Sen. Mike Woelfel

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new market pay enhancement for certified teachers in West Virginia to address regional cost-of-living disparities. It calculates an additional payment based on comparing the median home price in a teacher's county (or surrounding region including bordering states) to the statewide median home price, using data from the National Association of Realtors. The state board of education will determine the higher of two multipliers (regional or county-based) to apply to the average teacher base salary, with the enhancement capped at 50% of that base salary. The adjustment will occur annually starting December 1, 2026, aiming to make teacher compensation more competitive with neighboring states.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution designates March 27, 2025, as "Local Food and Farm Day" to honor West Virginia farmers and food entrepreneurs. It recognizes their contributions to the state's economy, community well-being, and food systems - including supporting programs like SNAP Stretch, which provided $3.3 million to farmers and rural grocers. The resolution has no new policy requirements; it simply observes the day to acknowledge agricultural efforts.

Maddy summarySB 938 transfers $4,516,702 in unspent funds from the Department of Administration's General Services account (fund 0230, fiscal year 2024) to the state's unappropriated surplus fund for fiscal year 2025. The bill expires funds that exceed the account's necessary balance, making the amount available for general state spending during 2025. It does not create new programs or spending but reallocates existing unspent funds within the state budget. This procedural adjustment directly affects how $4.5 million is managed in the state's general revenue fund.

Maddy summarySB 460 amends West Virginia's school immunization law to allow religious and philosophical exemptions for required vaccines (including measles, chickenpox, and polio), in addition to existing medical exemptions. It removes the requirement for schools to report unvaccinated students to health officials and eliminates the position of a state immunization officer. The bill prohibits schools and child care centers from excluding students from extracurricular activities or school events due to using an exemption, and permits civil lawsuits for violations of these rules. These changes directly affect students, parents, and schools in West Virginia.

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies rules for West Virginia's higher education institutions (including the Higher Education Policy Commission, community colleges, and university governing boards) regarding the sale or transfer of real property. It requires these entities to obtain two independent property appraisals (with sales not below the average), provide public notice via legal advertisement, hold local hearings, and notify county commissions and legislators for sales over $50,000 or leases exceeding $150,000 annually. The bill also prohibits selling property purchased with public funds without these steps and mandates that all sale proceeds be deposited into a dedicated state treasury account for the selling entity. These changes aim to increase transparency and oversight for property transactions involving public assets.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 725 clarifies rules for local governments (like counties and municipalities) regarding spending beyond one year. It allows local fiscal bodies to enter multi-year contracts for regular services up to 5 years or technology licensing up to 10 years, but requires a 30-day cancellation clause and documentation proving fiscal savings. The bill also states local governments cannot face penalties for small budget shortfalls (under 3% of the approved budget) if covered in the next year’s budget, excluding certain retirement fund liabilities. This directly affects how local entities manage long-term spending commitments and budget adjustments. The changes aim to provide flexibility while maintaining fiscal accountability.

Maddy summarySB 936 is a procedural budget bill that allocates $13,099 for current expenses and $66,100 for capital improvements from unappropriated surplus funds to the Division of Culture and History within the Department of Arts, Culture, and History. It supplements existing fiscal year 2025 appropriations using leftover state funds identified in the Governor’s budget document. The bill does not create new programs or affect citizens directly - it only redirects existing surplus money for the division’s operations and facility improvements. This is a standard budget reallocation, not a policy change.

Maddy summarySB 935 adds $398,295 to the Fusion Center budget and $378,771 to Emergency Management's current expenses within West Virginia's Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2025. It uses unspent funds from previous years (specifically from the Fusion Center and Current Expenses accounts) to cover these new appropriations. Any remaining unspent money from these accounts at year-end 2025 will automatically carry over for use in 2026. The bill directly affects the Department of Homeland Security's budget operations for its Office of the Secretary and Emergency Management Division.

Maddy summarySB 737 creates a pilot program to train students at West Virginia career/technical schools, high schools, or community colleges to repair farm equipment locally. It allows schools to partner with farm equipment businesses (like manufacturers or dealers) to develop training programs, with the Agriculture Commissioner authorizing up to five statewide pilot programs. The bill prohibits requiring businesses to share proprietary tools or software to participate and mandates collaboration between schools, businesses, and the Agriculture Commissioner to create implementation plans. The goal is to provide farmers with more accessible, local repair options while building a trained workforce, without affecting warranty agreements or dealership operations.

Maddy summaryThis bill increases retirement benefits for West Virginia Natural Resources Police Officers who retire on or after January 1, 2028. It changes the calculation for "accrued benefit" from 2.5% to 2.75% of an officer's final average salary multiplied by years of service. This adjustment directly affects officers retiring after 2027, providing a slightly higher monthly pension amount compared to previous retirement dates. The change applies to the Natural Resources Police Officer Retirement System under existing code sections.