Senate Bill No. 607
(By Senators Hunter, Redd and Caldwell)
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[Introduced March 26, 2001; referred to the Committee on
Education; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact section five, article nine, chapter
eighteen-b of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine
hundred thirty-one, as amended; and to amend article ten of
said chapter by adding thereto a new section, designated
section three-a, all relating to classified staff; removing
twenty-year cap for experience pay; providing additional pay
for educational attainment; and providing for students to pay
staff improvement fee.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That section five, article nine, chapter eighteen-b of the
code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as
amended, be amended and reenacted; and that article ten of said chapter be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated
section three-a, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 9. CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE SALARY SCHEDULE AND CLASSIFICATION
SYSTEM.
§18B-9-5. Classified employee salary.
(a) Each classified employee shall receive for the same
employment at the same pay grade, subject to an appropriation by
the Legislature, and in addition to the experience increment
increase provided for in subsection (b) of this section, a monthly
salary which is at least one hundred twenty-five dollars more than
the final base monthly salary paid the classified employee for the
fiscal year commencing on the first day of July, one thousand nine
hundred ninety-two, to be paid in equal installments within the
regular pay periods and to be prorated for classified employees
working less than thirty-seven and one-half hours per week.
(b) Commencing with the fiscal year beginning on the first day
of July, one thousand nine hundred ninety-eight, and each fiscal
year thereafter, each classified employee with three or more years
of experience shall receive an annual salary increase equal to
fifty dollars times the employee's years of experience. Provided,
That the annual salary increase may not exceed the amount granted
for the maximum of twenty years of experience These incremental increases are in lieu of any salary increase received pursuant to
section two, article five, chapter five of this code; are in
addition to any across-the-board, cost-of-living or percentage
salary increases which may be granted in any fiscal year by the
Legislature; and shall be paid in like manner as the annual payment
to eligible state employees of the incremental salary increases
based on years of service under the provisions of section two,
article five, chapter five of this code.
(c) Any classified employee may receive merit increases and
salary adjustments in accordance with policies established by the
board: Provided, That funds for the increases and adjustments
shall be distributed in accordance with rules of the appropriate
governing board and shall be available to all state institutions of
higher education on an equitable basis.
(d) The current annual salary of any classified employee may
not be reduced by the provisions of this article nor by any other
action inconsistent with the provisions of this article, and
nothing in this article may be construed to prohibit promotion of
any classified employee to a job title carrying a higher pay grade
if the promotion is in accordance with the provisions of this
article and the personnel classification system established by the appropriate governing board.
(e) Each classified employee shall receive an annual salary
increase which is the same amount for all classified employees
based upon an equal distribution of the funds accumulated in the
prior fiscal year from the fees collected pursuant to article ten,
section three-a of this chapter.
(f) Each classified employee who holds a high school diploma
or its equivalent shall receive an additional ten dollars per month
to be added to the minimum monthly pay.
(g) Each classified employee shall receive an additional ten
dollars per month also to be added to the minimum monthly pay for
each of the following:
(1) A classified employee who holds twelve college hours or
comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as
approved by the governing board;
(2) A classified employee who holds twenty-four college hours
or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as
approved by the governing board;
(3) A classified employee who holds thirty-six college hours
or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as
approved by the governing board;
(4) A classified employee who holds forty-eight college hours
or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as
approved by the governing board;
(5) A classified employee who holds sixty college hours or
comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as
approved by the governing board; and
(6) A classified employee who holds seventy-two college hours
or comparable credit obtained in a trade or vocational school as
approved by the governing board.
ARTICLE 10. FEES AND OTHER MONEY COLLECTED AT STATE INSTITUTIONS
OF HIGHER EDUCATION.
§18B-10-3a. Classified staff improvement fee.
In addition to the fees specifically provided for in sections
one, two and three of this article, all students enrolled for
credit at a state institution of higher education shall pay a
classified staff improvement fee. Each governing board shall fix
the fee rates for the various institutions and classes of students
under its jurisdiction and may from time to time change these
rates: Provided, That the fee for each class of students shall be
uniform throughout the state and shall be no less than fifteen
dollars per semester for residents and no less than fifty dollars
per semester for out-of-state students. The amount of the fee charged at each institution shall be prorated for part-time
students. The fee imposed by this section is in addition to the
maximum fees allowed to be collected under the provisions of
sections one, two and three of this article and is not limited
thereby. Refunds of the fee may be made in the same manner as any
other fee collected at state institutions of higher education.
All classified staff improvement fees collected are deposited
in a special fund in the state treasury. Each governing board
shall use the fees, including any fees on deposit as of the
effective date of this section, to the extent available to
implement subsection (e) of section five, article nine of this
chapter.
Each governing board shall, before the first day of July of
each year,, provide the legislative auditor with a report of the
projected fee collections for each of its institutions.
NOTE:
The purpose of this bill is to
create incentives for
classified staff to seek skill improvement through higher education
by providing ten salary increases of ten dollars per month as
employees attain certain educational levels. The bill also
establishes a student fee to provide salary improvements for higher
education classified employees. The bill removes the twenty-year
cap presently applied to the experience increment.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.
§18B-10-3a is new; therefore, strikethroughs and underscoring
have been omitted.