ENROLLED

Senate Bill No. 358

(By Senators Tomblin, Mr. President, Wooton,

Jackson, Ball and Bailey)

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[Passed April 10, 1997; in effect from passage.]

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AN ACT to amend and reenact section three, article four, chapter forty-eight-a of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to increasing the annual salary of the secretary-clerk of family law masters, effective the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section three, article four, chapter forty-eight-a of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 4. PROCEEDINGS BEFORE A MASTER.

§48A-4-3. Compensation and expenses of family law masters and their staffs.

(a) Prior to the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, a family law master shall receive as full compensation for his or her services an annual salary of thirty- five thousand dollars.
(b) After the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-four, a full-time family law master shall receive as full compensation for his or her services an annual salary of fifty thousand dollars and a part-time family law master shall receive as full compensation for his or her services an annual salary of thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars.
(c) The secretary-clerk of the family law master shall be appointed by the family law master and serve at his or her will and pleasure and shall receive an annual salary of seventeen thousand five hundred dollars: Provided, That beginning the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-seven, the secretary-clerk of the family law master appointed by the family law master
shall receive an annual salary of twenty-two thousand three hundred eight dollars : Provided, however, That subsequent to the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-three, the secretary-clerk may receive such percentage or proportional salary increases as may be provided for by general law for other public employees and shall receive the annual incremental salary increase as provided for in article five, chapter five of this code.
(d) A temporary or special family law master shall be compensated by the supreme court of appeals at an hourly rate not to exceed the hourly rate paid to panel attorneys for performing work in court pursuant to the provisions of section thirteen-a, article twenty-one, chapter twenty-nine of this code.
(e) Disbursement of salaries for family law masters and members of their staffs shall be made by or pursuant to the order of the director of the administrative office of the supreme court of appeals.
(f) Family law masters, members of their staffs and temporary family law masters shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. Such expenses and compensation shall be determined and paid by the director of the administrative office of the supreme court of appeals under such guidelines as he or she may prescribe as approved by the supreme court of appeals.