Public Comments

• WV has 231 fewer childcare programs today than in February 2024.
• Programs are closing even with enrollment-based payments because margins are already razor thin.
• Reverting to attendance-based payments would cause hundreds more closures.

• Parents lose childcare and leave the workforce.
• Businesses lose employees and productivity.
• Communities lose economic growth opportunities.

• Daily attendance records required
• Regular licensing inspections
• Random audits required twice a year (monthly since September) for centers and monthly for other providers
• Documentation verification requirements
• Payment recovery when records are inaccurate

• Keep classrooms open
• Maintain staff
• Serve working families

• Parents cannot work.
• Employers cannot grow.
• West Virginia cannot compete economically.

§18B-10-7b. Tuition waivers for high school graduates in foster care

Please support HB 4517 to strengthen West Virginia’s employer child care tax credit so more employers will actually use it to create real child care options for working families.

When my children were young, my household had two full-time working parents but almost no child care choices. In our county there was effectively one option, and the projected cost over the early childhood years was easily over tens of thousands of dollars. With no employer-supported options and no practical local care, we ended up moving an hour away from our jobs just so family could help watch the kids, which put enormous strain on our marriage and ultimately contributed to divorce and family separation.

HB 4517 would make it far more feasible for employers to provide or sponsor child care by increasing the tax credit for capital investments and operating costs and allowing unused credits to be carried forward for up to 20 years. It also makes clear that child care can be ‘employer-sponsored’ and located in places that are reasonably accessible to workers, not just on the employer’s physical premises. If more employers had practical, generous incentives like this in place years ago, families like mine might have had stable care closer to work and avoided the extreme choices we were forced to make.

Please pass HB 4517, along with HB 4067 and HB 5345, so that child care is treated as shared infrastructure between families, providers, and employers—and so other parents don’t lose their jobs, marriages, or relationships with their children because basic child care wasn’t available.

As a full-time working parent in a two-parent household where both adults worked full time, child care was a nightmare. In the county where we lived, there was only one real option, and the projected cost for both of our children, before they would have aged out, was well over tens of thousands of dollars. The lack of options and the financial pressure forced us to move an hour away from our jobs just so family could help watch the kids, which put enormous strain on our marriage and ultimately contributed to our divorce and family separation.

These bills address two sides of the same crisis. HB 4067 helps child care workers afford care for their own children based on their hours worked, which will help retain staff and keep centers open for families like mine. HB 5345 would require subsidy payments to be based on enrollment rather than daily attendance, giving providers predictable income instead of penalizing them when children are absent due to illness or family schedules. Without that stability, centers close or stop taking subsidized children, and families in rural counties can be left with no realistic options at all.

West Virginia already knows that enrollment-based payments and stronger child care support are key solutions to our workforce and family stability problems. Passing HB 4067 and HB 5345 would be a concrete step toward making sure other families do not have to make the kinds of impossible choices that mine did just to keep working and keep their children safe.”

I’m a working parent who has lived through how limited child care options and high costs can destabilize a family. In rural areas, availability can be so tight that parents are forced into impossible choices—long commutes, patchwork care, or leaving the workforce—because there simply aren’t enough slots.

When my family was raising two young children, we faced extremely limited local child care options and costs that would have added up to tens of thousands of dollars over the years. The constant strain of trying to keep jobs, keep children cared for safely, and keep a household functioning took a real toll on our family.

HB 4067 is a practical workforce-and-family policy: if child care workers can access a subsidy based on their work hours rather than household income, it helps retain qualified staff, reduces turnover, and strengthens the child care system for everyone.​

I urge you to pass HB 4067 to support the child care workforce and to make child care more stable and accessible for West Virginia families.

This is so vital to help childcare centers stay open and be able to budget to provide high quality services.

I support this bill.

My name is Chris Gale, and I am a West Virginia resident who cares deeply about strengthening access to quality, affordable child care in our state. I am writing in support of House Bill 4517 — legislation to maximize the utility and accessibility of West Virginia’s child care tax credit for employers by expanding eligibility to employer-sponsored child care facilities accessible to the work site in addition to traditional on-site facilities.

Child care is a critical part of our economic infrastructure. When employers are encouraged through tax incentives to help meet the child care needs of their employees — whether by supporting a nearby facility or creating space that is easily accessible — this helps more working families find care, increases workforce participation, and supports economic stability.

By making the tax credit more useful and accessible, HB 4517 helps align state policy with the real needs of employers and working families. It makes West Virginia a more attractive place to live and work, and it helps ensure that parents aren’t forced to make impossible choices between earning a paycheck and caring for their children.

