H. B. 4140


(By Delegates Williams and Yeager)
[Introduced January 24, 2000; referred to the
Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources then Finance.]




A BILL to amend and reenact section one-c, article seven, chapter twenty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to increasing the salaries of conservation officers.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section one-c, article seven, chapter twenty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 7. LAW ENFORCEMENT, MOTORBOATING, LITTER.
§20-7-1c. Conservation officers, 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, conservation officer first class, senior conservation officer, conservation officer and conservation officer-in-training. Each officer while in uniform shall wear the insignia of rank as provided by the chief conservation officer.
(b) Conservation officers shall be paid the minimum annual salaries based on the following schedule:
ANNUAL SALARY SCHEDULE (BASE PAY)-Effective July 1, 2000
SUPERVISORY AND NONSUPERVISORY RANKS
Conservation Officer-In-Training
(first year)$22,025
25,293

Conservation Officer (second year)$24,21428,082
Conservation Officer (third year)$24,486
28,582

Senior Conservation Officer (fourth year)$24,698
29,082

Conservation Officer First Class
(after fifth year)$26,276
30,144

Conservation Officer (after tenth year)$27,854
31,722

Conservation Officer (after fifteenth year)$29,254
33,122

Corporal$31,065
34,933

Sergeant$32,877
36,545

Lieutenant$35,697
39,365

Captain$37,983
41,451

Major$40,266
43,734

Lieutenant Colonel$42,308
45,776

Colonel
ANNUAL SALARY SCHEDULE (BASE PAY)-Effective July 1, 2001
SUPERVISORY AND NONSUPERVISORY RANKS
Conservation Officer-In-Training
 (first year)$26,293
Conservation Officer (second year)$29,682
Conservation Officer (third year)$30,182
Senior Conservation Officer (fourth year)$30,682
Conservation Officer First Class
 (after fifth year)$31,744
Conservation Officer (after tenth year)$33,322
Conservation Officer (after fifteenth year)$34,722
Corporal$36,533
Sergeant$37,945
Lieutenant$40,765
Captain$42,651
Major$44,934
Lieutenant Colonel$46,976
Colonel
ANNUAL SALARY SCHEDULE (BASE PAY)-Effective July 1, 2002
SUPERVISORY AND NONSUPERVISORY RANKS
Conservation Officer-In-Training
 (first year)$27,293
Conservation Officer (second year)$31,282
Conservation Officer (third year)$31,782
Senior Conservation Officer (fourth year)$32,282
Conservation Officer First Class
 (after fifth year)$33,344
Conservation Officer (after tenth year)$34,922
Conservation Officer (after fifteenth year)$36,322
Corporal$38,133
Sergeant$39,345
Lieutenant$42,165
Captain$43,851
Major$46,134
Lieutenant Colonel$48,176
Colonel
Conservation 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 of this section.
(c) This section does not apply to special or emergency conservation officers appointed under the authority of section one of this article.
(d) Nothing in this section prohibits other pay increases as provided for under section two, article five, chapter five of this code: Provided, That an across-the-board pay increase granted by the Legislature or the governor is added to, and reflected in, the minimum salaries set forth in this section; and that merit increases are retained by an officer when he or she advances from one rank to another in order to maintain the above differentials in rank.



NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the salaries of conservation officers.

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