Sen. Craig Hart

Maddy summarySB 931 renames the "West Virginia Advanced Energy and Economic Corridor Authority" to the "King Coal Highway Economic Advisory Board" and reduces its membership from 15 to 11 members. The bill directly affects McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, which face economic challenges due to shifts in the coal industry. Key provisions include updating the board's purpose to support economic development along the King Coal Highway corridor by reducing regulatory barriers, leveraging natural resources, and fostering business growth. The board will continue advising local governments and businesses on revitalizing these coal-dependent regions.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires the West Virginia Department of Education to review school closures and consolidations considered over the current year and the previous four fiscal years. The department must propose funding formula changes within 180 days that would likely prevent the closure of at least 80% of schools, specifically those closures based on financial and operational reasons. The proposed changes would be submitted to the legislature for consideration, regardless of any decisions already made by school districts. This measure directly affects school districts, the state education department, and the legislative body by mandating a specific review process and funding adjustment proposal.

Maddy summarySB 882 requires electric utilities in West Virginia to delay rate or fee increases not approved by November 20 of any year until April 1 of the following year. This applies to all electric utilities regulated under the Public Service Commission's jurisdiction, directly affecting utility companies and their customers. The bill modifies existing law to establish this specific timeline, preventing utilities from implementing changes before April 1 if they miss the November 20 deadline. This provides customers with more predictable timing for potential rate adjustments.

Maddy summarySB 895 amends West Virginia law to change the definition of "solar photovoltaic energy facility" to "on-site energy facility" within Public Service Commission (PSC) jurisdiction rules. It sets specific requirements for power purchase agreements (PPAs) between public entities (like schools or municipalities) and customers, including size limits (25kW for residential, 1,000kW for commercial), a 3% annual cap on aggregate PPA capacity relative to utility demand, and a requirement that PPA rates be lower than the utility’s rates. The bill also restricts PPA terms to five years, mandates clear font for agreements, and requires utilities to notify customers within 30 days if capacity limits are reached. These provisions directly affect utilities, public entities entering PPAs, and customers installing small-scale on-site energy systems.

Maddy summarySB 929, the "Restoring Private Schools Act of 2025," amends West Virginia law to establish requirements for private, parochial, and church schools. It mandates these schools to maintain attendance and immunization records, comply with fire and health safety inspections, create crisis response plans, and administer annual standardized tests to students in the same grades and subjects as public schools. Schools serving students with learning disabilities may use alternative assessments like portfolios or parent-agreed evaluations instead of standardized tests. The bill requires schools to share test results and student lists with parents and the state education department upon request, directly affecting all nonpublic schools operating under these provisions.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 38) is a ceremonial designation, not a policy bill. It formally recognizes Mingo County, West Virginia, by designating March 20, 2025, as "Mingo County Day" at the West Virginia Legislature. The resolution highlights the county's history (founded 1895, Native American heritage, coal mining legacy, Mine Wars), recent flood resilience, and tourism assets like the Hatfield-McCoy Trail. It does not create new laws, allocate funds, or directly affect any residents or policies - it is purely a symbolic gesture of legislative recognition. The resolution was adopted by the Senate on March 20, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 842, the "Fueling Modern Life Act," proposes to repeal West Virginia's existing air pollution control statutes (§22-5-2 through §22-5-20) and replace them with a new policy declaration. The bill declares carbon dioxide a "foundational nutrient necessary for life" and states it should not be treated as a pollutant or subject to reduction targets. It directs state agencies to align with this policy, removing regulatory frameworks for CO2 emissions under current air quality laws. The bill directly affects West Virginia's environmental regulations and state agencies responsible for air quality enforcement. It does not address specific emission limits or enforcement mechanisms but redefines the state's approach to carbon dioxide regulation.

Maddy summaryThis bill bans the sale and distribution of lab-grown meat products (cultivated meat) in West Virginia for five years, from July 2025 through July 2030. It prohibits businesses from manufacturing, selling, or distributing such products, with violations punishable by fines up to $500 or jail time. Food establishments violating the ban could lose their operating permits, though the process includes a hearing for affected businesses. Research on cultivated meat by government entities, universities, or their partners remains permitted under the law.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (SR 37), not a bill with policy changes. It formally recognizes the Energy Council's 50th anniversary and commends the organization for its work since 1975. The resolution expresses the West Virginia Senate's appreciation for the Council's role in fostering nonpartisan collaboration among energy policymakers across 14 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. It has no binding effect or impact on energy policy, funding, or regulations.

Maddy summarySB 686 amends West Virginia's Commercial Feed Law to clarify that farmers selling products made entirely on their own farm are not considered "distributors" under the law. This exempts small-scale farmers who offer for sale, sell, exchange, or barter their own farm-produced goods (like unprocessed feed or crops) from needing a commercial feed distributor permit. The bill specifically updates definitions in §19-14-2(h) to state that "any person engaged in offering for sale, selling, exchanging, or bartering products or commodities produced exclusively on his or her own farm is not a distributor." It directly affects local farmers selling directly from their farms without commercial processing or packaging, reducing regulatory requirements for these transactions. The change focuses on clarifying existing definitions rather than creating new regulations.