I respectfully urge you to support HB 4517 and help expand opportunities for child care investment in our communities.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

My name is Tiffany Gale, and as a family child care provider in West Virginia, I strongly support House Bill 4517. This bill updates West Virginia’s existing child care tax credit for employers so that it better supports the development and continued operation of employer-provided or employer-sponsored child care — including facilities that are accessible to employees even if not located directly on the work site.

Families and employers both struggle when quality child care is hard to find. When employers are encouraged through tax policy to invest in child care — whether on site or nearby — it can help expand available seats, improve work-life balance for parents, and strengthen our overall child care infrastructure. For many of the parents I serve, access to reliable, affordable care affects their ability to work and support their families every day.

By maximizing the utility and accessibility of this tax credit, HB 4517 would create stronger incentives for employers to invest in child care options for their workforce, helping fill gaps in care and making it easier for employees to stay connected to the job while their children receive quality early learning. This is especially important in our rural areas where child care options are limited and families often struggle to find stable care.

I respectfully urge you to support HB 4517 and help strengthen child care supports that benefit families, employers, and communities across West Virginia.

Thank you for your consideration.

My name is Chris Gale, and I am writing to support House Bill 4067, which would allow employees working 20 hours or more per week in licensed child care centers or certified family child care homes to receive a child care subsidy for their own children, regardless of income.

Quality child care is essential for families and the workforce. Yet the sector has long struggled to recruit and retain staff because compensation is often low and workers can barely afford care for their own children. By allowing child care workers to access subsidy support, this bill would help ease that gap and make careers in early childhood more sustainable.

When those who care for our children can afford care for their own families, it:

• Improves workforce stability in child care settings;

• Reduces turnover and increases consistency for children and families;

• Strengthens access to quality care throughout our communities.

Supporting those who give so much to others is an investment in West Virginia’s children and families. I respectfully urge you to support HB 4067.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

My name is Tiffany Gale, and I am a child care provider and member of the early childhood community in West Virginia. I am writing to express my strong support for House Bill 4067, which would allow employees of child care programs — including family child care homes — who work at least 20 hours per week to receive a child care subsidy for their own children, regardless of income.

This bill makes sense for our child care workforce. Many of the dedicated professionals who care for our children are parents themselves. Despite the importance of their work, child care employees are often paid low wages and struggle to afford care for their own children. This creates financial stress and barriers that make it harder to recruit and retain quality staff — a challenge that many providers, including myself, face every day.

By ensuring that child care workers can access subsidy support for their families, HB 4067 would help remove a critical barrier to workforce stability. It would:

• Support recruitment and retention of qualified child care staff;

• Recognize the value of early childhood professionals by supporting their own families;

• Strengthen the overall child care system by helping keep more caregivers in the field.

I urge you to support this practical and compassionate legislation. Helping child care workers afford care for their own children is not only fair — it benefits families, children, and our entire early childhood system.

Thank you for your consideration.

My name is Chris Gale, and I am a West Virginia resident and strong supporter of quality child care in our state. I am writing to express my support for House Bill 5345, which would base child care subsidy payments on enrollment rather than daily attendance.

Families depend on stable, reliable child care so they can go to work and provide for their children. When child care programs struggle financially due to inconsistent subsidy payments, it affects availability for everyone. If providers cannot count on steady funding, many are forced to reduce enrollment or close altogether, making it even harder for working families to find care.

Paying based on enrollment simply reflects how child care actually works. Providers hold a space for a child whether that child is present that day or not. Just like a school or any other service, the spot is reserved and staffed. It makes sense for the payment structure to match that reality.

Strong child care supports working families, local businesses, and the broader economy. Policies that help stabilize child care programs are investments in West Virginia’s future workforce and in our children’s development.

I respectfully ask you to support HB 5345 and help strengthen the child care system for families and providers across our state.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

My name is Tiffany Gale, and I am a licensed family child care provider in West Virginia. I strongly support House Bill 5345, which would shift child care subsidy payments to be based on monthly enrollment rather than daily attendance.

As a small business owner and early childhood professional, I invest my time, money, and heart into creating a safe, nurturing, and educational environment for children. Like any small business, I have fixed costs — food, supplies, utilities, insurance, and licensing requirements — that do not change when a child is absent. I still hold that child’s space and plan staffing based on enrollment.

The current attendance-based system creates unpredictable income for providers. Children get sick, families have emergencies, and weather or transportation issues happen. When that occurs, providers lose revenue even though we are still operating and reserving a spot for that child. This makes it very difficult to maintain stable budgets, keep quality materials in our programs, and remain financially sustainable.

