H. B. 2445
(By Delegate Claypole)
[Introduced January 14, 1998; referred to the
Committee on Pensions and Retirement then Finance.]
A BILL to amend, article seven-a, chapter eighteen of the code
 of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
 amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated
 sections twenty-six-p, relating to supplemental annuities
 for certain retired employees of the state teachers
 retirement system. 
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article seven-a of the code of West Virginia, one
 thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended by
 adding thereto a new section, designated section twenty-six-p, to
 read as follows:
ARTICLE 7A.  STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM.
§18-7A-26p.  Supplemental benefits for certain annuitants.
As an additional supplement to other retirement allowances provided, each annuitant who is receiving a retirement annuity of
 less than twenty-five thousand dollars annually, shall receive
 annually after the effective date of this section a supplemental
 benefit as an annual cost-of-living supplement which is equal to
 the annual increase in the consumer price index as published by
 the United States department of labor or three percent of their
 annual annuity, whichever is less, if the supplement does not
 cause the annual retirement annuity to exceed twenty-five
 thousand dollars.  If granting the full supplement to an
 annuitant  would  result  in  the annual annuity exceeding
 twenty-five thousand dollars then the annuitant shall receive
 that portion of the supplement that will maintain an annual
 annuity of twenty-five thousand dollars.
NOTE:  The purpose of this bill is to provide an annual
 cost-of-living increase for retirees in the defined benefit
 teacher system who receive less than $25,000.00 annually.  The
 supplement is to equal the consumer price index or three percent
 of the annual annuity, whichever is smaller.
This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and
 underscoring have been omitted.