Del. Ian Masters

Maddy summaryHB 2397 prohibits immediate family members (such as spouses, parents, or children) from serving in fiduciary roles - like financial or legal representatives - for the same government agency. This directly affects government employees and officials who might have family members working in comparable positions within their department. The law creates a clear restriction preventing family members from holding these trust-based roles simultaneously within one agency. The bill was signed into law by the Governor on April 25, 2025, and became Chapter 139 of the 2025 Regular Session statutes.

Maddy summaryHB 2871 creates new vehicular homicide offenses (including aggravated versions and those occurring in school/construction zones) and expands criminal protections to embryos. It establishes specific fines, penalties, and automatic driver's license revocation for convictions related to these offenses. The bill also links these new crimes to commercial driver's license disqualification, insurance policy cancellation, and updated definitions in juvenile court proceedings. This directly affects drivers involved in fatal crashes, insurance companies, and law enforcement handling traffic-related deaths.

Maddy summaryHB 2358 sets specific timelines for postmortem examinations in West Virginia. It requires autopsies requested by prosecutors or courts to be completed within 72 hours of a death being received by the medical examiner's office, and mandates that autopsy reports be provided to prosecutors within 24 hours of completion. The bill also requires medical examiners to notify the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome program in infant deaths where SIDS is suspected and to report drug overdose deaths to the Controlled Substances Monitoring Program. These provisions directly affect medical examiners, prosecutors, hospitals (for quality review), physicians, and public health programs.

Maddy summaryHB 2054 limits the liability of vendors selling food or agricultural products at private farmers markets for certain claims, such as foodborne illness or product defects. It directly affects vendors operating at these markets by shielding them from lawsuits related to food safety or product issues under specific conditions. The law creates a clear legal standard, ensuring vendors aren't held personally liable for such matters when selling directly to consumers at private market locations.

Maddy summaryHB 2349 requires opioid treatment programs licensed under West Virginia law to offer long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), such as IUDs or implants, to patients receiving methadone or suboxone treatment. This applies directly to patients in medication-assisted treatment programs and the facilities operating those programs. The bill amends licensing rules (§16B-13-3 and §16B-13-5) to mandate that facilities provide information about and access to LARC options as part of their standard services. It does not specify which contraception methods must be offered, only that facilities must make LARC available to eligible patients.

Maddy summaryHCR 100 is a non-binding request to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study hospital pricing transparency and cooperative agreements in West Virginia. The resolution asks the committee to examine current hospital price disclosure requirements, compliance with transparency laws, hospital mergers' impact on pricing, and the role of federal oversight agencies. This study will assess whether current policies foster competition, reduce healthcare costs, and improve patient outcomes. The committee is required to report findings and potential legislative recommendations to the Legislature by 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 2816 clarifies that secondary legal sources - such as textbooks, treatises, or scholarly articles - do not constitute binding law or public policy in West Virginia. It specifies these sources are only persuasive when addressing causes of action, rights, or remedies, and only if they align with existing state law. The bill also allows circuit courts to certify novel legal questions (issues of "first impression") to the Supreme Court of Appeals for resolution. This directly affects courts and legal practitioners by setting clear boundaries for when external legal commentary may influence judicial decisions.

Maddy summaryHCR 88 is a ceremonial resolution honoring two West Virginia first responders nominated for the Medal of Valor. It specifically recognizes Captain Donald Lawson (New Martinsville Police) for rescuing two people from carbon monoxide poisoning despite his own hospitalization, and Darrell Lambert (Lake Volunteer Firefighter) for entering a burning building without protective gear to save a trapped resident, sustaining burns in the process. The resolution formally confirms the Legislature's approval of their award and directs the House Clerk to send a copy to Governor Morrisey. This is a symbolic honor with no new policy or funding changes, directly affecting only these two nominees. It passed unanimously in both chambers on April 3, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis resolution requests that the West Virginia Division of Highways name a specific segment of Route 20 in Webster County (from the Upshur/Webster County line to Mount Zion Road) as the "U.S. Army Sergeant Major Charles Grant Hoke Memorial Road." It commemorates Sergeant Major Charles Grant Hoke, a WWII and Korean War veteran with multiple military awards, who was born in Upshur County and raised in Cleveland, Webster County. The resolution asks the Division of Highways to install signs identifying this road segment and directs the House Clerk to forward the resolution to the agency. This is a commemorative measure with no funding or policy changes, directly affecting the named road segment in Webster County.

Maddy summaryThis concurrent resolution requests that West Virginia's Division of Highways rename bridge number 53-032/003.45 in Wirt County (locally known as the Peewee Pony Truss) as the "U.S. Army PFC Roy Lee Hill Memorial Bridge" and install identifying signs. It commemorates Roy Lee Hill, a WWII veteran who served in the Pacific theater, lived in the local community, and died in 1978. The bill directly affects the bridge's official designation and signage. As a naming resolution, it has no policy mechanisms beyond this commemorative request.