Sen. Darren Thorne

Maddy summarySB 629 increases payments by 25 percent for therapists and other professionals who provide early intervention services to West Virginia's Birth-to-Three program but are not employed by the state. This change applies to all contracted service providers under the program, effective July 1, 2025. The additional payments will be funded through the existing West Virginia Birth-to-Three Fund, which supports services for children with developmental delays. The bill does not affect salaries of state employees, as it specifically targets non-state agency contractors.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires state health insurers (including the Public Employees Insurance Agency and Bureau for Medical Services) to cover non-opioid pain medications at the lowest cost tier - typically reserved for generic drugs - instead of making them more expensive than opioid alternatives. It prohibits insurers from discouraging or disadvantaging non-opioid medications in coverage decisions, ensuring equal access for patients seeking pain treatment. The law applies to all insurers offering plans in West Virginia and mandates that non-opioid drugs be treated as competitively as generic opioids in formulary structures. It does not alter physician requirements for discussing pain treatment options, which are addressed in separate sections of the bill.

Maddy summaryWest Virginia's SB 633, the "Protecting Kids from Porn Act," requires commercial adult websites (those offering over 25% explicit content) to implement strict age verification before allowing access to minors. This includes mandatory biometric facial recognition, government ID, and credit card authentication for users, with re-verification every 24 hours. Websites failing to comply face $1 million per violation, permanent state blocking, and civil liability up to $10,000 per minor exposed. The law prohibits circumvention via VPNs or proxies and establishes an Attorney General enforcement unit to audit compliance. It directly affects adult content platforms operating in West Virginia, not general internet users.

Maddy summarySB 619 allows a circuit judge or chief judge to appoint someone to fill a magistrate position *before* the vacancy actually occurs. This applies when a magistrate announces an upcoming resignation or retirement, or when a newly elected magistrate-elect hasn’t taken office yet. The bill amends West Virginia law to authorize this advance appointment, ensuring magistrate positions remain filled without waiting for the vacancy to open. It directly affects counties with multiple circuit judges and the process for filling magistrate roles. The change streamlines the appointment process for these specific vacancy scenarios.

Maddy summarySB 624 amends West Virginia law to allow the Governor to immediately appoint an acting official to fill vacancies in five specific state offices (Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Attorney General, and Commissioner of Agriculture) until a permanent appointment is made. This temporary appointment authority applies directly to these constitutional offices when a vacancy occurs. The bill does not change the process for permanent appointments or judicial vacancies but ensures these offices have leadership continuity during the vacancy period. The acting official performs all duties of the office until the Governor appoints a permanent replacement from the recommended list.

Maddy summaryThis bill specifies when retired West Virginia judges and justices (including circuit, family, and intermediate court judges, plus Supreme Court justices) can be temporarily recalled to serve. It allows the Supreme Court to assign them during specific situations, such as a sitting judge's long-term illness, suspension, or when a court has a backlog of cases identified through statistical analysis. Recalled judges receive daily pay (up to $430 for most, $325 for family court judges), but their total compensation plus retirement benefits cannot exceed a sitting judge's annual salary in a single year, unless the Chief Justice certifies extraordinary circumstances requiring extended service. The bill ensures these recalls comply with federal retirement system rules and requires the Chief Justice to notify state auditors and treasurers of any extended assignments.

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 summarySB 599, the "Creating Sound Science in Regulations Act," requires West Virginia state agencies to base new environmental regulations on "best available science" before proposing or finalizing rules related to drinking water, air quality, hazardous waste, or chemical safety. It defines "best available science" as reliable, unbiased studies published in refereed journals with independent verification, excluding industry-funded research or non-peer-reviewed data. The law applies only to new state regulations stricter than federal standards or created without federal equivalents, exempting existing rules, federal compliance actions, and regulations mirroring federal standards. This bill directly affects state environmental agencies and their rulemaking processes for public health and environmental protection.

Maddy summarySB 591 replaces West Virginia's West Virginia Contraband Forfeiture Act with a new "Criminal Forfeiture Process Act" specifically for property used in or derived from felony drug crimes (violations of controlled substance laws). It mandates that forfeiture proceedings occur within the criminal court handling the underlying drug case, eliminating civil forfeiture options. Key provisions define terms like "contraband" (unlawful drugs) and "instrumentality" (lawful property used in crime), clarify that seized property has no ownership rights, and prohibit state agencies from transferring property to federal agencies for federal forfeiture. This law directly affects individuals or entities whose property is seized in drug-related felony cases.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 3) creates a Select Committee on Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health for the Eighty-Seventh Legislature. The committee, appointed by the Senate Presiding Officer (up to 17 members), will gather information on prevention, treatment, research, policies, access to care, and funding related to substance use disorders and mental health. It may meet during legislative interims and has jurisdiction over related legislative proposals, operating under Senate committee rules. This is a procedural resolution establishing a committee, not a law changing policy.