Sen. Laura Chapman

Maddy summarySB 929, the "Taxpayer Transparency in Education Act," requires West Virginia county school boards to publish detailed annual financial statements within 120 days of each fiscal year. These statements must disclose all expenditures over $250 to individuals or firms, debts, school personnel pay, and budget estimates, either as legal ads or on public websites. County boards failing to submit these reports within 90 days face a State Auditor noncompliance notice, and after 60 days of noncompliance, they lose access to discretionary state education funds. The bill directly affects all 55 county school boards by mandating greater financial transparency for taxpayers.

Maddy summarySB 669 clarifies when West Virginia's Public Service Commission (PSC) can approve utility rate increases and requires a biennial review of these increases. It directly affects utilities, particularly small municipal water/sewer systems serving fewer than 4,500 customers or with under $3 million in annual revenue, and their wholesale/resale customers. Key provisions include: a 30-day window for customers to file rate complaints after municipal changes, a 120-day resolution deadline for the PSC, and a requirement that rate increases must be supported by evidence showing costs are fairly matched to benefits received by customers. The bill also restricts the PSC from ordering refunds for rates collected during complaint proceedings unless specific refund conditions apply.

Maddy summarySB 981 imposes a one-year pause (July 1, 2026-June 30, 2027) on the Public Service Commission approving new rate increases for electric, natural gas, and water utilities serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers in West Virginia. It allows the Commission to reduce rates, disallow costs, or approve refunds during this period but prohibits new rate hikes. The bill requires a comprehensive study of methods to lower utility rates and mandates a report on findings and recommendations. This directly affects utilities and their customers by temporarily halting rate increases while evaluating long-term affordability solutions.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 52) designates February 27, 2026, as "West Liberty University Day" at the West Virginia Legislature. It formally recognizes the university's history as West Virginia's oldest institution of higher education (founded 1837), its contributions to the state's workforce and economy (serving over 2,200 students, supporting local communities, and fostering economic growth through initiatives like the Appalachian Aquatic Conservation Center), and its role in advancing education, culture, and athletics. The resolution has no policy impact beyond ceremonial acknowledgment and was adopted by the Senate on February 27, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 935 repeals a tax exemption for certain coal-fired power plants in West Virginia, directly affecting owners/operators of coal plants operational before January 1, 1995. The bill reduces the taxable generating capacity for these plants to 45% of their official capability (instead of 100%) for tax years starting July 1, 2021, but requires plants to remain operational until at least July 1, 2025, to qualify. If such plants close before July 1, 2025, owners must repay tax savings through a recapture tax, though federal mandates exempting closures avoid this requirement. The law applies specifically to "merchant power plants" (independent generators) and modifies existing tax calculation rules under West Virginia Code §11-13-2o.

Maddy summarySB 888, the Judicial Deference Reform Act, prohibits West Virginia state courts and administrative hearing officers from deferring to state agency interpretations of statutes, regulations, or informal guidance documents (like agency memos). Instead, courts must independently review these materials using standard legal analysis ("de novo") and resolve any remaining ambiguities by limiting agency power and prioritizing individual liberty. The law applies to all state court cases and administrative proceedings starting July 1, 2026, but does not affect federal law or cases involving federal agencies. It directly affects how state courts interpret and apply West Virginia laws and agency guidance.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 48 memorializes the late Sarah Abigail (Mullennex) Minear, a former West Virginia State Senator (1994-2006) and community leader, by formally honoring her life and public service. The resolution recognizes her roles as a philanthropist, founding president of the Tucker Community Foundation and West Virginia Grantmakers Association, and her decades of volunteer work across West Virginia. It extends the Senate’s condolences to her family and directs the Clerk to send a copy of the resolution to her loved ones. This is a ceremonial resolution with no policy or financial impact, solely commemorating her legacy.

Maddy summarySB 718 increases the annual salary for magistrates in West Virginia to $70,000, effective July 1, 2026. This bill amends West Virginia Code §50-1-3, which sets magistrate compensation, building on previous increases from $60,375 (2021) to $63,250 (2022). The measure directly affects all magistrates serving in West Virginia courts. The change is a straightforward salary adjustment with no additional mechanisms or eligibility requirements specified in the bill text.

Maddy summarySB 763 requires all children entering foster care, kinship care, or residential placements in West Virginia to be screened for sex or labor trafficking by a trained advocate upon their first entry into the system. It also mandates screening for youth recovered after going missing from such placements and periodic screenings while children remain in care. The bill specifies that an evidence-based tool must be used for all screenings, and if trafficking is indicated, the Department of Human Services must provide immediate support services. This law directly affects every child in West Virginia's foster care system, aiming to identify and assist trafficking victims early.

Maddy summarySB 932 amends West Virginia's food safety law to explicitly classify cultivated meat products as "adulterated foods." It directly affects producers and sellers of cultivated meat in the state by subjecting these products to existing prohibitions against adulterated food under §16-7-2. The bill adds a specific definition to the law, stating that cultivated meat - defined as food made by growing animal cells in a lab to mimic meat - is considered adulterated. This change means such products would be prohibited from being sold as regular food under current state law, without creating new regulatory requirements. The bill focuses solely on the legal classification, not on the safety or market impact of cultivated meat.