H. B. 2059
(By Delegate Caputo)
[Introduced January 12, 2007; referred to the
Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources and Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §20-7-1
c of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to providing salary parity for
conservation officers relative to members of the West
Virginia State Police.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §20-7-1
c of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 7. LAW ENFORCEMENT, MOTORBOATING, 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 two, 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
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
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.
(e) Beginning on the first day of July, two thousand seven,
and continuing thereafter, conservation officers shall be paid
minimum annual salaries which are at least equal to, based on
comparable years of service and rank, the minimum annual salaries
for members of the West Virginia State Police in the State Police
progression system as set forth in subsections (d) and (e) of
section five, article two, chapter fifteen of this code.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to bring salaries of
Division of Natural Resources conservation officers into parity
with West Virginia State Police salaries.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.