hb2485 intr

H. B. 2485

(By Delegates Yeager, Leggett, Crosier,

Morgan and Talbott)

[Introduced January 21, 2003; referred to the

Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources then Finance.]

A BILL to amend and reenact section one-c, article seven, chapter twenty of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to salaries of conservation officers; increasing the salary of certain conservation officers.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That section 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 read as follows:

ARTICLE 7. LAW ENFORCEMENT, MOTOR BOATING, LITTER.

§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 three, 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 until end of probation). . . . . . .~~$26,337~~ $27,800
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)$32,528

Senior Conservation Officer (after tenth year)

$33,104
Senior Conservation Officer

(after fifteenth year)

.~~$33,528~~ $34,248
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 any across-the-board pay increase granted by the Legislature or the governor 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.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to incorporate a pay increase for certain conservation officers.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.