Sen. Patricia Rucker

Maddy summarySB 870 prohibits West Virginia municipalities participating in the home rule program from imposing new fees on businesses already paying sales tax, hotel/motel tax, fire/emergency service fees, or municipal home rule sales tax. Businesses may still voluntarily pay additional fees through agreement with a municipality. The bill also updates the Municipal Home Rule Program by requiring participating municipalities to pay an annual $2,000 assessment to fund the Home Rule Board, creating a dedicated special revenue account for these operations, and mandating that existing home rule program rules be updated to comply with new provisions. This directly affects municipalities seeking home rule authority and businesses operating within them.

Maddy summarySB 578 extends the expiration dates for additional registration fees on pet food sold in West Virginia, removing sunset provisions that would have ended these fees on June 1, 2027 (for packages over 10 pounds) and June 30, 2027 (for smaller packages). The bill requires pet food manufacturers and distributors to pay annual registration fees - $50 per product for bulk packages and $35 per product for smaller packages - until the new expiration dates. These fees fund the West Virginia Spay Neuter Assistance Fund, supporting spay/neuter services by licensed veterinarians. The policy directly affects businesses selling pet food in the state by maintaining these registration requirements and funding streams beyond the original deadlines.

Maddy summarySB 731 terminates the Design-Build Board, which previously reviewed and approved public projects for the design-build delivery method. The bill removes the requirement for the Board's determination, shifting that responsibility to state agencies that oversee public construction projects. Agencies must now independently determine if a project qualifies for design-build while still following existing rules for solicitation, award, and public interest evaluations. This change eliminates an administrative step but preserves the design-build method for state building projects like schools or government facilities.

Maddy summarySB 877 requires the West Virginia Legislature to include the exact title, summary, and description of proposed constitutional amendments directly in the joint resolution submitted to voters. This ensures official ballots display the Legislature's intended wording without relying on the Secretary of State to fill in missing details. The bill applies to all constitutional amendment proposals and standardizes how ballot language is prepared for voter approval. It is a procedural change affecting the drafting of resolutions, not the substance of amendments.

Maddy summarySB 851, the Child Protection Investigations Reform Act, requires West Virginia’s Department of Human Services to provide clear, written summaries and verbal notifications to parents or legal custodians accused of child abuse or neglect during investigations. The written summary explains investigation procedures, the right to file complaints, access records (unless safety is at risk), and legal counsel options, all in plain language the person understands. Verbally, it must also inform individuals of their Fourth Amendment rights, including the right to refuse interviews without a lawyer, withhold medical records, and consult an attorney before agreeing to safety plans. The bill applies only to investigations initiated on or after July 1, 2025, and does not change existing legal standards for reporting abuse.

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 summarySenate Bill 830 removes outdated language from West Virginia law that referenced "short-term loans to released inmates for costs related to reentry." The bill specifically deletes a provision in §15A-4-21 (which described a program for providing such loans) because these loans have never been provided or secured. This is a procedural update to correct obsolete language in the corrections code, with no new policy or funding changes.

Maddy summarySB 826 modifies West Virginia's existing law to ensure survivor benefit payments for first responders' funeral expenses reach a minimum of $8,000. It directly affects the families of law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, correctional staff, and other qualifying emergency workers who die while on duty. The bill clarifies that funds from this program will supplement other existing benefits (like those under §23-4-1) to guarantee at least $8,000 is available for reasonable funeral costs, rather than duplicating payments already covered by other programs. The key change is aligning the statute's language with related state code to streamline payment processing for eligible families.

Maddy summarySB 858 amends specific sections of West Virginia's controlled substance scheduling laws (§60A-2-204 to §60A-2-212) to correct technical errors and inconsistencies in the lists of substances. It updates the legal descriptions of Schedule I drugs, including specific fentanyl analogs, opium derivatives, and hallucinogens, ensuring accurate references in state law. The bill directly affects law enforcement, courts, and healthcare providers who rely on precise legal definitions for drug classification and enforcement. It does not change drug scheduling criteria or policy but fixes outdated or incorrect code language. The bill is currently in the Judiciary Committee for review after introduction on March 20, 2025.

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.