Sen. Mike Woelfel

Maddy summarySenate Bill 583, titled the "West Virginia-Powered Data Center Incentive Act," provides property tax exemptions for new data centers meeting specific eligibility criteria and a tax credit for coal-fired electric utilities supplying them. Data centers must apply for these incentives and maintain compliance to continue receiving benefits. The bill aims to attract data center investments to West Virginia, which the state expects will create jobs and boost economic growth while supporting coal-powered electricity infrastructure. It establishes clear application processes, eligibility rules, and compliance requirements for both data centers and utilities.

Maddy summaryThis bill changes how West Virginia fills vacancies in the state Senate or House of Delegates. It requires political parties to submit a list of three qualified candidates to the Governor, following their state executive committee's rules, rather than allowing other party members to propose names. It also adds a new requirement that any appointed official must have resided within the district they will represent for at least one year before appointment. The Governor must appoint from the submitted list within five days, with strict deadlines for submission (15 days after vacancy). This affects the Governor, political parties, and potential appointees by standardizing the vacancy process.

Maddy summarySJR 10 proposes a constitutional amendment to limit consecutive terms for West Virginia state legislators. It would restrict senators to three consecutive terms and delegates to six consecutive terms, applying only to terms beginning after the amendment is ratified by voters. Existing terms before ratification would not count toward these limits, but partial terms served after ratification would count. The amendment must be approved by voters in the 2026 general election to take effect.

Maddy summarySB 554, "Raylee's Law," prohibits home instruction for children if a schoolteacher or school personnel has initiated a pending child abuse or neglect investigation against a parent/guardian or instructor. The bill requires county superintendents to notify when such reports are made, request DHS confirmation of case status within 48 hours, and automatically approve home instruction if the complaint is unsubstantiated within 14 days. It applies directly to families seeking home schooling and county education officials who must implement these verification procedures. The law amends West Virginia's home schooling exemption rules to prioritize child safety during abuse investigations.

Maddy summarySenate Bill 549 creates a state tax deduction for West Virginia residents who receive and report tips to their employers. It allows tipped workers to deduct qualified tips (cash, card, or check payments received in employment) from their taxable income, effectively eliminating state income tax on those earnings. The deduction applies only to tips not already deductible for federal tax purposes and is available regardless of the tax return form filed. The provision takes effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryWest Virginia's Senate Bill 562 establishes the "Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act," creating a standardized legal process to prevent child abduction in custody cases. It allows courts to issue prevention orders when there is a credible risk of abduction, based on specific risk factors like prior domestic violence or travel plans. The bill requires detailed petitions (including child and respondent locations) and sets clear procedures for courts to act on their own motion or through petitions from parents, guardians, or prosecutors. This law directly affects families involved in custody disputes, courts handling those cases, and individuals seeking to prevent potential abductions by requiring objective risk assessments before court orders are issued.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires West Virginia hotels and public lodging establishments to implement specific measures to address human trafficking. By January 1, 2026, hotels must establish procedures for reporting suspected trafficking to the National Human Trafficking Hotline or local law enforcement, post bilingual (English/Spanish) awareness signs in employee-accessible areas, and may provide annual human trafficking awareness training to housekeeping and front desk staff. The training must cover definitions of trafficking (including sex and labor trafficking), how to identify victims, and reporting protocols. The bill clarifies it does not create legal liability for hotels and allows the Bureau for Public Health to develop implementing rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SB 528) amends West Virginia law to make it a felony to *attempt* sexual abuse by a parent, guardian, custodian, or person in a position of trust toward a child. It directly affects caregivers (like parents, teachers, or coaches) who try to commit sexual exploitation, intercourse, intrusion, or contact with a child under their care. The key change adds "attempt" as a separate criminal offense, meaning trying to commit such abuse - regardless of whether the child consented, participated, or suffered injury - will now be punishable by prison time (10-20 years for under-16s). This focuses on holding trusted adults accountable for *attempts* of abuse, not just completed acts.

Maddy summarySJR 9 proposes a constitutional amendment to limit term service for five specific state executive offices: Secretary of State, Auditor, Treasurer, Commissioner of Agriculture, and Attorney General. It would prohibit any person from serving more than two consecutive terms in any one of these positions. The amendment requires voter approval in the 2026 general election and would apply to terms beginning after ratification, counting prior terms toward the two-term limit. If passed, it would change the current constitutional language governing eligibility for these offices.

Maddy summarySB 514 requires that the full text of proposed constitutional amendments be printed on official ballots in West Virginia elections where voters decide on such changes. Currently, ballots include a title and summary, but this bill mandates adding the complete amendment text - showing any struck-through or underlined edits - alongside the title and summary. Ballot commissioners must place this full text on the ballot or ballot label, and if the Legislature fails to include it in the proposal, the Secretary of State will supply it. This change directly affects voters by providing complete information about constitutional proposals before they cast their vote.