Basing subsidy payments on enrollment would:

• Provide stability for small family child care businesses

• Help providers stay open and serve their communities

• Encourage more providers to enter the field

• Increase child care availability for working families

Reliable child care is essential for West Virginia’s workforce and economy. When child care is stable, parents can work and children receive consistent, quality care.

HB 5345 is a practical, common-sense step toward strengthening child care in our state. I respectfully urge you to support this bill for the benefit of providers, families, and children across West Virginia.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

• As someone who worked in this field for many years and has also had three children go to childcare, I can say with my whole heart that when you find a good childcare you hold onto it. One of the main reasons why I stopped working in childcare was because it is so underpaid. And that is not on the programs themselves at all. Unfortunately childcares are struggling for funding as it is. The teachers can be some of the most wonderful and talented teachers around, but they still have bills to pay and unfortunately most of the time they don’t qualify for childcare payment assistances. Therefore, these teachers would benefit incredibly from their own children being offered scholarships. They spend so much time working with and caring for children in communities that don’t have access to consistent warm meals and love. They spend their hard earned money on classroom supplies, treats, and other classroom needs like diapers and wipes and have their own children to worry about as well. They are who so many of us trust our babies with in a world that is hard enough. Please see these workers and their hard work and understand that they deserve the world. They deserve to be able to do what they love and still be able to afford living as well.

Edibles would be a great way for me to medicate and get relief from the medical marijuana Industry

• Nearly 28.5% of West Virginia high school students use tobacco products, among the highest rates nationally. 

• More than 4,280 West Virginians die each year from smoking-related causes. 

• West Virginia has the second-highest rate of new lung cancer cases in the United States. 

• Increased state investment in prevention and cessation 

• Comprehensive, school-based prevention programs 

• Youth-specific cessation and quit services 

• Restrictions on flavored tobacco and vaping products 

• Higher tobacco taxes 

• In an effort to help combat the growing youth addiction to tobacco products, The American Lung Association offers programs to assist schools, parents and youth in cessation efforts that work. In fact, the Lung Association collaborated with West Virginia University to develop INDEPTH, an alternative to suspension or citation. We encourage delegates and school officials to work with us to help West Virginia youth break tobacco addiction. 

1. Fully funding tobacco prevention and cessation programs at CDC-recommended levels. 

1. Expanding access to youth vaping cessation services statewide. 

1. Enacting strong restrictions on flavored tobacco and vaping products. 

1. Increasing tobacco taxes, which are proven to reduce youth initiation. 

1. Strengthening smoke-free protections in schools and public spaces. 

1. Randy became addicted to kratom, a substance that is often marketed as “natural” and “safe.” You can buy it at gas stations, smoke shops, and convenience stores, with little warning and no real oversight. Like many others, Randy was led to believe it wasn’t dangerous. That belief cost him his life.Kratom took hold of my son slowly. It changed him in ways that were painful to watch and impossible to stop. This was not a failure of character or willpower — it was addiction. And addiction does not care how kind, strong, or loved someone is. The only substance found in Randy’s system was kratom. Mitragynine toxicity ended his life. Saying that out loud still feels unreal, but it is the truth, and people need to hear it. I share Randy’s story because I don’t want another family to feel this kind of loss. I don’t want another mother to bury her child because something sold openly was treated as harmless when it was not. If speaking up can save even one life, then Randy’s life — and his death — will continue to matter. We miss him every single day. We love him always. And we will keep telling the truth about kratom, for Randy and for everyone who is still at risk.

I support HB5 260 Because medical edibles provide a safe regulated option For patients who cannot consume cannabis And deserved medically, appropriate alternatives.

Dear Members of the Committee,

My name is Wendy Chamberlain. I am a mother, and I am here because my son, Joseph, is dead.

Joseph did not struggle with illegal drugs. He did not overdose on fentanyl or heroin. He used kratom—Whole leaf natural powder , specifically its primary alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine—products that are sold openly, marketed as safe, and completely unregulated.

My son died from mitragynine toxicity. A product he used for energy. He was my only child , business owner and a dad to 3 amazing boys.. He simply sat down one evening to watch tv and fell asleep and never to wake up again.  This changed our lives forever.. He was so full of life and love.. And taken away at 38 yrs old on 8/30/2020.

After his death, I did what grieving parents do when the system fails them—I started asking questions. I learned that kratom products vary wildly in potency, that newer extracts are far stronger than what users believe they’re taking, and that there is no federal oversight, no dosing standards, and no warning labels that reflect real risk.

