Senate Bill No. 121
(By Senators Hunter, Redd and Caldwell)
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[Introduced January 10, 2002; 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) 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.
(b) Any classified employee may receive merit increases and
salary adjustments in accordance with policies established by
the board of governors: Provided, That merit raises may be
granted only pursuant to a rule adopted by the board of governors, and approved by the chancellor, which provides a fair
and equitable basis for grant raises pursuant to regular
evaluations based upon reasonable performance standards. 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.
(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.
(c) (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 shall be 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 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 shall be
deposited in a special fund in the state treasury. Each
governing board shall use such 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.
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, strike-throughs and
underscoring have been omitted.