Sen. Charles Clements

Maddy summaryWest Virginia's SB 7 creates a new felony crime for knowingly and willfully desecrating a deceased human body where the death resulted from criminal activity. It defines "desecrate" as physically damaging, mutilating, or otherwise mistreating a body in a way that would outrage reasonable observers. Violators face 2-10 years in prison (served consecutively) and fines of $2,000-$10,000. The law excludes medical professionals acting within their lawful professional duties, as covered under existing medical regulations.

Maddy summarySB 123 allows the Division of Highways commissioner to reallocate funds within the State Road Fund to cover immediate road maintenance or construction needs without requiring new legislative approval for each transfer. The commissioner must annually report to the Governor and the Joint Committee on Government and Finance, detailing all transfers (including amounts, dates, reasons, and expected return dates). This streamlines budget management for road projects while maintaining transparency. The bill also updates outdated language in existing law.

Maddy summarySB 258 amends West Virginia's Teachers Retirement System to allow members who joined on or after July 1, 2015, to convert their accrued annual and sick leave into additional retirement service credit. Specifically, each day of accrued leave counts as one day of service credit toward calculating retirement benefits. This change directly affects newer public school teachers in the system by increasing their retirement benefits based on unused leave. The bill modifies §5-16-13 of the West Virginia Code to implement this conversion, providing a concrete policy change without altering health insurance provisions.

Maddy summarySB 113 modifies West Virginia law to require a new law-enforcement agency to reimburse the original agency for training costs when an employee leaves their initial jurisdiction to join another agency within the state. It directly affects law-enforcement employees who switch agencies and the agencies themselves. The bill mandates that the new agency reimburses the original agency for wages, benefits, tuition, and expenses paid for training, spread equally over two years. This replaces previous provisions that allowed employees to repay employers if leaving within one year, clarifying that reimbursement responsibility shifts to the new agency.

Maddy summarySB 99 creates a nonrefundable $25,000 tax credit against West Virginia state personal income taxes for eligible former residents who return to the state. To qualify, individuals must have lived/worked in West Virginia for at least 10 years prior to leaving, not have been residents for 10 consecutive years before 2025, and return as residents on or after January 1, 2025 (or be born in West Virginia). The credit can be carried forward to future tax years but not back, and expires after December 31, 2029. The Tax Commissioner will verify eligibility and report annually on credit usage to the legislature.

Maddy summarySB 114 requires lending institutions conducting five or more vehicle-related transactions annually to use West Virginia's Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) electronic lien system to record and release vehicle liens, instead of paper records. The law, effective July 1, 2025, mandates electronic transmission of lien information to the DMV, with exceptions defined by the agency. Electronic records will be legally valid as proof of liens and satisfy requirements that previously needed physical paper certificates. This directly affects banks, credit unions, and other lenders handling multiple vehicle loans, streamlining lien management while reducing paper-based processes.

Maddy summarySB 36 regulates professionals who charge for helping veterans apply for benefits by requiring clear disclosures about free VA services and prohibiting guarantees of specific benefits or excessive fees. It bans charging before a formal claim disagreement is filed, mandates written agreements meeting federal fee standards (38 C.F.R. §14.636), and requires both oral and written disclosures stating the service is not affiliated with VA. Violations would be treated as consumer protection law breaches under West Virginia’s Consumer Credit and Protection Act. The bill directly affects veterans’ service providers, not veterans themselves.

Maddy summaryThe bill title provided ("Providing tax credit to corporations for existing employer-provided child care facilities") does not match the actual content of the document, which is a **resolution (not a bill)** titled "Requesting the Division of Highways to make the completion of I-73... a high priority project." This resolution directs West Virginia’s Division of Highways to prioritize completing I-73 (the King Coal Highway) across Wayne, Mingo, McDowell, Mercer, and Wyoming counties. It also urges state partnership with federal agencies and Congress to expedite funding. The resolution directly affects transportation planning in southern coalfield counties, aiming to improve economic development, emergency response, and regional connectivity following recent flooding. *(Note: The provided text contradicts the stated bill title; this summary reflects the actual resolution content.)*

Maddy summaryThis bill directs the West Virginia Legislature to replace the state's existing statue of John Kenna in the National Statuary Hall Collection at the U.S. Capitol with a new statue honoring Hershel "Woody" Williams. The legislation recognizes Williams as a Medal of Honor recipient and founder of the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument program, citing his military service and community contributions as worthy of national commemoration. To implement this change, the bill establishes a commission to select a sculptor, authorizes the Governor to fund the project from a contingency fund, and mandates that the removed John Kenna statue be displayed at the State Culture Center.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution honors David Allen Stover for his public service in West Virginia. It acknowledges his career as a teacher, his time as Wyoming County Circuit Clerk, and his single term in the state Senate. The bill formally expresses the Senate's appreciation for his dedication and directs the Clerk to send a copy of the resolution to him.