Sen. Laura Chapman

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 12 designates January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in West Virginia. The resolution recognizes human trafficking as a global crime affecting people of all backgrounds and highlights the need for public awareness. It references West Virginia's existing "YOU CAN" initiative and encourages residents to learn about trafficking through resources like the See, Send app. This is a symbolic resolution focused on raising public awareness, not creating new laws or policies.

Maddy summarySB 596 eliminates transfer taxes for two specific scenarios in West Virginia: transfers of property between siblings, and transfers involving a limited liability company (LLC) solely owned by an individual. This means individuals transferring property to siblings or transferring their personal LLC (without other owners) would no longer owe the state's excise tax on the transfer. The bill amends existing tax law to explicitly add these exemptions, building on current exemptions for transfers between parents/children, spouses, and other family members. It directly affects West Virginia residents who transfer property through these specific family or LLC arrangements.

Maddy summaryWest Virginia Senate Bill 593 designates September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day," a legal holiday under state law. This change adds September 11 to the list of official state holidays in West Virginia Code §2-2-1, making it a day when state offices, courts, and schools typically close. The bill directly affects state and local government operations, including public employees and court schedules, by establishing a new annual observance. It is purely procedural and ceremonial, with no new funding or policy requirements, solely to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Maddy summarySB 557 requires Child Protective Services (CPS) workers in West Virginia to attempt wearing body cameras during investigations of child abuse or neglect reports. Workers must obtain consent from the person being investigated before using cameras and may skip camera use only if it compromises a child’s privacy or hinders the investigation (with documentation required). All audio and video recordings must be stored as confidential case records for the duration of the open case. The bill directly affects CPS workers conducting investigations, aiming to increase transparency while maintaining confidentiality standards for child welfare cases.

Maddy summarySB 565 requires West Virginia's Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA) and other health insurance providers to pay behavioral health, mental health, and substance use disorder providers the same rate as medical/surgical providers for comparable services. This applies to licensed practitioners (e.g., psychologists, counselors) who submit claims with standard diagnostic codes, provider IDs, and facility details. Insurers cannot reduce physician reimbursements to comply with this rule or apply stricter non-quantitative limits to behavioral health care than to medical care. The bill directly affects behavioral health providers by ensuring equal payment for services previously subject to lower reimbursement rates.

Maddy summarySB 446 requires West Virginia's Bureau for Public Health and Bureau for Medical Services to integrate support for postpartum depression, anxiety, psychosis, and obsessive-compulsive disorders into existing public health programs. It mandates training health care professionals on early detection using assessment tools during pregnancy, delivery, and up to one year postpartum, and expands public outreach to raise awareness about early signs of these conditions. The bill specifically targets at-risk mothers and health care providers, emphasizing culturally relevant, non-clinical education materials. This policy change updates current programs without creating new services, focusing on prevention and access to care through existing state health infrastructure.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 566 (SB 566) would limit elected state officials in West Virginia to three consecutive terms in office. The bill applies to officials elected to positions covered under sections §3-1-16, §3-1-17, and §3-1-18 of the West Virginia Code, such as state legislators and certain executive roles. It prohibits any person from serving more than three consecutive terms for the same office, though it does not restrict partial terms filled by appointment. This change would directly affect current and future candidates for these specific state offices by imposing a term limit.

Maddy summarySB 513 requires West Virginia courts and administrative officers to interpret state statutes, regulations, and rules independently, rather than deferring to agency interpretations. It directly affects state courts, administrative judges, and agencies involved in legal disputes over rules or statutes. The key provision mandates that courts interpret laws "de novo" (from scratch) and resolve ambiguities by favoring interpretations that limit agency power and protect individual liberty. This changes how courts handle cases involving agency rules, ensuring judicial review is not constrained by prior agency positions. The bill does not alter the substance of laws but modifies the legal process for interpreting them.

Maddy summarySB 510 prohibits West Virginia licensing authorities from denying initial professional licenses based solely on prior criminal convictions, unless the conviction directly and specifically relates to the profession and poses a direct public safety risk. It requires authorities to apply a strict "direct relation" test when evaluating convictions, explicitly banning the use of "good moral character" or "crimes of moral turpitude" as disqualifiers. Applicants with criminal records can petition licensing authorities for a determination of eligibility, and the bill mandates updates to licensing forms and public materials. The law applies only to initial license applications, not disciplinary actions against current license holders or license reinstatement.

Maddy summarySB 512 requires insurers in West Virginia to count cash payments made by insured individuals at discounted rates (below the average in-network rate) toward their in-network cost-sharing requirements. It also prohibits insurers from penalizing patients who receive referrals from out-of-network providers for in-network services. The bill defines key terms like "average allowed amount" (the average payment to in-network providers) and "discounted cash price" to standardize cost-sharing calculations. These changes apply to all health insurance plans delivered in West Virginia starting January 1, 2027, and aim to reduce out-of-pocket costs for consumers using cash-based pricing.