Sen. Kevan Bartlett

Maddy summarySCR 23 is a resolution requesting the Joint Committee on Government and Finance to study the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission (WVSSAC). The study will examine the commission's mission, effectiveness, efficiency, transparency, accountability, and whether a performance evaluation would be appropriate. The committee must gather input from coaches, parents, and athletes and report findings to the 2026 legislative session. The WVSSAC manages high school sports and activities, funded by ticket sales and corporate sponsors rather than taxpayer money. This resolution follows concerns about the commission's operations that prompted a similar reform bill with over 20 sponsors.

Maddy summarySB 85 prohibits the mailing, distribution, prescribing, or dispensing of abortifacients (drugs intended to cause abortion) within West Virginia. It specifically bans sending abortifacients via mail to residents, placing them in commerce for use in the state, prescribing them (even by out-of-state providers), or distributing without a valid prescription. Violations by non-medical professionals carry felony charges with 3-10 year prison sentences, while medical license revocation is possible for licensed providers. The law includes exceptions for medical emergencies that threaten a patient's life or major bodily function, as defined in the bill. This directly affects healthcare providers, pharmacies, and anyone involved in distributing abortion-related medications in West Virginia.

Maddy summarySB 943 clarifies that apiaries (beekeeping operations) are protected agricultural activities under West Virginia law. The bill amends the Code to explicitly state that beekeeping and honeybee colonies are agricultural operations regulated by the Commissioner of Agriculture, directly affecting beekeepers and agricultural regulations. Key provisions include legislative findings that pollinator decline threatens agriculture, that beekeeping supports the economy and food security, and that apiaries are critical to agricultural operations relying on pollinators. This legal clarification ensures apiaries are treated as agricultural operations for regulatory purposes, not subject to conflicting classifications. The bill does not create new regulations but formally recognizes existing beekeeping practices within agricultural protections.

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 summarySenate Joint Resolution 13 proposes a constitutional amendment to limit certain state constitutional officers to three consecutive terms. It would apply to the offices of Secretary of State, State Auditor, State Treasurer, Commissioner of Agriculture, and Attorney General for terms beginning after January 1, 2029. Terms starting before 2029 would not count toward the limit, and partial terms after that date would be included in the count. The amendment must be approved by the legislature and ratified by voters in the 2026 general election.

Maddy summarySB 841 prohibits all West Virginia state government entities - including public schools, universities, healthcare facilities, and social services offices - from promoting, facilitating, or funding any discussions, programs, or medical procedures related to sexual orientation or gender transitioning. The bill bans state funds for gender transition treatments (like hormone therapy or puberty blockers), restricts school materials discussing gender identity, and prohibits staff from engaging in related training or curriculum. Violations could result in employee termination, funding suspension, or lawsuits by West Virginia residents. This directly affects state-funded institutions and their educational, medical, and administrative activities.

Maddy summarySB 854, titled the "Creating Academic Quality in Public Education Act," establishes new standards for West Virginia public schools. It requires a minimum 180-day school year with five hours of daily instruction, annual attendance and immunization records shared with parents, and compliance with health/safety inspections and crisis response planning. The bill mandates annual standardized testing using nationally normed assessments, with results provided to parents and the State Superintendent, and sets a 40th percentile benchmark for school performance. If a school’s test scores fall below this benchmark for two consecutive years, students attending that school would no longer satisfy the state’s compulsory attendance requirement and would be considered delinquent.

Maddy summarySB 806 reorganizes West Virginia's bail statutes to clarify and update procedures for setting bail and pretrial release. It requires judicial officers to consider specific factors like offense severity, defendant’s criminal history, and health when determining bail, and mandates release on recognizance (without money deposit) for certain misdemeanors unless there’s good cause to deny it. The bill sets a maximum cash bail amount for misdemeanors, adds requirements for surety bonds (including net worth rules), and prohibits judges from suggesting relatives as sureties. These changes directly affect defendants facing criminal charges, courts, and bail bond providers by standardizing bail decisions and expanding pretrial release options for non-violent offenses.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits the sale of unauthorized electronic smoking devices, such as vapes, in West Virginia and directly affects retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers of these products. It requires manufacturers to provide FDA authorization documentation to wholesalers and retailers, while wholesalers must only sell authorized devices and verify that retailers are not on a tobacco noncompliance database. The legislation establishes penalties for selling unauthorized devices or selling authorized devices to individuals under 21, and mandates that the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission maintain a database of retailers and receive reports of citations. Additionally, the bill requires the Secretary of State to develop a list of retailers selling electronic smoking devices and allows existing enforcement entities to enforce the new provisions.

Maddy summarySB 697 creates a nonrefundable tax credit for West Virginia family caregivers who provide unpaid care to eligible relatives. It allows a 50% credit on qualifying out-of-pocket expenses for caregiving, capped at $2,000 annually, covering costs like home modifications, medical equipment, hiring aides, or transportation. To qualify, the caregiver must be a West Virginia resident, and the care recipient must be 18+ years old, live in a private home (not a facility), and require assistance with daily activities like bathing or eating, as certified by a healthcare provider. The credit applies to expenses incurred after January 1, 2027, and excludes general home maintenance or reimbursed costs.