I now serve as the founder and chair of Kratom Danger Awareness,  nonprofit and I represent thousands of families across this country—parents who have buried children, spouses who have lost partners, and families living through addiction that began with a product sold as “natural” and “safe.”

This is not speculation. This is not anecdote.

In 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration formally accepted our citizen petition requesting the scheduling of mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine. That acceptance means the federal government determined there is enough scientific and medical concern to warrant a full review under the Controlled Substances Act.

That matters.

Because it confirms what families like mine have been saying for years: these substances are not harmless supplements. They are psychoactive compounds with real risks—risks that communities like yours are now being forced to manage on the ground.

Local action matters when federal action lags. West Virginia 

has the opportunity to put public health first, to protect families, and to prevent more parents from standing where I stand today.

I am not here because I want to be.

I am here because my son cannot be.

Please act -before more families join ours.

Thank you

Wendy Chamberlain 

Chairman, Senators, and Delegates

My name is Jennifer Brandt. I am a licensed pharmacist working in hospital medicine. In my daily practice, I manage medications in acute care settings, including patients experiencing withdrawal, toxicity, and polysubstance complications.

I am here in my professional capacity to respectfully support a full ban on kratom.

From a pharmacologic standpoint, kratom is not a neutral substance. Its primary alkaloid, mitragynine, acts at the opioid receptor. In humans, mitragynine is metabolized into 7-hydroxymitragynine, which has greater potency at that same receptor.

When a substance activates opioid receptors and produces a more potent metabolite in the body, we recognize that as a dependence-producing profile. That is not a moral judgment…it is receptor pharmacology.

You may hear discussion about limiting 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) content to certain percentages. From a clinical perspective, that does not resolve the underlying issue. The metabolite 7-OH is derived from the plant itself. 7-OH is only synthesized from kratom. It is not an external contaminant that can simply be removed through manufacturing controls.

Historically, when plants produce or convert into compounds with abuse potential, we regulate the plant. Cocaine is derived from the coca plant. Heroin originates from the opium poppy. We do not rely solely on alkaloid percentage caps to determine whether those substances belong in gas stations or vape shops.

The practical question before you is whether a substance with opioid receptor activity, that can be chemically converted into a more potent substance and has dependence potential should be sold in gas stations and convenience stores.

West Virginia understands the impact of opioid-related harm. In my practice, Normalization precedes escalation. Substances that begin as widely available consumer products can become public health burdens once patterns of dependence take hold.

If dependence increases, the downstream effects are predictable: increased treatment utilization, strain on Medicaid budgets, pressure on child welfare systems, and greater law enforcement involvement. Those costs are ultimately borne by the state and its taxpayers.

There is also a regulatory consideration. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated publicly that products containing kratom are adulterated under federal law. That position appears on the agency’s website and in the New Dietary Ingredient rejection letter issued to Johnson Foods for its whole-leaf natural kratom product. These are not recognized lawful dietary supplements.

Louisiana reviewed this issue and placed kratom in Schedule I. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy conducted an Eight-Factor Analysis and similarly concluded by a unanimous decision that kratom meets criteria for Schedule I classification. Other states reviewing the same pharmacology are reaching similar conclusions.

From a pharmacy perspective, a substance that activates opioid receptors, produces a more potent metabolite in humans, and is considered adulterated under federal law does not fit within the framework of a benign over-the-counter consumer product.

West Virginia has already borne significant costs from underestimating opioid-acting substances. I share this information simply to assist you in evaluating whether continued retail sale aligns with what we know about receptor pharmacology, dependence patterns, and fiscal stewardship.

Thank you for your time and for your service to the people of West Virginia.

This is yet another ridiculous bill from the out of touch politicians in Charleston, and frankly, it makes no sense. The level of misplaced confidence required to propose this is staggering. It is incredible that a state which consistently ranks at the bottom or second to last in education every time a report is released feels qualified to tell homeschoolers how to do their job. Homeschooling isn't an easy out and it would be what the parent should be doing in that case to take responsibility for their children and save the state money on services that the parent obviously is not interested in.

​We should be encouraging parents to step up and homeschool if they and their children find that public schools aren't meeting their needs. It is no secret that public schools involve a significant amount of wasted time. Many students find they can stay focused at home and complete their studies in a fraction of the time.

​By passing this legislation, we are simply forcing more families into a system that already lacks the resources to properly support them. When a parent chooses to take responsibility for their child’s education because the traditional system isn't working, that should be welcomed, not punished.

​By the time the few people making these laws realize the damage they are doing, there won't be anyone left in the state to pay the taxes that fund their salaries. Passing this sends a clear message: every person who has already moved away was right to leave. This isn't about education; it is a petty, mean-spirited attack on the homeschooling community and parents' rights.

