H. B. 2231


(By Delegates Anderson and Manuel)
[Introduced January 15, 2003; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]




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 seventeen-a, relating to providing certain rights to regional education service agencies (RESA) employees.

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 seventeen-a, to read as follows:
ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS.
§18A-4-17a. Rights of professional employees of regional education service agencies (RESA).

(a) Professional personnel employed by regional education service agencies (RESA) shall be afforded all the rights, privileges and benefits established for the professional personnel under this article: Provided, That the benefits apply only within the RESA where the professional personnel are employed: Provided, however, That benefits, as used in this section, may not be considered to include salaries, unless explicitly provided for within this article: Provided further, That seniority for the RESA professional personnel shall be calculated on the basis of the length of time the employee has been professionally employed at the RESA.
(b) Nothing contained in this section may be construed to mean that professional personnel employed by the RESA are other than RESA employees.
(c) Reductions in work force in the RESA shall be made in accordance with the provisions of section seven-a, article four, chapter eighteen-a of this code: Provided, That only years of employment within the RESA shall be considered for purposes of reduction in force within the RESA.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide the professional employees employed by regional education service agencies (RESA) with the same rights and protections enjoyed by other professional educators under §18A-4-1 of this code.

This section is new; therefore, strike-throughs and underscoring have been omitted.