Requiring courts to interpret statutes and regulations

SB 648 requires West Virginia courts and administrative judges to interpret state statutes, regulations, and rules independently - without deferring to agency interpretations - when reviewing cases involving state agencies. It mandates that courts apply standard interpretation methods first, then resolve any remaining ambiguity by favoring interpretations that limit agency power and protect individual liberty. This directly affects courts handling disputes between citizens and state agencies, such as licensing or regulatory enforcement cases. The bill changes how judicial review operates by eliminating the standard practice of deferring to agency explanations of their own rules.