Sen. Patricia Rucker

Maddy summarySB 83 amends West Virginia law to grant the Foster Care Ombudsman (or their designee) access to confidential child abuse, neglect, and fatality/near-fatality records when acting in their official duties. This directly affects the Ombudsman's office, enabling them to review records previously restricted to other entities like courts or child fatality review teams. The key provision adds the Ombudsman to the list of authorized recipients under §49-5-101, allowing access to records related to child abuse/neglect cases and fatalities without requiring court orders. The bill maintains existing confidentiality protections, ensuring reporter identities remain shielded except when shared specifically with the Ombudsman.

Maddy summarySB 827 updates West Virginia's parole hearing procedures to better include victims and offenders. It requires notifying victims (or their immediate family) of specific serious crimes - like murder, sexual assault, or child abuse - 45 days before parole hearings via certified mail, allowing them to submit written statements or speak at the hearing. The bill also permits offenders to submit written statements and list witnesses to speak during their hearing. These changes apply to cases involving the listed offenses and aim to formalize communication between the Parole Board, victims, and offenders. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Maddy summarySB 832 (West Virginia Senate Bill 832) requires health insurers and pharmacy benefits managers to adjust cost-sharing calculations for insured individuals. It mandates that insurers provide credit toward in-network cost-sharing when a person pays a discounted cash price below the insurer’s average allowed amount for a service. The bill also prohibits insurers from discriminating against individuals who pay cash for in-network services referred by out-of-network providers. These changes apply to all health insurance plans in West Virginia, effective January 1, 2026, and aim to simplify cost-sharing transparency for consumers.

Maddy summarySB 855 creates the West Virginia Beverage Producer Responsibility Act, requiring beverage producers (like manufacturers and importers) to fund and manage recycling of containers through Producer Responsibility Organizations (PROs). The bill establishes a refund system for consumers returning containers (with labels and deposit procedures), a state-managed recycling trust fund overseen by the Auditor, and tax credits for PROs building redemption centers. It exempts small producers (selling under one million beverages yearly), non-profits, and government entities. The law sets a compliance deadline for implementation and defines key terms to clarify producer responsibilities.

Maddy summarySB 841 prohibits all West Virginia state government entities - including public schools, universities, healthcare facilities, and social services offices - from promoting, facilitating, or funding any discussions, programs, or medical procedures related to sexual orientation or gender transitioning. The bill bans state funds for gender transition treatments (like hormone therapy or puberty blockers), restricts school materials discussing gender identity, and prohibits staff from engaging in related training or curriculum. Violations could result in employee termination, funding suspension, or lawsuits by West Virginia residents. This directly affects state-funded institutions and their educational, medical, and administrative activities.

Maddy summarySB 854, titled the "Creating Academic Quality in Public Education Act," establishes new standards for West Virginia public schools. It requires a minimum 180-day school year with five hours of daily instruction, annual attendance and immunization records shared with parents, and compliance with health/safety inspections and crisis response planning. The bill mandates annual standardized testing using nationally normed assessments, with results provided to parents and the State Superintendent, and sets a 40th percentile benchmark for school performance. If a school’s test scores fall below this benchmark for two consecutive years, students attending that school would no longer satisfy the state’s compulsory attendance requirement and would be considered delinquent.

Maddy summarySB 819 mandates that West Virginia public schools with students in grades three through six implement a 12-week heart health program during the school year. The program requires nutrition education and aerobic physical activity instruction, aligning with state health standards and allowing flexible delivery methods like digital resources or printed materials. Schools must schedule dedicated time for the program, track student participation, and report accountability data to the state. This bill directly affects all public schools serving grades three through six in West Virginia, replacing prior physical education requirements for these grades with this specific heart health initiative.

Maddy summarySB 686 amends West Virginia's Commercial Feed Law to clarify that farmers selling products made entirely on their own farm are not considered "distributors" under the law. This exempts small-scale farmers who offer for sale, sell, exchange, or barter their own farm-produced goods (like unprocessed feed or crops) from needing a commercial feed distributor permit. The bill specifically updates definitions in §19-14-2(h) to state that "any person engaged in offering for sale, selling, exchanging, or bartering products or commodities produced exclusively on his or her own farm is not a distributor." It directly affects local farmers selling directly from their farms without commercial processing or packaging, reducing regulatory requirements for these transactions. The change focuses on clarifying existing definitions rather than creating new regulations.

Maddy summaryThis is a symbolic Senate Resolution (SR 35), not a law, recognizing the West Virginia Mothers and Babies Support Program (WVMBSP) for its achievements during the 2023-2024 program year. It highlights the program's work in expanding services to 11,858 women and babies across all 55 counties through 49 partner locations, including pregnancy care centers and social service agencies. The resolution acknowledges specific accomplishments like funding essential resources (car seats, diapers, prenatal vitamins) and supporting program expansions, but does not create new policies or allocate funds. It serves solely as a formal acknowledgment of the program's impact.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 36) formally commemorates the 100th anniversary of the State Fair of West Virginia, which began as the Greenbrier Valley Fair in 1921 and became the State Fair in 1941. The resolution recognizes the fair's historical significance, its annual economic impact ($16.9 million), and its role in supporting agriculture, education, and community engagement through events, scholarships, and local employment. It does not create new laws or allocate funds; instead, it serves as a symbolic gesture of appreciation directed to the State Fair's CEO. The resolution was adopted unanimously by the Senate on March 19, 2025.