Del. Buck Jennings

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 summaryWest Virginia's House Concurrent Resolution 84 is a symbolic statement opposing China's misuse of UN Resolution 2758 to exclude Taiwan from international organizations. It clarifies that UNGA Resolution 2758 only addresses which government represents "China" in the UN and never intended to settle Taiwan's political status. The resolution urges the UN to stop using the resolution to deny Taiwan participation in UN bodies and reaffirms that the U.S. "one China policy" does not recognize China's claim over Taiwan. It emphasizes that UNGA Resolution 2758 does not prevent Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations like the WHO or ICAO. As a concurrent resolution, it has no legal force but expresses legislative position on diplomatic matters.

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.

Maddy summaryHB 3216 requires West Virginia poll workers to manually count physical ballots at each precinct after voting ends, using the printed audit trail from electronic voting machines. This applies to all precincts conducting elections statewide and mandates that poll workers reconcile the manual count with the electronic tally to verify accuracy. The bill also requires transparency by allowing observers to witness the count, securely storing all records, and providing training for election staff on these procedures. It does not change voting methods or eligibility but adds a verification step to election processes.

Maddy summaryHB 3175 prohibits public utilities (such as gas, water, and electric companies) from using funds paid by ratepayers to make political contributions or charitable donations. The bill bans these contributions to political candidates, campaigns, political action committees, and charitable organizations. Violations would be classified as criminal offenses with penalties. This applies to all public utilities operating in West Virginia under the state's regulatory code.

Maddy summaryHB 2369 amends West Virginia law to limit parents to one improvement period per child in abuse or neglect cases where a child is in foster care. It requires the state to seek termination of parental rights if a parent fails to complete this single improvement period, which is the final opportunity to address issues before rights can be terminated. The bill clarifies that courts may not grant additional improvement periods after the first one, directly affecting parents whose children have been removed due to abuse, neglect, or other specified circumstances. This change streamlines proceedings by removing repeated extensions, ensuring cases move toward resolution more promptly.

Maddy summaryHB 3208 reduces the required contracted teaching days for West Virginia teachers from 180 to 160 per year, creating 20 additional days. It mandates that school districts provide built-in breaks during the fall and spring semesters for teachers, to be scheduled after standardized testing. The bill explicitly states these breaks must use the 20 days freed by the reduced teaching day requirement. Student instructional days remain at 180 days, and the policy does not apply to days lost due to teacher strikes. This change directly affects teachers and school districts by altering the academic calendar structure.

Maddy summaryHB 3113 increases the percentage of precincts required to undergo manual ballot audits during election canvassing in West Virginia. The bill mandates that a higher random selection of precincts (beyond the current threshold) must have voter-verified paper ballots manually counted. If discrepancies exceed 1% or change the election outcome in an audited precinct, all ballots in that precinct must be manually recounted, with the manual count becoming the official record. This directly affects election officials conducting canvasses and candidates who may demand recounts. The bill amends existing election code sections to implement these audit requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 3114 prohibits lobbyists from receiving compensation for lobbying West Virginia state officials on behalf of designated "foreign adversaries," such as governments of China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, and other entities listed in the bill. It requires lobbyists representing these entities to self-identify as agents of foreign adversaries and creates penalties including civil fines, court-ordered return of payments ("disgorgement"), and injunctive relief for violations. The bill defines "foreign adversaries" broadly to include specific countries, terrorist organizations, and entities controlled by them, with the list updated annually by the Secretary of Homeland Security. It directly affects lobbyists and lobbying firms working with these designated foreign entities within West Virginia. The bill is currently in the introduction phase, having been filed with the House Judiciary Committee on March 4, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 3124 would increase West Virginia's homestead property tax exemption from $20,000 to $40,000 of a home's assessed value for qualifying homeowners. It directly affects residents aged 65 or older, or those certified as permanently and totally disabled, who own and occupy their homes as primary residences. The bill changes the exemption amount in Section 11-6B-3 of the state code, applying to the first $40,000 of assessed value (instead of $20,000) for eligible homeowners meeting residency requirements. The change would reduce property tax bills for qualifying homeowners but does not alter the existing eligibility criteria or residency rules. The bill was introduced on March 4, 2025, and referred to the House Finance Committee.