Senate Bill No. 421
(By Senators Yoder, Sharpe, Barnes, Kessler, Minear, Bailey,
Caruth and Hunter)
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[Introduced January 30, 2006; referred to the Committee
on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §4-2A-2 and §4-2A-4 of the Code of
West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to implementing the
recommendations of the Citizen's Legislative Compensation
Commission by enhancing the compensation of legislators.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §4-2A-2 and §4-2A-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as
amended, be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2A. COMPENSATION FOR AND EXPENSES OF MEMBERS OF THE
LEGISLATURE.
§4-2A-2. Basic compensation for services; proration.
(a) Each member of the Legislature shall receive as basic
compensation for his or her services the sum of fifteen twenty
thousand dollars per calendar year, effective immediately upon
passage of this bill in the regular legislative session, two
thousand-six. Effective with the legislative session beginning
in January, two thousand eight, each member of the Legislature
shall receive as basic compensation for his or her services the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars per calendar year. In
addition to the basic compensation, members shall receive the
additional compensations as are expressly provided for in
sections three, four and five of this article.
Except for the
increased basic compensation set forth in this subsection, all
All
other increased amounts or new amounts in respect to the
compensation or expenses of members of the Legislature, set forth
in the resolution of the citizens legislative compensation
commission, dated the
eighth ninth day of January,
one two
thousand
nine hundred ninety-nine three, and implemented in
sections two through eight section four of this article
providing for new amounts or amounts increased to new amounts
greater than those in force and effect on the first day of
January, two thousand, shall
all become effective
for calendar
year two thousand one immediately upon passage of this bill in
the regular legislative session, two thousand-six, and each
calendar year thereafter as prescribed in this section.
(b) The basic compensation shall be payable twice a month during
each regular session of the Legislature, without regard to any
extension of the regular session. In the event of the death,
resignation or removal of a member of the Legislature during a
regular session of the Legislature and the appointment and
qualification of his or her successor during any regular session,
the basic compensation provided for in this section shall be
prorated between the original member and his or her successor on
the basis of the number of days served (including Saturdays and Sundays) as a member of the Legislature by each during the
regular session of sixty calendar days.
(c) In the event of the death, resignation or removal of a member
of the Legislature and the appointment and qualification of his
or her successor subsequent to the regular session of the
Legislature held in the calendar year in which such successor was
appointed and qualified, none of the basic compensation provided
for in this section shall be paid to such successor.
(d) Effective immediately upon passage of this bill in the
regular legislative session, two thousand-six, all members of the
legislature shall be entitled to medical insurance coverage
through the Public Employees Insurance Agency at the same premium
rate as full-time state employees.
§4-2A-4. Additional compensation for President of Senate,
Speaker of House of Delegates, majority leaders, minority
leaders, certain committee chairs and selected members of both
houses.
(a) In addition to the basic and additional compensation provided
for in sections two and three of this article, the President of
the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates shall each
receive additional compensation of:
(1) One hundred Fifty fifty dollars per day for each day actually
served during any regular, extension of regular or extraordinary
session as presiding officer, including Saturdays and Sundays;
and
(2) One Two hundred fifty dollars per day up to a maximum of eighty days per calendar year for attending to legislative
business in their offices in the capitol building when the
Legislature is not in regular, extension of regular or
extraordinary session and interim committees are not meeting.
(b) In addition to the basic and additional compensation provided
for in sections two and three of this article, the majority
leaders and minority leaders of the Senate and of the House of
Delegates shall each receive additional compensation of twenty
seventy-five dollars per day for each day actually served during
any regular, extension of regular or during extraordinary
session, including Saturdays and Sundays, as the selected
legislative leaders of their respective political parties.
(c) The presiding officer and majority and minority leader
compensation shall be paid from time to time during any such
session or interim period, as the case may be, as may be
prescribed by rules established by the legislative auditor.
(d) In addition to the basic and additional compensation provided
for in sections two and three of this article, the chairpersons
of the committees on finance and committees on the judiciary of
the respective houses and up to four additional persons from each
house, to be named by the presiding officer, shall each receive
an additional compensation of one hundred fifty dollars per day
up to a maximum of thirty days for attending to legislative
business in their offices in the capitol building when the
Legislature is not in regular, extended or extraordinary session
and interim committees are not meeting.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to implement the
recommendations of the citizen's Legislative Compensation
Commission by enhancing the compensation of legislators.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the
present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.