Del. Chuck Horst

Maddy summaryThis is a symbolic House Resolution (not a bill), introduced by multiple West Virginia delegates. It designates the month of June as "Fidelity Month" to promote the values of faith, family, and patriotism across the state. The resolution cites declining support for these values in polling and research, and calls for the state to "rededicate" itself to them during June. It has no binding policy requirements or direct impact on specific groups; it is purely a commemorative gesture.

Maddy summaryThis West Virginia House resolution states that the U.S. national debt (over $38 trillion in 2026) poses a national security threat, citing foreign debt ownership, projected Social Security/Medicare shortfalls, and warnings from military/intelligence leaders. It urges Congress to establish regular budgeting procedures but does not create new laws or alter federal spending. As a symbolic resolution, it has no direct legal effect on national debt policy or federal budgets. The resolution focuses on raising awareness rather than implementing concrete changes.

Maddy summaryHB 4460 modifies West Virginia's sewer connection rules to balance urban and rural needs. It exempts properties with properly maintained onsite wastewater systems (verified by a recent inspection) and those more than 200 feet from a sewer line from mandatory connections. In densely populated areas (over 500 people per square mile), connections may still be required if systems are failing or impractical. The bill also mandates that municipalities provide financial assistance - including payment plans or subsidies - for low-income homeowners who must connect, covering both connection fees and necessary plumbing modifications.

Maddy summaryHB 5031 requires West Virginia's Fatality and Mortality Review Team (under the Department of Health) to have access to vaccination records during death investigations. The bill amends state law to explicitly include vaccination records as a type of medical information the team may request from government agencies. State, county, and local agencies must provide these records upon written request. This change directly affects the review team's ability to gather data for forensic and public health research, while requiring health and government agencies to share vaccination history in death cases. The bill standardizes reporting practices by adding vaccination records to the types of information investigators can access.

Maddy summaryHB 5007 would create a state income tax exemption for West Virginia residents who pay for gym memberships at gyms located within the state. The bill allows taxpayers to reduce their taxable income by $60 per month, capped at $720 annually for gym membership costs. It directly affects individual taxpayers who maintain gym memberships at in-state facilities and would lower their state income tax liability. The policy change is limited to qualifying gym memberships purchased within West Virginia, with no additional eligibility requirements specified.

Maddy summaryHB 4924 prohibits municipalities participating in West Virginia's Municipal Home Rule Program from creating local anti-discrimination ordinances that include protected classes beyond those listed in state law. This means cities and towns in the program cannot add categories like sexual orientation or gender identity to their local non-discrimination protections if state law doesn't already cover them. The bill amends §8-1-5a of West Virginia Code to enforce this restriction, directly affecting participating municipalities' ability to expand local civil rights protections. It does not change existing state protections but limits local governments from adding new ones.

Maddy summaryHB 4810 requires dental insurance companies in West Virginia to publicly report how they spend premiums collected from enrollees, similar to federal health insurance rules. It mandates annual reports detailing patient care spending versus administrative costs, prohibits insurers from restricting payment methods to dentists, and requires rebates to customers if less than 80% of premiums are spent on dental care. The bill directly affects dental insurers, licensed dentists, and patients enrolled in private dental plans (excluding Medicaid). Key provisions include transparency requirements for premium expenditures, rules against unfair payment restrictions, and automatic premium reductions when patient care spending falls below the 80% threshold.

Maddy summaryHB 4925, the West Virginia PRIME Act, allows West Virginia producers and retailers to sell custom-slaughtered meat (beef, pork, lamb, goat) within the state without requiring USDA or state inspection. It applies to producers (farmers, ranchers) selling directly to consumers or retailers (restaurants, grocery stores), with meat labeled "Processed in a custom-exempt facility. Not for interstate commerce." The bill prohibits local governments from restricting such sales and limits the West Virginia Department of Agriculture from imposing additional regulations beyond minimal facility registration. All transactions must stay strictly within West Virginia borders, and the law explicitly exempts these sales from federal inspection requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes West Virginia law for domestic violence protective orders by requiring a court hearing with the respondent present and represented by counsel before restricting firearms. It mandates that courts must find "clear and convincing evidence" of an immediate danger (via documented threats or sworn testimony), not just general allegations, and prohibits using firearm confiscation as punishment. Respondents would automatically receive a 10-day appeal of any firearm restriction in the protective order. The bill directly affects individuals subject to domestic violence protective orders who might face firearm restrictions.

Maddy summaryHB 4974 amends West Virginia law to clarify and expand the categories of people prohibited from legally owning or carrying firearms. It directly affects individuals with certain felony convictions (especially violent or drug-related offenses), those found mentally incompetent or involuntarily committed, unlawful drug users, people subject to specific domestic violence protective orders (requiring findings of credible threat or explicit force prohibitions), and others with disqualifying legal histories. The bill specifies penalties: misdemeanor fines/jail time for first-time violations of prohibitions, and felony charges with longer prison terms for repeat offenses or violations by those prohibited under stricter categories. It also maintains the process for eligible individuals to petition courts to restore firearm rights after meeting strict criteria.