Senate Bill No. 648
(By Senator Kessler, Helmick, Edgell, Unger, Minard, Prezioso,
Anderson, Fanning, Mitchell, Snyder, Plymale, Sharpe, Ross, Rowe,
Hunter, Caldwell, Oliverio, Facemyer, Minear, Wooton, Jackson,
Craigo, McCabe, McKenzie, Tomblin, Mr. President, Bowman, Redd,
Burnette, Love and Bailey)
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[Introduced February 18, 2002; referred to the Committee
on Natural Resources; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact sections one-a and one-c, article
seven, chapter twenty of the code of West Virginia, one
thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, all relating to
increasing salaries for conservation officers; and
establishing a new pay plan.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That sections one-a and 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 all read as follows:
ARTICLE 7. LAW ENFORCEMENT, MOTORBOATING, LITTER.
§20-7-1a. Conservation officers salary increase based on length of service.
(a) Effective the first day of January July, one two thousand
nine hundred ninety two, each conservation officer shall receive
and be entitled to an increase in salary based on length of
service, including that heretofore and hereafter served as a
conservation officer as follows: For five years of service with
the department division, a conservation officer shall receive a
salary increase of three six hundred dollars per year payable
during his or her next three years of service and a like increase
at three-year intervals thereafter, with these increases to be
cumulative. Provided, That for purposes of calculating a salary
increase, a maximum of twenty-five years of service shall be
applicable A salary increase shall be based upon years of service
as of the first day of July of each year and may not be
recalculated until the first day of July of the following year.
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 such salaries as the same length of
service will entitle them to receive under the provisions hereof.
(b) The director shall promulgate rules regarding overtime pay
for conservation officers in accordance with chapter twenty-nine-a
of this code: Provided, That such rules shall provide for the
awarding of one and one-half hours compensatory time for each hour
of overtime in lieu of cash overtime compensation.
(c)(b) This section does not apply to special or emergency conservation officers appointed under the authority of section one
of this article.
§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) Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand two, and
continuing thereafter, conservation officers shall be paid the
minimum annual salaries based on the following schedule:
ANNUAL SALARY SCHEDULE (BASE PAY)
SUPERVISORY AND NONSUPERVISORY RANKS
Conservation Officer-In-Training
(first year)$22,025
Conservation Officer (second year)$24,214
Conservation Officer (third year)$24,486
Senior Conservation Officer (fourth year)$24,698
Conservation Officer First Class
(after fifth year)$26,276
Conservation Officer (after tenth year)$27,854
Conservation Officer (after fifteenth year)$29,254
Corporal$31,065
Sergeant$32,877
Lieutenant$35,697
Captain$37,983
Major$40,266
Lieutenant Colonel$42,308
Colonel.
Conservation Officer-In-Training
(first year until end of probation)$26,337
Conservation Officer (second year)$29,768
Conservation Officer (third year)$30,140
Senior Conservation Officer (fourth and fifth year)$30,440
Senior Conservation Officer First Class
(after fifth year)$35,528
Senior Conservation Officer (after tenth year)$33,104
Senior Conservation Officer (after fifteenth year)$33,528
Corporal (after sixteenth year)$36,704
Sergeant$40,880
First Sergeant$42,968
Lieutenant$47,144
Captain$49,232
Major$51,320
Lieutenant Colonel$53,408
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 any across-the-board pay increase granted
by the Legislature or the governor is will be added to, and
reflected in, the minimum salaries set forth in this section; and
that any merit increases granted to an officer over and above the
annual salary schedule listed in subsection (b) of this section are
retained by an officer when he or she advances from one rank to
another.
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(NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to incorporate the last
four legislated salary increases into the current salary structure
and to incorporate a new pay plan beginning on July 1, 2002.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.)
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NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
On page four, section one-a, line thirteen, by striking out
"$35,528" and inserting in lieu thereof "$32,528".