medically verified disorders of sex development (DSD), treatment of complications from prior gender transition procedures, or immediate life-threatening conditions. Violating this prohibition would result in license revocation for physicians and allow affected individuals to sue for damages, including costs of subsequent care. The bill defines "gender transition" as changing from identifying with one's sex assigned at birth and specifies that "sex" means male or female as observed at birth, with exceptions for DSD conditions under medical verification. The bill is currently pending in the House Judiciary Committee and would take effect in 2024.

Maddy summaryHB 4164, the "Election integrity and People’s vote protection act," requires poll workers at each West Virginia precinct to manually count physical ballots using the electronic voting machines' printed audit trail after polls close on election day. This manual count must be reconciled with the electronic tally to verify accuracy and detect discrepancies, involving election officials and authorized observers. The bill directly affects poll workers, county election offices, and the Secretary of State, who must develop training for implementation. It mandates this process for all elections using electronic voting machines, aiming to enhance transparency without changing voting methods.