Del. Mike Hornby

Maddy summaryHB 2734 requires all West Virginia public K-12 schools to display their annual school report cards on their official websites. It also mandates that county boards of education use the state's existing electronic system for collecting and reporting school data to the state education department. This ensures parents and community members can easily access school performance information online without needing to request it. The bill applies directly to every public school and county school board in the state, standardizing how school accountability data is shared publicly.

Maddy summaryHB 2805 would increase penalties for contempt of court in West Virginia magistrate courts. It raises the maximum fine for a first offense from $50 to $100, for a second offense from $100 to $250, and for a third or subsequent offense from $100 to $500. The bill also increases the maximum jail time for third or subsequent offenses from 10 to 20 days. This directly affects individuals found guilty of contempt, such as those who disrupt court proceedings, threaten court personnel, or disobey court orders in magistrate court.

Maddy summaryHB 2630 requires all state employees, county employees, and K-12 school employees (including teachers and volunteers like coaches) to undergo mandatory drug testing. The bill mandates pre-employment drug tests for all new hires and requires 10% of all employees to be randomly tested annually. These requirements begin on July 1, 2025, for state and county employees, and for the 2025-2026 school year for school staff. Each employer must adopt rules implementing these testing procedures, including the 10% annual random testing rate. The bill does not specify testing methods, penalties for positive results, or exceptions beyond the defined employee groups.

Maddy summaryHB 2804 would increase criminal penalties for assaulting or battering athletic officials during sporting events in West Virginia. It raises fines for assault to a minimum of $500 (up to 6 months jail) and for battery to a minimum of $1,000 (up to 12 months jail). The bill defines "athletic official" to include umpires, referees, and coaches acting in their official capacity. This amendment would change current penalties under West Virginia Code §61-2-15a, applying specifically to incidents occurring while officials are enforcing rules or supervising events. The bill is currently pending in the House Judiciary Committee.

Maddy summaryHB 2628 amends West Virginia law to classify attacks on police service canines (K-9 units) as felonies. The bill adds "police service canine" to the definition of "law-enforcement officer" for protection purposes and increases penalties for intentionally harming them while on duty. Specifically, malicious assaults causing injury to a K-9 would carry 3-15 years in prison, up from misdemeanor penalties for similar attacks on human officers. This directly affects K-9 units and their handlers by granting them the same legal protections as human law enforcement officers. The bill does not change existing protections for human officers but extends felony-level penalties to attacks targeting K-9s.

Maddy summaryHB 2778, titled "To remove the taxation on burials, funerals and cremation," creates a tax exemption for funeral, cremation, and burial services in West Virginia. The bill directly affects funeral homes, cremation providers, and burial services by removing existing sales and service taxes on these specific services. Key provisions exempt these services from taxes under West Virginia's consumer sales and service tax code, as defined in §30-6-1 et seq. This policy change eliminates a tax obligation for providers of these end-of-life services.

Maddy summaryHB 2735 classifies individuals who have naturally developed immunity or antibodies from contracting a communicable disease (e.g., through prior illness) as "fully vaccinated" for all purposes. It requires that these individuals receive equal or preferred treatment compared to those with vaccine-induced immunity in settings like schools, workplaces, or healthcare access. The bill directly affects people who recovered from infectious diseases without vaccination, redefining their immunity status without changing vaccination requirements. Key provisions mandate that natural immunity be treated as equivalent to vaccination in policy implementation, though the bill does not specify enforcement mechanisms or covered diseases. This policy change aims to align recognition of immunity sources without advocating for either method.

Maddy summaryHB 2728 requires all health insurers in West Virginia to cover biodentical hormone treatments when determined medically necessary by a licensed physician after proper evaluation of symptoms or test results. The bill applies to all group and individual health insurance policies, including nonprofit health plans and health maintenance organizations, effective January 1, 2025. Insurers must provide coverage on an expense-incurred basis, treating biodentical hormones similarly to pharmaceutical alternatives. This policy change directly affects patients seeking hormone therapy and insurers offering health coverage in the state.

Maddy summaryHB 2747 amends West Virginia's DUI statute (§17C-5-2) to clarify that fleeing the scene after driving under the influence is treated as part of the DUI offense itself, not a separate violation. This change directly affects drivers who flee after being impaired, ensuring such conduct is prosecuted under DUI penalties rather than as a separate charge. The key mechanism adds language to the statute explicitly stating that fleeing constitutes a DUI offense when combined with driving while impaired. The bill does not alter existing penalties but corrects a legal inconsistency in how fleeing DUIs are classified. This is a procedural amendment to the existing DUI code.

Maddy summaryHB 2792 would amend West Virginia's personal income tax code to exempt Social Security benefits from state taxation. Specifically, it adds a provision (section §11-21-12(c)(7)) stating that Social Security benefits received under Title 42 U.S.C., Chapter 7, will no longer be included in taxable income for West Virginia residents. This change directly affects West Virginia residents who receive Social Security payments, as it reduces their taxable income for state tax purposes. The exemption applies to tax years beginning after December 31, 2024, and modifies the calculation of "West Virginia adjusted gross income" by removing Social Security benefits from the taxable base.