Sen. Randy Smith

Maddy summarySenate Bill 925 modifies West Virginia's school attendance law to exempt Future Farmers of America (FFA)-sanctioned activities from the 10-day annual limit on excused absences. It directly affects West Virginia students participating in FFA events, ensuring these absences are counted as excused without reducing their annual excused absence allowance. The bill requires schools to mark students present for FFA activities (like they would for field trips), mandates documentation from FFA, and requires students to make up missed work without grade penalties. It aligns FFA with existing exemptions for 4-H, SkillsUSA, and similar programs under the same attendance rules.

Maddy summarySB 924 streamlines West Virginia's state personnel systems by eliminating special merit-based hiring systems for Department of Transportation, State Tax Division, and Bureau for Social Services employees. It transfers their personnel duties to the Division of Personnel, exempts new hires and promotions in the Department of Transportation from civil service rules and grievance procedures starting July 1, 2026, and terminates the State Personnel Board. The bill clarifies definitions of "classified" and "classified-exempt" service, shortens job posting timelines, and modernizes how classified job openings are advertised. These changes directly affect state employees in the specified agencies by shifting their personnel administration to a unified system under the Division of Personnel.

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.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides $25,800 in additional funding from unspent state funds to the Department of Veterans' Assistance for building maintenance and repairs under the Veterans’ Facilities Support Fund (Fund 6703). It directly affects veterans' facilities by supplementing existing resources for facility upkeep, using a balance remaining unappropriated for fiscal year 2026. The funding is drawn from the existing $1,800,000 balance in the fund, not new money. The bill was introduced at the Governor’s request to support veterans' infrastructure needs.

Maddy summarySB 398 removes the requirement that the State Health Officer, Commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health, and Commissioner of the Bureau of Senior Services must work full-time and cannot hold other jobs. This bill amends West Virginia law (sections §16-1-5 and §16-5P-4) to eliminate the prohibition on these officials engaging in other business, occupations, or employment. The change aims to make these leadership roles more attractive to qualified candidates by allowing greater flexibility in their employment. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Health and Human Resources committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands the definition of "tourism attraction" under West Virginia's Tourism Development Act to include lodging facilities, allowing hotels and similar accommodations to qualify for state tax credits. The change directly affects businesses operating lodging facilities within the state that wish to participate in the Tourism Development Act credit program. By amending the existing code, the legislation removes lodging facilities from the list of excluded project types while maintaining the current criteria for other tourism attractions like cultural sites, recreation facilities, and entertainment centers. This policy adjustment aims to broaden the range of tourism-related projects eligible for financial incentives without altering the underlying credit structure or eligibility requirements for other attraction types.

Maddy summarySR 42 is a ceremonial Senate resolution honoring the late Walter Dolph Helmick, a former West Virginia state legislator and public servant. It memorializes his life and career, noting his service as a coal miner, teacher, businessman, Mason, West Virginia House of Delegates member, Senate member (1989-2013), and Commissioner of Agriculture. The resolution formally recognizes his contributions to West Virginia and extends condolences to his family following his death in 2025. As a non-binding memorial resolution, it has no policy impact or effect on legislation.

Maddy summarySB 404 allows West Virginia's Department of Human Services (DHS) to contract with both secular and faith-based organizations providing child welfare services, including foster care and family support. It specifically protects faith-based providers' religious identity, prohibiting DHS from requiring them to remove religious symbols, alter governance, or change religious practices to qualify as service providers. Parents or legal guardians can object to placing a child at a faith-based provider on religious grounds, prompting DHS to find an alternative placement unless a court order prevents it. If a parent or guardian requests the child remain at a faith-based provider, the matter is referred to a hearing. This bill directly affects DHS, child welfare providers, and families involved in foster care placements.

Maddy summarySB 931 establishes the "West Virginia Utility Affordability and Economic Competitiveness Act" to address high utility costs by imposing a moratorium on rate increases for electricity and water utilities. The bill defines "affordability" as the lowest total cost of electricity (including all rates, fees, and charges) that minimizes financial burden on households and businesses while considering competitiveness with neighboring states. It sets reliability standards requiring electricity sources to maintain 80% performance without intermittent availability (excluding peaker plants) and mandates comprehensive cost evaluations factoring in environmental impacts and supply chain risks. These provisions aim to restore affordability and reliability for West Virginia residents and businesses, which the legislature states are foundational to economic development.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 33) designates February 11, 2026, as "West Virginia Arts Day" at the Legislature. It symbolically recognizes the importance of arts and culture across the state, acknowledging support from the West Virginia Department of Tourism, State Arts Office, and Commission on the Arts. The resolution encourages all citizens to celebrate arts and culture and directs the Senate Clerk to forward a copy to the Department of Tourism. As a ceremonial resolution, it has no binding policy impact or funding changes - it serves solely to honor the arts' role in West Virginia's communities, economy, and education.