Sen. Craig Hart

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 505 requires West Virginia electric utilities to factor system reliability into their rate-setting decisions, directly affecting utilities and their customers. The bill mandates that utilities consider the "capacity value" and reliability of generation assets when replacing older facilities, ensuring new assets maintain equivalent reliability and affordability. It establishes a legal standard for the Public Service Commission to review rate applications, requiring that only costs for reliable service can be recovered through customer rates. The law applies to all utilities under the Commission's jurisdiction, focusing on maintaining consistent power supply for homes, hospitals, businesses, and critical infrastructure during the energy transition.

Maddy summarySB 705 requires the West Virginia State Board of Education to submit newly created or amended rules to the Legislature's Legislative Rule-Making Review Committee for review. The Legislature has 15 months to approve, amend, or reject each rule; if it does not act within that timeframe, the rule becomes effective automatically. This directly affects the State Board of Education (which must submit rules) and the Legislature (which must review them within the specified period). The bill adjusts existing processes to clarify that the Legislature retains ultimate authority over education rules, as established by state constitutional provisions.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows hunters in West Virginia to use drones (unmanned aerial vehicles) or leashed dogs to track deer, elk, turkey, wild boar, or bear that were mortally wounded but not yet killed during a hunt. It requires drone operators to hold a valid hunting license, mandates commercial drone tracking services to be licensed as outfitters/guides, and requires non-property-based drone operators to comply with FAA regulations. The state must publish an annual list of licensed outfitters/guides offering dog or drone tracking services by September 1 each year. The law applies directly to hunters, commercial service providers, and wildlife officials managing tracking activities.

Maddy summarySB 899 (West Virginia Senate Bill 899) requires carbon storage operators to protect coal and gas mineral rights when seeking permits for carbon capture projects. The bill mandates that permit applicants must verify if valuable minerals exist in the storage area and obtain written agreements with mineral owners to ensure projects won’t harm their interests. Operators must design storage to isolate mineral production from CO2 plumes and secure consent from at least 75% of mineral owners before permits can be issued. This directly affects coal/gas mineral owners, carbon storage companies, and the state’s regulatory secretary, adding specific consent and design requirements to carbon storage permits under West Virginia law.

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 summarySB 930, the "West Virginia Constitutional Schools Act of 2025," mandates specific practices in West Virginia public schools starting with the 2025/2026 school year. It requires daily prayer or meditation time, a state-specific pledge of allegiance, and distribution of the West Virginia Constitution to students with mandatory preamble readings. The bill replaces mandatory state curriculum standards ("Next Generation" standards) and statewide standardized testing with district-level choices, allowing schools to adopt classical curricula or develop their own standards, while limiting statewide testing to random samples for research. Districts must also offer optional national standardized tests like the SAT or CLT for parent assessment. This bill directly affects all K-12 public schools in West Virginia.

Maddy summarySB 897 creates a Community School Support Fund to assist schools at risk of closure or consolidation, specifically those that received Federal Title I funding in the 2023-2024 school year. The fund will be supported by an annual $5 million allocation from the State Superintendent of Schools' budget, with eligible schools able to receive up to 20% of their operating costs for personnel, facility operations, and essential expenses. Applications for assistance must be submitted by each school's Local School Improvement Council, exempting compliance with standard staffing requirements under the school funding formula.

Maddy summarySB 894 renames the West Virginia Advanced Energy and Economic Corridor Authority to the King Coal Highway Economic Advisory Board and reduces its membership from 13 to 11 members. The bill directly affects McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wayne, and Wyoming counties along the King Coal Highway corridor, which face economic challenges linked to coal industry changes. Key provisions include modifying the board's membership requirements, clarifying its role in advising local governments and businesses, and focusing on reducing regulatory barriers to economic development. The board will help guide efforts to diversify local economies, leverage natural resources, and support business creation in these coal-impacted regions.

Maddy summarySB 896 creates a 5-year moratorium on public school closings and consolidations in West Virginia, effective July 1, 2025, directly affecting all public schools across the state. The bill requires the Board of Education to conduct specific studies during this period, including analyzing school proximity impacts on student well-being and academic performance, implementing a non-identifying school rating system, and validating assessment data. It also mandates emergency funding for schools through Local School Improvement Councils and requires a final report to the legislature after the moratorium ends. The bill aims to gather data before making future decisions about school structure, rather than allowing immediate closures or consolidations.