Del. Mickey Petitto

Maddy summaryHB 3328 requires hospitals and healthcare facilities to provide effective communication tools for deaf or hard-of-hearing patients and their families when ASL interpreters aren't available on staff. Specifically, facilities must offer technology like hearing loops, captioning services, or video relay systems to enable communication. The bill also mandates that any ASL interpreters used must be approved by the West Virginia Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. This applies to all hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, and extended care centers under West Virginia law, aligning with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Maddy summaryHB 3077 creates a tax credit for West Virginia employers who hire interns or apprentices in high-demand fields like manufacturing, healthcare, IT, and skilled trades (e.g., electricians, welders). Employers receive a 50% credit on wages paid (up to $10,000 per trainee annually), with a maximum $150,000 total credit per business yearly. The credit excludes retail, food service, administrative roles, and non-technical positions. Employers must apply for certification through the West Virginia Department of Economic Development to claim the credit and report trainee details annually.

Maddy summaryHB 3329 amends West Virginia law to strengthen penalties for sex offenses against children under 12 and for filming minors in sexually explicit conduct. It mandates prison sentences without probation for sex offenses involving force, weapons, or moving the victim, with a minimum 20-year sentence for first offenses. Repeat offenders face life imprisonment without parole. The bill also increases penalties for filming minors in sexually explicit conduct, imposing fines up to $10,000 or up to 10 years in prison for violations.

Maddy summaryHB 3220 creates a statewide moratorium on public school closures and consolidations in West Virginia, except for cases of catastrophic structural failure or unresolved safety hazards. It requires the West Virginia Department of Education to review closures considered over the past five years and propose changes to the school funding formula that would prevent at least 80% of those closures based on financial or operational factors. The moratorium remains in effect until the legislature receives the proposed formula and takes action on it. This directly affects all West Virginia public school districts and students by delaying closure decisions pending the new funding approach.

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 3300 requires medical professionals to ask patients in advance before appointments or procedures whether they consent to being treated by a medical resident (trainee) or having a resident observe. If a patient declines, a licensed physician must provide care instead, but this does not apply in emergencies. The bill directly affects patients receiving routine care in non-emergency settings and aims to ensure patient comfort and trust in their care team. It mandates that facilities obtain this consent prior to treatment, with no impact on emergency care. The law creates a concrete policy change by making advance consent for resident treatment mandatory.

Maddy summaryHB 3218 creates a tax credit program to incentivize the rehabilitation of underutilized commercial, industrial, and residential properties across West Virginia. Businesses and property owners who invest at least $250,000 in renovation, increase property value by 30%, and create or sustain five full-time jobs within three years can claim a 25% tax credit (up to $2 million) on eligible costs for business and occupation or corporate income tax, plus a 50% property tax credit on increased value for up to five years. Additional credits of up to 15% are available for projects in rural or distressed areas (10%) or for brownfield/historic properties (5% each). The bill also establishes a fast-track permitting process for qualifying projects to streamline development approvals within 90 days.

Maddy summaryHB 3219 would allow certain nonviolent offenders, including those convicted of specific drug offenses currently classified as violent under West Virginia law, to carry firearms. The bill amends §61-7-7 by removing the requirement that these drug offenses (listed in §60A-4-401-403 and §60A-4-409-417) be treated as violent, thereby eliminating the five-year waiting period for reinstating firearm rights after release from incarceration. This change would directly affect individuals with past nonviolent drug convictions who are currently barred from possessing firearms under current law. The bill also clarifies that law enforcement may not infringe on the right to bear arms for nonprohibited individuals over 21 years old.

Maddy summaryHB 3171, the "Citizen and State Accountability Act," requires state and local government agencies to seek the Governor's approval before accepting certain grants. For grants over $1 million (defined as "major grants"), agencies must submit a detailed 60-day analysis covering costs, policy impacts, and compliance requirements to the Governor and a fiscal office. For smaller grants ($1 million or less, "minor grants"), agencies must notify the Governor one week before applying. The bill mandates public reporting of all grant applications and requires the Governor to provide written consent for major grants or block minor grants entirely, with all grant details recorded in a public database.

Maddy summaryHB 3217 requires the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to notify the public within 24 hours of any hazardous spill into state waters - including rivers, wells, or groundwater - released by entities like industrial facilities or chemical handlers. The bill mandates notifications include the spill location, substance type and quantity, health/environmental risks (like drinking water impacts), public precautions (e.g., water use restrictions), and cleanup steps, delivered via DEP websites, media, and emergency alerts. It also requires spill-reporting entities to immediately notify the DEP and Emergency Management Division, with potential civil penalties for failures to report. The DEP must maintain a public online database tracking all spills and remediation efforts. This directly affects environmental agencies, spill-causing entities, and communities near affected waterways.