WEST virginia legislature

2017 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 2663

By Delegates Ambler, Paynter, Cooper, Westfall, Maynard, Householder, A. Evans, Hamilton, Eldridge, Rodighiero and Hicks

[Introduced February 22, 2017; Referred
to the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources then Finance.]

A BILL to amend and reenact §20-7-1a and §20-7-1c of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to increasing the compensation for natural resources police officers.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That §20-7-1a and §20-7-1c of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:

ARTICLE 7. LAW ENFORCEMENT, MOTORBOATING, LITTER.

§20-7-1a. Natural resources police officer salary increase based on length of service.

(a) Effective July 1, 2002, each natural resources police officer shall receive and be entitled to an increase in salary based on length of service, including that heretofore and hereafter served as a natural resources police officer as follows: For five years of service with the division, a natural resources police officer shall receive a salary increase of $600 per year payable during his or her next three years of service and a like increase at three-year intervals thereafter, with these increases to be cumulative. Each natural resources police officer whose salary is fixed and specified pursuant to section one-c of this article shall receive, and is entitled to, an increase in salary over that set forth in section one-c of this article, for grade in rank, based on length of service, including that service served before and after the effective date of this section as a natural resources police officer as follows:  At the end of two years of service as a natural resources police officer, the officer shall receive a salary increase of $400 to be effective during his or her next year of service and a like increase at yearly intervals thereafter, with the increases to be cumulative. A salary increase shall be based upon years of service as of July 1 of each year and may not be recalculated until July 1 of the following year.

Conservation Natural resources police officers in service at the time the amendment to this section becomes effective shall be given credit for prior service and shall be paid salaries as the same length of service will entitle them to receive under the provisions hereof.

(b) This section does not apply to special or emergency natural resources police officers appointed under the authority of section one of this article.

§20-7-1c. Natural resources police officer, ranks, salary schedule, base pay, exceptions.

(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, the ranks within the law-enforcement section of the Division of Natural Resources are colonel, lieutenant colonel, major, captain, lieutenant, sergeant, corporal, natural resources police officer first class, senior natural resources police officer, natural resources police officer and natural resources police officer-in-training. Each officer while in uniform shall wear the insignia of rank as provided by the chief natural resources police officer.

(b) Beginning on July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2011, natural resources police officers shall be paid the minimum annual salaries based on the following schedule:

ANNUAL SALARY SCHEDULE (BASE PAY)

SUPERVISORY AND NONSUPERVISORY RANKS

Natural Resources Police Officer In Training (first year until end of probation)...... $26,337

Natural Resources Police Officer (second year)...................................................... $29,768

Natural Resources Police Officer (third year).......................................................... $30,140

Senior Natural Resources Police Officer (fourth and

fifth year)................................................................................................................... $30,440

Senior Natural Resources Police Officer First Class

(after fifth year)......................................................................................................... $32,528

Senior Natural Resources Police Officer (after

tenth year)................................................................................................................. $33,104

Senior Natural Resources Police Officer (after

fifteenth year)............................................................................................................ $33,528

Corporal (after sixteenth year).................................................................................. $36,704

Sergeant................................................................................................................... $40,880

First Sergeant........................................................................................................... $42,968

Lieutenant................................................................................................................. $47,144

Captain...................................................................................................................... $49,232

Major......................................................................................................................... $51,320

Lieutenant Colonel.................................................................................................... $53,408

Colonel

Beginning July 1, 2011, and continuing thereafter, natural resources police officers shall be paid the minimum annual salaries based on the following schedule:

ANNUAL SALARY SCHEDULE (BASE PAY)

SUPERVISORY AND NONSUPERVISORY RANKS

Natural Resources Police Officer In Training (first

year until end of probation)........................................................................................... $31,222

Natural Resources Police Officer (second year).......................................................... $34,881

Natural Resources Police Officer (third year)............................................................... $35,277

Senior Natural Resources Police Officer (fourth and

fifth year)........................................................................................................................ $35,601

Senior Natural Resources Police Officer First Class

(after fifth year).............................................................................................................. $37,797

Senior Natural Resources Police Officer (after tenth

year)............................................................................................................................... $38,397

Senior Natural Resources Police Officer (after

fifteenth year)................................................................................................................. $38,833

Corporal (after sixteenth year)...................................................................................... $42,105

Sergeant........................................................................................................................ $46,401

First Sergeant................................................................................................................ $48,549

Lieutenant...................................................................................................................... $52,857

Captain.......................................................................................................................... $55,005

Major.............................................................................................................................. $57,153

Lieutenant Colonel........................................................................................................ $59,301

Colonel.......................................................................................................................................

Beginning July 1, 2017, and continuing thereafter, natural resources police officers shall be paid the minimum annual salaries based on the following schedule:  Provided, That the director is authorized to increase the base pay for all ranks within the law-enforcement section:

ANNUAL SALARY SCHEDULE (MINIMUM BASE PAY)

SUPERVISORY AND NONSUPERVISORY RANKS

Natural Resources Police Officer (In  1-6 months)................................................ $33,994

Natural Resources Police Officer (After Academy Through First Year)................ .$41,258

Natural Resources Police Officer Second Year..................................................... $42,266

Natural Resources Police Officer Third Year ........................................................ $42,649

Senior Natural Resources Police Officer (4th - 5th Year)...................................... $43,048

Natural Resources Police Officer First Class (6th - 9th Year)............................... $43,654

Corporal (10+ years).............................................................................................. $44,260

Sergeant............................................................................................................... .$48,561

First Sergeant....................................................................................................... .$50,712

Lieutenant ............................................................................................................. $55,013

Captain................................................................................................................. .$57,164

Major..................................................................................................................... .$59,314

Lieutenant Colonel ............................................................................................... .$61,465

Colonel.................................................................................................................. .$70,000

Each natural resources police officer whose salary is fixed and specified in this annual salary schedule is entitled to the length of service increases set forth in subsection one-a of this article.

Natural resources police officers in service at the time the amendment to this section becomes effective In applying the salary schedules set forth in this section where salary increases are provided for length of service, natural resources police officers in service at the time the schedules become effective shall be given credit for prior service and shall be paid salaries the same length of service entitles them to receive under the provisions of this section.

(c) This section does not apply to special or emergency natural resources police officers appointed under the authority of section one of this article.

(d) Nothing in this section prohibits other pay increases as provided under section two, article five, chapter five of this code: Provided, That any across-the-board pay increase granted by the Legislature or the Governor, and any increase in the base pay for the ranks within the law-enforcement section authorized by the director, will be added to, and reflected in, the minimum salaries set forth in this section; and that any merit increases granted to an officer over and above the annual salary schedule listed in subsection (b) of this section are retained by an officer when he or she advances from one rank to another: Provided, however, That any natural resources police officer who receives an increase in compensation pursuant to the amendment and reenactment of this section in 2011 shall not receive any across-the-board pay increase granted by the Legislature or the Governor in 2011.

 

NOTE: This purpose of this bill is to provide an increase in compensation for Natural Resources Police officers.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.