WEST virginia legislature

2018 regular session

Introduced

Senate Bill 472

By Senators Blair, Unger and Cline

[Introduced February 2, 2018; Referred
to the Committee on Health and Human Resources; and then to the Committee on Government Organization]

A BILL to amend and reenact §16-2-14 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to requiring the Legislature to provide funds to the Department of Health and Human Resources so that it can provide the local boards of health funds for pay raises for their employees when the Legislature provides funds for across-the-board pay raises for state employees, and annually after that.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 2. LOCAL BOARDS OF HEALTH.

§16-2-14. Financial responsibilities of appointing authorities for local boards of health; levies; appropriation of county or municipal general funds for public health purposes; state funding.

The appointing authorities for local boards of health shall provide financial support for the operation of the local health department. The county commission of any county or the governing body of any municipality in which a local board of health is established pursuant to the provisions of this article, or the county commission of any county or the governing body of any municipality who is a participating member of a combined local board of health may levy a county or municipal tax to provide funds for the local board of health: Provided, That the tax may not exceed three cents on each $100 of assessed valuation of the taxable property in the levying county or municipality, according to the latest assessment.

The county commission of any county or the governing body of any municipality in which a local board of health is established pursuant to the provisions of this article, or the county commission of any county or the governing body of any municipality who is a participating member of a combined local board of health may appropriate and spend money from the county or municipal general funds for public health purposes and to pay the expenses of the operation of the local board of health services and facilities.

The commissioner and the secretary may pay over and contribute to any board of health created and maintained pursuant to the provisions of this article, the sum or sums of money that may be available from funds included in appropriations made for the Department of Health and Human Resources. The commissioner may withhold all or part of any funds until a local board of health submits an acceptable plan to correct deficiencies in the local board's program plan.

The Legislature finds that employees of local boards of health provide a valuable service to the state. Even though these employees are hired through the Division of Personnel, they are not state employees. Accordingly, employees of local boards of health do not share in pay raises provided to state employees. When the Legislature provides funds for across-the-board pay raises for state employees it shall also appropriate sufficient funds to the Department of Health and Human Resources so that it can provide the local boards of health funds to increase the pay of their employees in the same amount or percentage. After the effective date of this paragraph, the Legislature shall annually include appropriations in the budget for use by the local boards of health to continue to fund pay raises required by this paragraph.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to require funds be provided to the Department of Health and Human Resources so that it can provide the local boards of health funds for pay raises for their employees when the Legislature provides funds for across-the-board pay raises for state employees.

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