Del. John Paul Hott

Maddy summaryHB 4422 permits eighth and ninth-grade students in West Virginia public schools to attend summer school specifically to improve their grades and meet academic eligibility requirements for extracurricular activities (such as sports) in the following fall. The bill amends existing law to explicitly allow this pathway, ensuring students who need grade improvement can participate in summer programs without interference with the regular school year. It does not change summer school program structure or funding but directly affects 8th and 9th graders who risk losing activity eligibility due to academic standing.

Maddy summaryHB 4117 prohibits surprise billing for ground emergency ambulance services by nonparticipating providers in West Virginia. It requires health insurers to pay ambulance providers directly (at the lesser of 400% of Medicare's rate or the provider's billed charges) within 30 days of receiving a clean claim, and bans providers from billing patients for amounts beyond what the insurer requires (like copays or deductibles). This directly affects patients receiving ambulance services, nonparticipating ambulance agencies, and health insurers. The bill ensures patients won’t face unexpected bills for emergency ground ambulance care, with clear payment rules and written denial notices for denied claims.

Maddy summaryHB 4949 establishes rules for West Virginia's regulation of "chemicals of emerging concern," including PFAS (like PFOS/PFOA), microplastics, nanomaterials, and other substances posing potential environmental or health risks. The bill prohibits state rules on these chemicals from being stricter than existing federal standards for the same topic. If no federal rule exists, state regulations must be based on "best available science" and the "weight of scientific evidence," requiring a direct link between chemical exposure and proven human harm (not just risk). This applies to areas like drinking water, air quality, hazardous waste, and contaminated site cleanup, affecting state agencies developing environmental regulations.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to change West Virginia's term limits for county sheriffs. Currently, sheriffs are barred from serving more than two consecutive terms; the amendment would allow them to serve up to three consecutive terms before becoming ineligible. The change would apply to future elections and does not affect current sheriffs serving in 2026. The amendment must be approved by voters in the 2026 general election to take effect.

Maddy summaryHB 4848 requires individuals and organizations spending over $1,000 on election-related activities (like ads supporting or opposing candidates) to disclose detailed information about their spending. This includes listing the names, addresses, occupations, and employers of contributors who gave more than $1,000 for the purpose of the spending, with specific details for individuals and entities. The bill also mandates that last-minute spending (within 12 hours of an election) must be reported within 24 hours. The Secretary of State will compile and publish these disclosures by candidate to increase transparency in election financing.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires West Virginia's wildlife director to propose new rules for hunting antlered deer. The proposed rules would limit licensed hunters to harvesting two antlered deer per season, with the second deer needing at least three points on one antler. These rules would directly affect all hunters with valid deer hunting licenses in West Virginia.

Maddy summaryHB 4553 creates a tuition reimbursement program for West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation employees. It provides 20% annual tuition coverage at state colleges for undergraduate studies, increasing to 100% after five years of continued employment. To qualify, employees must prove employment, apply for other financial aid (like Pell Grants) first, and maintain academic progress. The reimbursement only covers tuition after other aid sources are exhausted, and the state may set additional limits.

Maddy summaryHB 4572 creates a pilot program allowing West Virginia county boards to designate struggling rural public schools as "Rural Innovation Schools" to prevent closures. It provides these schools with specific flexibilities unavailable to traditional public schools, including class-size waivers, staffing flexibility (like certification exemptions and bypassing seniority rules), calendar/scheduling adjustments, budget repurposing authority, and curricular choices - while keeping them under county board governance. Schools must meet criteria like low enrollment, geographic isolation, or recent closure threats to qualify, and must enter a performance agreement with the state charter school board for three-year reviews. The program also allows schools closed within the past two years to apply for reopening under these provisions if facilities are safe and viable.

Maddy summaryHB 4502 authorizes West Virginia's Division of Motor Vehicles to issue a special license plate for autism awareness upon request. Vehicle owners who apply for this plate must pay a one-time $10 application fee and an annual $15 fee, in addition to standard registration costs. The fees collected ($10 initial + $15 yearly) are deposited into the State Road Fund. This voluntary plate option allows drivers to display autism awareness support without changing existing registration requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 4506 allows West Virginia State Police members who joined the retirement system on or after July 1, 2015, to convert their accrued annual or sick leave into additional retirement credit. The bill specifies that each day of leave will count as one day of credited service toward retirement, with remainders of 10 days or more counting as a full month and less than 10 days being disregarded. This provision does not apply to members who joined before July 1, 2015, and the additional credit will not count against the annual service limit of 12 months. The change clarifies that leave-based credit can now be used by newer members under a 1:1 conversion rate.