Sen. Chris Rose

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 12 designates January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month in West Virginia. The resolution recognizes human trafficking as a global crime affecting people of all backgrounds and highlights the need for public awareness. It references West Virginia's existing "YOU CAN" initiative and encourages residents to learn about trafficking through resources like the See, Send app. This is a symbolic resolution focused on raising public awareness, not creating new laws or policies.

Maddy summaryWest Virginia Senate Bill 593 designates September 11 of each year as "Patriot Day," a legal holiday under state law. This change adds September 11 to the list of official state holidays in West Virginia Code §2-2-1, making it a day when state offices, courts, and schools typically close. The bill directly affects state and local government operations, including public employees and court schedules, by establishing a new annual observance. It is purely procedural and ceremonial, with no new funding or policy requirements, solely to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 598 would replace the existing statue of Robert C. Byrd (a former U.S. Senator from West Virginia) in the Capitol rotunda with four new statues: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, James Madison, and Arthur I. Boreman (West Virginia's first governor), each to be placed in a separate corner of the rotunda. The bill directs the Department of Administration's General Services Division to execute the replacement using funds from a pre-established "capitol renovation and improvement fund." This is a procedural change to Capitol artwork with no policy impact on residents or government operations. The bill does not alter state laws or create new obligations for citizens.

Maddy summarySB 561 establishes rules for local religious organizations in West Virginia seeking to disaffiliate from a parent denomination or conference. It requires a two-thirds vote of the local membership for disaffiliation approval and divides property into three classes: real estate (Class A), personal property (Class B), and financial assets (Class C). For real estate, a local church may retain a parcel if over 50% of its acquisition costs were raised locally (excluding parent funds), but must reimburse the parent for documented investments - though the parent must prove ownership claims within 60 days via receipts or records. If the parent fails to provide required documentation, the local church keeps the property without reimbursement for unproven claims.

Maddy summaryWest Virginia's SB 514 prohibits all geoengineering activities within or over the state, including weather modification, cloud seeding, stratospheric aerosol injection, and solar radiation modification. The bill defines these activities as intentional releases of pollutants or harmful substances into the atmosphere that could endanger health, environment, agriculture, or public safety. It requires the state secretary to investigate credible reports of such activities, issue immediate cessation orders, and enforce penalties for violations. This law directly affects any entity - individuals, corporations, government agencies, or international bodies - conducting prohibited activities within West Virginia's airspace.

Maddy summarySB 528 would make permanent daylight saving time (currently observed in summer) the official time for all West Virginia public schools, colleges, government agencies, and businesses. It specifies this time would apply year-round starting March 2nd and ending November 1st, aligning with current daylight saving schedules. However, the bill explicitly states it would only take effect if Congress passes federal legislation allowing states to observe daylight saving time permanently. This bill is conditional and does not change current time practices until federal approval is secured.

Maddy summarySB 522, the West Virginia Jobs Protection Act, requires all employers in West Virginia - including businesses, government agencies, and contractors - to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm the work authorization of every new hire within three business days of their start date. This applies to all employers regardless of size, with violations subject to fines of $5,000-$15,000 per unauthorized worker, license suspension, or loss of state contracts. Employers must enroll in E-Verify and begin compliance by July 1, 2026, and retain verification records for at least three years. The law aims to ensure all employees have legal work authorization under federal law, with the West Virginia Division of Labor overseeing enforcement and reporting compliance data annually.

Maddy summarySCR 2 is a symbolic Senate Concurrent Resolution (not a law) introduced in West Virginia on January 19, 2026. It expresses legislative support for religious freedom in public spaces, specifically endorsing practices like public school students and teachers openly expressing their faith, accommodating religious observances in government settings, protecting religious symbols in public areas, and fostering respectful dialogue among faiths. The resolution cites historical documents and recent Supreme Court decisions (like *Kennedy v. Bremerton*) to frame its support for religious expression in public life. It does not create new legal requirements or change existing laws, as it is a non-binding statement of principle.

Maddy summarySB 76 would exempt coal sold to coal-fired power plants located within West Virginia from the state's 5% severance tax. This directly affects coal producers who sell thermal coal (used for electricity generation) to in-state power plants, reducing their tax burden on these specific sales. The bill amends existing law to create this exemption, removing the tax that would otherwise apply to coal sold for electricity generation at facilities operating in West Virginia. The change would provide immediate tax savings for coal producers supplying local power plants, without altering other severance tax rates or provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes rules for local religious organizations that want to disaffiliate from a parent denomination or conference. It requires a two-thirds vote of the local membership to approve disaffiliation and classifies property into three types: real estate (Class A), movable items like furniture (Class B), and financial assets (Class C). Local groups can keep specific real estate parcels if over 50% of the costs for that parcel were raised locally, while parent denominations must provide detailed property accounting within 60 days and prove ownership claims with documentation. The law directly affects local religious groups seeking to leave a denomination and their parent organizations, focusing on how property ownership is determined during separation.