WEST virginia legislature

2023 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 3315

By Delegates Cooper and Heckert

(By Request of the Adjutant General)

[Introduced ; Referred

to the Committee on]

A BILL to amend and reenact §15-1B-25 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating generally to readiness enhancement and commission bonuses.  

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 1B. NATIONAL GUARD.

§15-1B-25. Readiness Enhancement and Commissioning Bonus.

(a) The Adjutant General may establish within the limitations of​ this subdivision a program to provide enlistment bonuses to eligible prospects who become members of the​ West Virginia National Guard.​

(1) Eligibility for the bonus is limited to a candidate who:​ (A) Has expertise, qualifications, or potential for military service deemed by the Adjutant General as​ sufficiently important to the readiness of the National Guard or a unit of the National Guard to warrant the​ payment of a bonus in an amount to generally encourage the candidate's enlistment in the National Guard;​ (B) Joins the National Guard as an enlisted member; and​ (C) Serves satisfactorily during the period of, and completes, the person’s initial entry training, if applicable.​ The Adjutant General may, within the limitations of this section, determine​ additional eligibility criteria for the bonus.​

(2) The enlistment bonus payments must be made on a schedule that is determined and published in​ department regulations by the Adjutant General.​

(3) If a member fails to complete a term of enlistment for which a bonus was paid, the Adjutant General​ may seek to recoup a prorated amount of the bonus as determined by the Adjutant General.​

(b) Reenlistment or commissioning bonus program. The Adjutant General may establish a​ program to provide a reenlistment or commissioning bonus to eligible members of the West Virginia National​ Guard who extend their term of service in the National Guard within the limitations of this subdivision.​ Eligibility for the bonus is limited to a member of the National Guard who:​ (1) Is serving satisfactorily as determined by the Adjutant General;​ (2) Has 12 or fewer years of service creditable for retirement; and​ (3) Has military training and expertise deemed by the Adjutant General as sufficiently important to the​ readiness of the National Guard or a unit of the National Guard to warrant the payment of a bonus in an​ amount to generally encourage the member's reenlistment in the National Guard, or the member's acceptance​ of a commission as an officer in the National Guard.​ The Adjutant General may, within the limitations of this paragraph and other applicable laws, determine​ additional eligibility criteria for the bonus.

(1) The bonus payments must be made on a schedule that is determined and published in department​ regulations by the Adjutant General.​

(2) If a member fails to complete a term of reenlistment or an obligated term of commissioned service​ for which a bonus was paid, the Adjutant General may seek to recoup a prorated amount of the bonus as​ determined by the Adjutant General.

(c) Upon graduation from the officer candidate school conducted at the regional training institute, Camp Dawson, each member of the West Virginia Army National Guard who accepts a commission shall be entitled to a commissioning bonus of $2,000.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create a program for the enhancement of readiness through recruitment and retention bonuses.    

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