Senate Bill No. 38
(By Senators Yoder, Kessler, Helmick, Guills, Bailey and
Facemyer)
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[Introduced January 10, 2007; referred to the Committee on
Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §4-2A-2 and §4-2A-4 of the Code of West
Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to implementing the
recommendations of the Citizen's Legislative Compensation
Commission by enhancing the compensation of legislators.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §4-2A-2 and §4-2A-4 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931,
as amended, be amended and reenacted, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2A. COMPENSATION FOR AND EXPENSES OF MEMBERS OF THE
LEGISLATURE.
§4-2A-2. Basic compensation for services; proration.
(a) Each member of the Legislature shall receive as basic
compensation for his or her services the sum of fifteen twenty
thousand dollars per calendar year, effective immediately upon passage of this bill in the regular legislative session, two
thousand-seven. Effective with the legislative session beginning
in January, two thousand eight, each member of the Legislature
shall receive as basic compensation for his or her services the sum
of twenty-five thousand dollars per calendar year. In addition to
the basic compensation, members shall receive the additional
compensations as are expressly provided for in sections three, four
and five of this article. Except for the increased basic
compensation set forth in this subsection, All other increased
amounts or new amounts in respect to the compensation or expenses
of members of the Legislature, set forth in the resolution of the
citizens legislative compensation commission, dated the eighth
ninth day of January, one two thousand nine hundred ninety-nine
three, and implemented in sections two through eight section four
of this article providing for new amounts or amounts increased to
new amounts greater than those in force and effect on the first day
of January, two thousand, shall all become effective for calendar
year two thousand one immediately upon passage of this bill in the
regular legislative session, two thousand-seven, and each calendar
year thereafter as prescribed in this section.
(b) The basic compensation shall be payable twice a month
during each regular session of the Legislature, without regard to
any extension of the regular session. In the event of the death,
resignation or removal of a member of the Legislature during a regular session of the Legislature and the appointment and
qualification of his or her successor during any regular session,
the basic compensation provided for in this section shall be
prorated between the original member and his or her successor on
the basis of the number of days served (including Saturdays and
Sundays) as a member of the Legislature by each during the regular
session of sixty calendar days.
(c) In the event of the death, resignation or removal of a
member of the Legislature and the appointment and qualification of
his or her successor subsequent to the regular session of the
Legislature held in the calendar year in which such successor was
appointed and qualified, none of the basic compensation provided
for in this section shall be paid to such successor.
(d) Effective immediately upon passage of this bill in the
regular legislative session, two thousand-seven, all members of the
Legislature shall be entitled to medical insurance coverage through
the Public Employees Insurance Agency at the same premium rate as
full-time state employees.
§4-2A-4. Additional compensation for President of Senate, Speaker
of House of Delegates, majority leaders, minority
leaders, certain committee chairs and selected members
of both houses.
(a) In addition to the basic and additional compensation provided for in sections two and three of this article, the
President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates
shall each receive additional compensation of:
(1) One hundred fifty dollars per day for each day actually
served during any regular, extension of regular or extraordinary
session as presiding officer, including Saturdays and Sundays; and
(2) One Two hundred fifty dollars per day up to a maximum of
eighty days per calendar year for attending to legislative business
in their offices in the capitol building when the Legislature is
not in regular, extension of regular or extraordinary session and
interim committees are not meeting.
(b) In addition to the basic and additional compensation
provided for in sections two and three of this article, the
majority leaders and minority leaders of the Senate and of the
House of Delegates shall each receive additional compensation of
twenty seventy-five dollars per day for each day actually served
during any regular, extension of regular or during extraordinary
session, including Saturdays and Sundays, as the selected
legislative leaders of their respective political parties.
(c) The presiding officer and majority and minority leader
compensation shall be paid from time to time during any such
session or interim period, as the case may be, as may be prescribed
by rules established by the Legislative Auditor.
(d) In addition to the basic and additional compensation provided for in sections two and three of this article, the
chairpersons of the committees on finance and committees on the
judiciary of the respective houses and up to four additional
persons from each house, to be named by the presiding officer,
shall each receive an additional compensation of one hundred fifty
dollars per day up to a maximum of thirty days for attending to
legislative business in their offices in the capitol building when
the Legislature is not in regular, extended or extraordinary
session and interim committees are not meeting.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to implement the
recommendations of the citizen's Legislative Compensation
Commission by enhancing the compensation of legislators.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.