Sen. Vince Deeds

Maddy summarySB 28 allows members of the West Virginia State Police Retirement System to convert accrued annual or sick leave into additional retirement credit. It specifically affects current and future State Police retirees, with different rules based on membership start dates: members joining before July 1, 2015, receive two days of retirement credit for each day of accrued leave, while those joining on or after that date receive one day of credit per day of leave. The bill clarifies that each leave day equals eight hours and establishes how remainders (e.g., less than 10 workdays) are handled, ensuring the conversion aligns with existing retirement service calculations.

Maddy summaryThis bill adopts the Uniform Protected Series Act for West Virginia, creating "protected series" within series limited liability companies (LLCs). It allows a single LLC to form separate, legally distinct compartments (protected series) that hold specific assets and liabilities, shielding each series from the debts or claims of other series within the same LLC. Key provisions include rules for naming series, managing assets, limiting liability between series, requiring annual reports, and establishing procedures for dissolving or merging series. The law directly affects businesses operating as series LLCs in West Virginia, as well as foreign LLCs with protected series structures operating in the state.

Maddy summarySB 643 repeals all sections of West Virginia law (§3-12-1 through §3-12-16) that established the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Public Campaign Financing Program. The bill directly discontinues a program that provided public funding to candidates running for the state Supreme Court. Key provisions include removing all legal references to this financing mechanism, effectively ending the program's operation. This is a procedural repeal with no new funding or requirements added.

Maddy summaryThis bill clarifies the qualifications required to obtain a license as a polygraph examiner in West Virginia, directly affecting individuals and organizations that administer lie detector tests. It establishes specific requirements for licensure, including age, citizenship, criminal history checks, passing a competency exam, completing six months of internship training, and meeting education standards that do not mandate a college degree for Class I or II licenses. The legislation also outlines how the Commissioner of Labor will administer testing, issue annual licenses, collect fees, and propose rules governing training, equipment standards, and examination conditions.

Maddy summaryWest Virginia Senate Bill 4 creates a new law requiring people to stay at least 30 feet away from first responders (including police, firefighters, probation officers, and emergency medical personnel) while they are lawfully performing duties. It makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly approach within 30 feet after being verbally warned, if the action impedes their work, threatens them, or harasses them (defined as causing substantial emotional distress without legitimate purpose). Violators face fines of $50-$500, up to one year in jail, or both. The bill directly affects individuals near emergency scenes and aims to protect responders from interference. It amends West Virginia Code §61-5-30.

Maddy summaryThis bill protects vulnerable adults from financial exploitation by giving banks new tools to intervene. It applies to adults 65+ or 18+ with significant mental/functional impairments that interfere with financial decisions, as known to their bank. Banks may delay or block suspicious transactions (like large withdrawals to another account), must report suspected exploitation to state agencies (like the Department of Human Services), and are exempt from certain privacy laws when acting in good faith. The law explicitly states banks aren't required to override a customer's valid instructions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new adjunct teaching permit in West Virginia that allows individuals without full teaching certification to fill vacant teaching positions, offer new programs, or supplement existing ones when certified teachers are unavailable. The permit is valid for one year and requires county school boards to repost the position annually, with renewal contingent on meeting basic performance standards. Key provisions include requiring mentor assignment, completion of specific training, prohibition on special education instruction, and flexible employment terms where compensation and benefits are mutually agreed upon between the school board and teacher.

Maddy summarySB 694 removes a requirement that county superintendents of schools must reside in their county or a neighboring county. Currently, West Virginia law (§18-4-1) mandates this residency for all county superintendents. The bill would amend this law to eliminate that specific residency restriction, allowing superintendents to live anywhere in the state. This change directly affects all current and future county superintendents of schools across West Virginia. The policy shift focuses solely on removing a geographic residency mandate without altering other appointment or qualification rules.

Maddy summarySB 712 allows the West Virginia Division of Highways to authorize cattle guards on specific public roads used by agricultural operations. It permits installation only on local access, farm-to-market, or dead-end roads (not major highways) in active farming areas, subject to strict conditions. Applicants must cover all costs, prove a genuine agricultural need, sign liability waivers, and comply with Division design and maintenance rules. The Division retains full authority to deny, condition, or revoke approvals if safety, maintenance, or infrastructure concerns arise. This directly affects farmers and landowners needing to prevent livestock from crossing roads on eligible public rights-of-way.

Maddy summaryWest Virginia's SB 985 regulates kratom products by requiring businesses that grow, process, or sell them to obtain permits and verify online customers are at least 21 years old using approved age-check systems. The bill defines "kratom" as the natural leaf of the mitragyna speciosa plant (excluding food products or synthetically altered forms) and prohibits selling contaminated products or unapproved items. Selling without a permit is a misdemeanor (up to $1,000 fine or 1 year in jail) for first offenses and a felony (up to $5,000 or 5 years in prison) for repeat violations. The Department of Agriculture must enforce these rules, use a software tracking system, and notify the Tax Department of certain violations.