Sen. Trenton Barnhart

Maddy summarySB 723 clarifies West Virginia's law on law-enforcement cooperation with bordering states and federal agencies by amending definitions and procedures. The bill defines key terms like "criminal justice enforcement personnel" and specifies that agency heads may temporarily share resources - including personnel, equipment, and information - for crime investigations upon written request (or in emergencies involving imminent risk). This applies to state police, county sheriffs, municipal police, and campus police, while requiring compliance with existing laws and policies. The bill streamlines existing cooperation mechanisms without creating new legal obligations.

Maddy summarySB 726 removes a 30% limit on how much money West Virginia municipalities can save in their stabilization funds, which act as emergency rainy-day reserves. Currently, these funds cannot exceed 30% of a municipality's general fund budget, but the bill would eliminate that cap. Municipalities would then have greater flexibility to build larger reserves using surplus funds from their general budget. This change directly affects all West Virginia cities and towns that maintain such stabilization funds. The bill amends West Virginia Code §8-37-3 to reflect this policy adjustment.

Maddy summarySB 717 modifies retirement benefits for municipal police and firefighters in West Virginia. It allows those disabled "in the line of duty" to recalculate their retirement benefits as if they had reached retirement age (50) earlier. It also removes the requirement for those disabled "not in the line of duty" to submit annual tax returns to the pension fund after reaching Social Security's normal retirement age. These changes apply to municipal pension plans overseen by the Municipal Pensions Oversight Board.

Maddy summarySB 878 creates a new Office of Entrepreneurship within West Virginia's Secretary of State's office to help entrepreneurs, startups (under 5 years old), and scale-ups (businesses with proven growth) navigate state requirements. The office will act as a central point of contact, coordinating with state agencies and support groups to identify barriers and streamline business setup and growth processes. It requires state agencies to share anonymized data and resources (while protecting sensitive information) and must report annually to the legislature on its activities and findings. This bill establishes a dedicated state resource to improve support for new and growing businesses across West Virginia.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SB 1038) increases salaries by 15% for three specific positions at the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review: Chief Administrative Law Judge, Administrative Law Judge 1, and Administrative Law Judge 2. The adjustment applies to salary levels effective when the bill takes effect and is separate from other 2026 budget salary changes. The stated purpose is to help ensure unemployment compensation hearings occur in a timely manner. The funding for this increase is exempt from standard budget constraints, and the law explicitly states it creates no legal liability for implementation.

Maddy summaryThis bill provides a $5,000 salary increase to state mine inspectors, including electrical, underground, and surface mine inspectors, effective upon enactment. It directly affects these specific inspectors by adding a fixed monetary amount to their base salaries without altering their duties or qualifications. The provision applies uniformly to all inspectors covered under the relevant chapter of the state code.

Maddy summarySB 228 establishes a two-county pilot program requiring child protective services workers in West Virginia to use mobile devices (like tablets) during child abuse and neglect investigations. The bill mandates that these devices must create digital records in real time, automatically upload data daily to department servers, and meet specific technical requirements for security and interoperability with existing systems. The pilot, starting October 2027, requires mobile technology use in at least 70% of cases in the participating counties and runs for five years. The Department of Human Services must report annually on the program’s progress to the Legislative Oversight Commission.

Maddy summarySB 1, the Small Business Growth Act, creates a new tax credit program administered by the West Virginia Department of Commerce to incentivize investment in small businesses. It provides insurance companies with a credit against their state premium tax equal to 15% of qualifying capital investments made by certified "growth funds" into eligible West Virginia businesses. Eligible businesses must have fewer than 250 employees and principal operations in the state, and investments are limited to 20% of a growth fund's capital authority or $7.5 million per business. The credit is claimed annually based on certified investments, with the program requiring annual reporting and prohibiting certain investment types.

Maddy summarySB 28 allows members of the West Virginia State Police Retirement System to convert accrued annual or sick leave into additional retirement credit. It specifically affects current and future State Police retirees, with different rules based on membership start dates: members joining before July 1, 2015, receive two days of retirement credit for each day of accrued leave, while those joining on or after that date receive one day of credit per day of leave. The bill clarifies that each leave day equals eight hours and establishes how remainders (e.g., less than 10 workdays) are handled, ensuring the conversion aligns with existing retirement service calculations.

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution formally recognizes the dedicated public service of Honorable Michael Andrew Woelfel, a former West Virginia State Senator. The bill honors his career as a prosecutor, juvenile court referee, university professor, and legislator who served three consecutive terms in the Senate. It expresses the Senate's appreciation for his contributions to West Virginia citizens and directs the Clerk to send a copy of the resolution to Woelfel. This is a commemorative measure with no policy changes or budgetary impact.