Sen. Laura Chapman

Maddy summarySB 804 gives public charter schools direct control over all extracurricular activities for their students, replacing county board oversight. It allows charter schools to optionally delegate athletic and band activities to the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC), which would now be a state agency managing rules for competitive balance (including transfer counts) and handling disputes through its executive director. The bill removes a written permission requirement for homeschoolers, Hope Scholarship participants, and microschool students to join school activities, while modifying fees they pay. It also changes commission membership to include athletic directors (or their representatives) from schools that delegate authority, and shifts all commission funds to public funds.

Maddy summarySB 759 removes immunization requirements for individuals seeking to become kinship, foster, or adoptive parents in West Virginia. It prohibits requiring immunization records or using immunization status as a factor in child placement decisions for these parents and their households. The bill ensures that neither vaccination status nor lack of records can block a parent’s eligibility for foster, adoptive, or kinship care. It applies specifically to the state’s child welfare system when determining placement suitability. This change directly affects prospective caregivers and the Department of Health and Human Resources in their placement evaluations.

Maddy summarySB 760 modifies the tax rate applied to racetrack table game licensees' adjusted gross receipts exceeding $7,142,857.14 annually. Currently, a 35% tax applies to this threshold, but the bill's specific rate change isn't detailed in the provided text. The legislation would require weekly tax payments based on receipts, allow negative receipts to carry forward (but not backward), and establish this tax as the sole state tax for table game operations (replacing other sales, use, and local taxes). It directly affects racetrack operators licensed to run West Virginia Lottery table games.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 22) commemorates the 175th anniversary of Wheeling Hospital in Wheeling, West Virginia, recognizing its status as the state's longest continually operating hospital since its founding in 1850. The resolution honors the hospital's historical milestones, including its founding by Bishop Richard Whelan, its role during public health crises (like the 1918 flu and COVID-19), and its integration into WVU Medicine in 2021. It extends formal appreciation to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and WVU Medicine for their ongoing support. As a non-binding resolution, it has no policy impact but serves as a ceremonial acknowledgment of the hospital's community service. The resolution was unanimously adopted by the Senate on March 12, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 263 changes West Virginia licensing rules for professions regulated by the Division of Labor or State Fire Marshal. It prohibits licensing authorities from automatically disqualifying applicants based on past criminal convictions unless the crime directly relates to the profession (e.g., a theft conviction for a financial advisor) and poses a clear public safety risk. The bill requires authorities to consider rehabilitation efforts (like treatment, education, or employment), sets a 5-year waiting period after conviction/release (with exceptions for violent/sexual offenses), and bans consideration of arrests without convictions. Applicants with criminal records can petition for a case-by-case determination of eligibility. This directly affects individuals seeking their first license in professions like healthcare, finance, or security.

Maddy summarySB 604 requires West Virginia’s Department of Human Services (DHS) to automatically notify the Public Service Commission (PSC) when a person qualifies for utility bill discounts through programs like SSI, TANF, or SNAP. This eliminates the need for customers to apply separately, as the PSC must then order utilities to apply a 20% discount for eligible households during December through April billing months. The bill specifically limits eligibility to named beneficiaries of these programs and their spouses. It streamlines access to existing discounts by shifting the notification responsibility from individuals to DHS.

Maddy summarySB 648 requires West Virginia courts and administrative judges to interpret state statutes, regulations, and rules independently - without deferring to agency interpretations - when reviewing cases involving state agencies. It mandates that courts apply standard interpretation methods first, then resolve any remaining ambiguity by favoring interpretations that limit agency power and protect individual liberty. This directly affects courts handling disputes between citizens and state agencies, such as licensing or regulatory enforcement cases. The bill changes how judicial review operates by eliminating the standard practice of deferring to agency explanations of their own rules.

Maddy summarySB 169 increases West Virginia's Medicaid personal needs allowance to $150 per month for nursing home residents, effective July 1, 2026. This allowance allows residents to keep money for personal items like clothing, dentures, cosmetics, and small gifts. The bill defines "personal needs allowance" as the portion of a resident's personal income they can spend on non-medical daily needs. It directly affects Medicaid-funded nursing home residents by providing greater financial flexibility for personal expenses.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 13) memorializes Wanda Porterfield Casto, a 34-year part-time Senate Secretary/Administrative Assistant who served the West Virginia Senate and dedicated her life to public service. The resolution formally honors her legacy as a wife, mother, grandmother, and public servant, extending the Senate's deepest sympathies to her family following her passing on May 20, 2024. It directs the Senate Clerk to send a copy of the resolution to her family. As a commemorative resolution, it has no policy impact and serves solely to recognize her contributions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires West Virginia public schools to implement wearable panic alert systems for all school employees by December 2025. It mandates that each employee receives a device enabling immediate emergency contact and campus-wide lockdown notifications, with annual training required before each school year. The law also requires county school boards to share security data (like camera feeds and facility maps) with local law enforcement and establish access protocols. The system must integrate with 9-1-1 services, directly affecting school staff, administrators, and local emergency responders.