H. B. 3250
(By Delegates Fragale, Canterbury, Fox, L. Smith, Paxton,
Hubbard and Dempsey)
(Originating in the Committee on Education)
[April 5, 2001]
A BILL to amend article four, chapter eighteen-a of the code of
West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated section
two-b, relating to establishing a state minimum salary
supplement for professional personnel holding a nationally
recognized professional certification.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That article four, chapter eighteen-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 two-b,
to read as follows:
ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS.
§18A-4-2b. State minimum salary supplement for professional personnel with recognized national certification.
(a) The Legislature finds that achieving a nationally
recognized professional certification involves a rigorous process
and results in highly trained and capable employees to provide
needed services to the school students of this state. The
Legislature further finds that national professional certification
is a valuable professional credential for both public and private
employment. The purpose of this section is to provide an additional
statewide supplement to professional personnel employed in the
public schools who hold a nationally recognized professional
certification to encourage others to attain such a certification
and to help school systems to employ and retain professional
personnel with these certifications.
(b) In addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable
state minimum salary schedule, each professional personnel employed
as a speech-language pathologist or audiologist who holds a
certification by the American speech-language-hearing association,
and each school counselor who holds a certification by the national
board of certified counselors, shall, subject to appropriation by
the Legislature in a line item established for the department of
education, be paid annually a supplement in such amount as shall be
established by the pro rata distribution to each qualified person of the legislative appropriation. The payments shall be paid in
equal monthly installments and shall be considered a part of the
state minimum salaries for teachers.