Rep. Keith Marple

Maddy summaryHB 5182 authorizes security personnel employed by West Virginia's State Treasurer to carry concealed firearms while performing official duties. To qualify, staff must obtain the Treasurer's written approval, hold a valid concealed handgun license, pass firearms training equivalent to police academy standards, and maintain annual requalification. The State Treasurer may reimburse staff for training costs, and the state assumes liability for security personnel acting in good faith during official duties. This bill directly affects the Treasurer's security team and establishes specific safety requirements for firearm use.

Maddy summaryHB 5406 updates West Virginia's DUI laws by shifting authority for chemical testing oversight from the Bureau of Public Health to the West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory. It eliminates outdated references to urine testing, removes propoxyphene from drug testing requirements, and permits trained phlebotomists to collect blood samples for analysis. The bill also corrects blood alcohol concentration thresholds for juvenile drivers and clarifies that refusing only a blood test - without refusing a breath test - will not automatically trigger license revocation. These changes streamline DUI testing procedures for law enforcement and ensure current medical standards are reflected in the law.

Maddy summaryHB 5528 requires West Virginia state agencies, counties, municipalities, and political subdivisions to remove or redact personal residential information - including home addresses, personal phone numbers, and personal cell numbers - from public records upon written request by certain public officials. It directly affects elected/appointed officials (like judges, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and legislators), their immediate family members living with them, and their employers. The bill mandates immediate removal of such information from publicly accessible databases or websites after a valid written request, with civil penalties including attorney fees for non-compliance. Permitted disclosures include those required by federal law, court orders, law enforcement needs, or voter registration purposes, but not general public access.

Maddy summaryHB 5382 extends the expiration date of West Virginia's Neighborhood Investment Program from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2031. This program provides tax credits to taxpayers who contribute to certified neighborhood development projects. Contributions made before July 1, 2031, will still qualify for the credit, but no new credits will be available for contributions after that date. The bill ensures continued support for community investment projects through 2031 while clarifying the program's termination timeline.

Maddy summaryHB 4756 requires commercial truck drivers in West Virginia who cannot comprehend English to pay triple the standard compensation for all accident-related damages and medical expenses if they cause an accident. It directly affects non-English-speaking commercial truck drivers and their employing companies. The bill’s key provision replaces standard damages with automatic "treble damages" (triple the usual amount) for qualifying accidents, without requiring separate legal proceedings. This policy change specifically targets language barriers in commercial driving incidents, mandating higher financial accountability for drivers unable to understand English during operations.

Maddy summaryHB 4799 establishes a statewide cold case task force within the West Virginia State Police to investigate unsolved criminal cases. The task force, led by an executive board of the State Police Superintendent, police chiefs, and sheriffs' association presidents, will coordinate with other law enforcement agencies while respecting ongoing investigations. It creates a dedicated "cold case task force fund" for operations and requires the West Virginia Fusion Center to share relevant data from existing cold case databases. The bill focuses on structural mechanisms for investigation rather than new policy changes, directly affecting state and local law enforcement agencies collaborating on cold cases.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates West Virginia laws to recognize military protective orders as valid evidence of domestic violence when seeking emergency protective orders from family courts. It defines a military protective order as one issued by a commanding officer in the U.S. Armed Forces, West Virginia National Guard, or another state's National Guard against someone under their command. The legislation requires law enforcement to notify relevant agencies of potential violations of these military orders and allows them to be used in petitions for temporary personal safety orders. These changes aim to improve how courts handle cases involving service members and their families by streamlining the process for obtaining protection orders.

Maddy summaryHB 4990 creates new criminal offenses related to gift card fraud in West Virginia. It makes it a crime to steal, tamper with, or fraudulently obtain gift cards or their redemption information (defined as unique access codes), and to use stolen gift cards for purchases. Specifically, using stolen gift cards for $1,000+ in value over six months escalates the offense to grand theft. The bill directly affects individuals committing gift card fraud, while protecting cardholders, issuers, and sellers. It provides clear definitions for terms like "closed-loop gift card" (e.g., store-specific) and "gift card redemption information" to clarify the scope of the law.

Maddy summaryHB 4415 amends West Virginia law to explicitly include federal correctional facilities in existing statutes prohibiting the smuggling of prohibited items into correctional settings. The bill makes it a misdemeanor to deliver items like food, clothing, or money without permission (fines up to $500, jail up to 12 months) and a felony to transport weapons, drugs, escape tools, or telecommunications devices (fines $1,000-$5,000, prison 1-10 years). It directly affects individuals attempting to smuggle contraband into federal prisons located within West Virginia, such as visitors, family members, or others delivering unauthorized items. The law updates prior penalties for smuggling into state facilities to apply uniformly to federal correctional institutions.

Maddy summaryHB 5629 updates West Virginia's Unclaimed Property Act to extend the time nursing homes must wait before reporting abandoned resident funds to 180 days (from 30 days) after a resident's death. It requires safety deposit boxes and other depositories to deliver contents to the State Treasurer within specific timeframes, clarifies claim filing processes, and prohibits finders from claiming property immediately. The bill also allows the Treasurer to waive reciprocal claim forms with other states and clarifies that estate executors must liquidate personal property before transferring proceeds. These changes primarily affect nursing homes, financial institutions holding unclaimed property, and the State Treasurer's office.