ENROLLED

H. B. 2984


(By Delegate H. White)

[Passed March 8, 2003; in effect from passage.]





AN ACT to amend and reenact section fourteen-b, article seven-a, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, relating to state teachers retirement system; increasing the amount of service credit a teacher off work on workers' compensation may purchase; setting forth a window for the purchase and providing that a teacher receive increment credit for each year purchased.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That section fourteen-b, article seven-a, chapter eighteen of the code of West Virginia, one thousand nine hundred thirty-one, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:

ARTICLE 7A. STATE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM.

§18-7A-14b. Members' option to make contributions for periods of temporary total disability.

Any member who was absent from work while receiving temporary total disability benefits pursuant to the provisions of chapter twenty-three of this code as a result of a compensable injury received in the course of and as a result of his or her employment with the covered employer during the time period beginning the first day of January, one thousand nine hundred eighty-eight and the thirty-first day of December, one thousand nine hundred ninety-eight, may purchase credited service for that time period or those time periods the member was absent from work as a result of a compensable injury and receiving temporary total disability benefits: Provided, That the member returned to work with his or her covered employer within one year following the cessation of temporary total disability benefits. The member desiring to purchase such credited service may do so only by lump sum payment from personal funds: Provided, however, That the purchase of service credit pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be completed between the time period beginning the first day of July, two thousand three and ending the thirtieth day of June, two thousand four: Provided further, That in order to purchase such service credit, the member shall pay to the board his or her regular contribution and an equal amount that represents the employer's contribution, based on the salary the member was receiving immediately prior to having sustained such compensable injury: And provided further, That the member purchasing service credit under the provisions of this section may not be charged interest. The maximum number of years of service credit that may be purchased under this section shall not exceed five: And provided further, That each year purchased under this section shall count as a year of experience for purposes of the increment set forth in section two, article four, chapter eighteen-a of this code.