Sen. Jason Barrett

Maddy summarySJR 16 proposes a constitutional amendment to increase West Virginia's homestead property tax exemption from $20,000 to at least $25,000 for qualifying homeowners. The amendment would affect homeowners aged 65 or older, or those who are permanently and totally disabled, who own and occupy their homes as primary residences. If approved by voters in the 2026 general election, it would change the constitutional language governing homestead exemptions while allowing the Legislature to make further modifications to the exemption through regular legislation after January 1, 2027. The amendment is currently pending voter approval as a proposed constitutional change.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new market pay enhancement for certified teachers in West Virginia to address regional cost-of-living disparities. It calculates an additional payment based on comparing the median home price in a teacher's county (or surrounding region including bordering states) to the statewide median home price, using data from the National Association of Realtors. The state board of education will determine the higher of two multipliers (regional or county-based) to apply to the average teacher base salary, with the enhancement capped at 50% of that base salary. The adjustment will occur annually starting December 1, 2026, aiming to make teacher compensation more competitive with neighboring states.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SB 100) allows West Virginia State Police members in the retirement system to convert accrued sick or annual leave into additional retirement credit. Current members who joined before July 1, 2015, get two months of retirement credit for every month of leave used (based on 8-hour leave days), while newer members (joining July 1, 2015, or later) get one month of credit per month of leave used. The bill clarifies that leave days equal eight hours and specifies how unused partial credits (less than 10 workdays) are handled. It directly affects State Police retirees by potentially increasing their retirement benefits through unused leave.

Maddy summarySB 891 creates a free State Central Legal Advertising website managed by the West Virginia State Auditor, which will replace traditional newspaper publication requirements for certain legal advertisements. Entities required to publish legal notices (like courts, government agencies, and legal professionals) can now post Class II and Class III ads online for just one week instead of the current multi-week newspaper requirements. The website will provide electronic affidavits to confirm publication, which courts must accept as valid proof of service. This change applies to all legal ads published on the site, with traditional newspaper rules remaining in effect if the website isn't used.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts up to $25,000 of the cash value or death benefit from life insurance policies from asset calculations when determining eligibility for West Virginia Medicaid. It directly affects residents applying for Medicaid who own life insurance policies, allowing them to retain more policy value without losing benefits. The key provision sets a clear $25,000 threshold for exemption, meaning only amounts above this limit would count toward Medicaid asset limits. This change modifies how Medicaid assesses applicants' financial resources, specifically excluding qualifying life insurance assets from the calculation.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows classroom teachers who joined West Virginia's Teachers Retirement System on or after July 1, 2015, to sell up to 10 unused personal leave days to their county school board for cash. Teachers receive 80% of the county's rate for a substitute teacher with a bachelor's degree and 10 years' experience per day, paid by June 30. Once sold, those leave days are permanently forfeited and cannot be used for any future purpose. The policy directly affects eligible teachers by providing a one-time cash option for unused leave instead of carrying it forward.

Maddy summaryThis West Virginia Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR 15) is a formal statement opposing China's misuse of UN Resolution 2758 to exclude Taiwan from international organizations. It clarifies that the resolution's purpose was solely to determine China's UN representation, not Taiwan's political status, and rejects China's "One China Principle" as conflated with the UN resolution. The resolution calls on the UN to stop using Resolution 2758 to deny Taiwan participation in UN bodies and reaffirms that the U.S. "one China policy" does not recognize China's claim over Taiwan. It directly affects Taiwan's ability to engage with international institutions, where it has been excluded since 1971 despite its population of 23.5 million.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (SR 37), not a bill with policy changes. It formally recognizes the Energy Council's 50th anniversary and commends the organization for its work since 1975. The resolution expresses the West Virginia Senate's appreciation for the Council's role in fostering nonpartisan collaboration among energy policymakers across 14 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. It has no binding effect or impact on energy policy, funding, or regulations.

Maddy summarySB 649 amends the 2025 budget for West Virginia's Department of Health, Office of Inspector General (OIG), redirecting specific funds. It allocates $73,065 from current expenses to support informal dispute resolution for nursing home administrative appeals and transfers $650,000 to another OIG account (fund 5209). The bill also grants the Inspector General authority to transfer funds between appropriations within the OIG budget. This directly affects the OIG's operational budget and the process for resolving disputes involving nursing home regulations.

Maddy summarySB 577 clarifies prohibited practices by vehicle manufacturers, factory branches, distributors, or distributor branches when providing new vehicles to dealers in West Virginia. It specifically prohibits manufacturers from forcing dealers to order unwanted vehicles/accessories (Section 1), requiring special features not in advertised prices (Section 2), making dealers pay for unreasonable advertising (Section 3), or changing dealership requirements without proving business justification (Sections 25, 33, 38). The bill shifts the burden of proof to manufacturers to justify changes to capital requirements, facility rules, or location demands. This directly affects new motor vehicle dealers in West Virginia by limiting manufacturer control over dealership operations and costs.