• Workers in other professions rely on death benefits under WV Code §23-4-10 (Workers’ Compensation).
• No separate, stand-alone funeral benefit statute exists for coal miners, correctional officers, highway workers, sanitation workers, teachers, or public utility workers.
• These professions also face documented occupational fatality risks.

1. Unequal statutory treatment – The benefit is profession-specific, not risk-specific.
2. Budget prioritization – The state continues carving out categorical benefits rather than evaluating equitable, uniform standards.
3. Policy inconsistency – If the Legislature recognizes line-of-duty death as warranting additional state support, the standard should apply to all high-risk public servants.

• Congenital adrenal hyperplasia
• Androgen insensitivity syndrome
• Gonadal dysgenesis

• Hormone therapy
• Endocrine stabilization
• Corrective or reconstructive genital surgery
• Ongoing metabolic monitoring

• Physician shortages
• Limited specialty care access
• Long travel distances for endocrinology and surgical services

• 14th Amendment – Equal Protection Clause
• 14th Amendment – Due Process Clause
• Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. §18116) prohibiting discrimination in federally funded healthcare programs

• Referral requirements
• Continuity of care
• Non-abandonment protections
• Emergency stabilization clarity beyond federal minimums

• Beneficence (acting in the patient’s best interest)
• Nonmaleficence (do no harm)
• Justice (fair access to care)
• Respect for patient autonomy

• Documentation standards
• Notice requirements
• Timely referral
• Assurance that another provider is reasonably accessible

• Equal protection under the law
• Access to medically necessary treatment
• The state’s obligation to ensure nondiscriminatory healthcare access

• Conflicts of interest
• Use of public office for private gain
• Financial disclosure compliance
• Certain post-employment restrictions

• Excessive borrowing
• Structuring debt in ways that increase long-term taxpayer liability
• Poor refinancing decisions
• Fiscal mismanagement absent personal financial gain

• Repeals and reorganizes multiple bonded indebtedness statutes
• Consolidates procedures under a new chapter
• Expands Treasurer rulemaking authority, including emergency rules

• Require independent third-party fiscal impact analysis before issuance
• Mandate public reporting of refunding savings projections vs. outcomes
• Create enhanced legislative audit triggers
• Strengthen disclosure requirements for bond-related financial advisors or underwriters

• Reduce procedural friction
• Centralize discretion
• Increase reliance on internal review

• Long-term taxpayer obligations
• Credit ratings
• Future budget flexibility
• Infrastructure funding priorities

Please support our students who are deaf and hard of hearing! Many of my students are lower income and their families need this support so that their children have the best access to their educational needs!

• Purchasing new U.S.-compliant systems
• Training personnel on new equipment
• Replacing software ecosystems
• Disposing of existing equipment
• Potential contract termination penalties

1. A full fiscal impact disclosure.
2. A statewide inventory of currently used drone systems.
3. A cost comparison between domestic and foreign alternatives.
4. A clear explanation of how this bill improves operational safety or security beyond existing federal restrictions.

• Rising electric rates tied to infrastructure recovery and generation costs
• Housing shortages and affordability concerns
• Limited wage growth compared to energy and corporate profit margins

• Residential rate stabilization mechanisms are strengthened
• Utility cost recovery does not disproportionately burden households
• Public infrastructure and housing needs are prioritized
• Economic incentives demonstrably benefit West Virginia residents first

1. Define “judicial warrant” clearly as a warrant issued by a federal or state court upon probable cause and signed by a judge or magistrate. This ensures administrative warrants are not mistakenly treated as judicial orders.
2. Include a data minimization requirement stating that agencies shall only disclose the specific information identified in the warrant and no broader datasets. This prevents overcollection or fishing expeditions.
3. Clarify that nothing in this section prohibits communication of immigration or citizenship status when required by federal law, ensuring the bill remains consistent with 8 U.S.C. § 1373 and avoids unnecessary legal conflict.
4. Strengthen transparency reporting requirements by requiring agencies to distinguish between judicial warrants and other requests, and to report the number of denials based on lack of warrant. Transparency promotes accountability and public trust.

• Frequent users,
• Chronic medical users, or
• Patients consuming high-THC formulations.

• Lawful medical cannabis patients could face DUI charges based predominantly on residual THC levels,
• Without evidence of actual driving impairment, and
• Without adequate statutory guidance discouraging reliance solely on nanogram levels.

• A threshold of 3 ng/mL THC can lead to a DUI charge under impaired driving laws,
• There is no comparable per se drug threshold for many other legally prescribed medications with impairing potential.