2024 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5324

By Delegates Hite, Fehrenbacher, Ferrell, Horst, DeVault, and Hornby

[Introduced January 29, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact §29-6-23 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to create in the state Treasury a special revolving fund to be known and designated as the "Division of Personnel Recruitment and Retention fund" consisting of reappropriated funds from "Personal Services" to offer tuition reimbursement to new positions for professional personnel.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 6. CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM.

§29-6-23. Special fund; appropriations; cost of administering article; acceptance of grants or contribution; disbursements.

(a) For the operation of the division, there is hereby created in the state Treasury a special revolving fund to be known and designated as the "Division of Personnel fund." This fund shall consist of appropriations made by the Legislature, funds transferred in accordance with the provisions of section nine of this article, funds received for personnel services rendered to other agencies, departments, divisions and units of state and local government, and funds received by grant or contribution from the federal government or any other entity which funds the division is hereby authorized to receive: Provided, That for fiscal year one thousand nine hundred ninety all funds remaining in account numbers 5840-00, 5840-35 and 5840-17 shall be transferred to the Division of Personnel fund on the effective date of this article. Each agency, department, division or unit of state or local government served by the Division of Personnel is hereby authorized and directed to transmit to the division for deposit in said special fund the charges made by the Division of Personnel for personnel services rendered, such charges to be those fixed in a schedule or schedules prepared by the director and approved by the secretary of the Department of Administration. Disbursements from the fund shall be made in accordance with an approved expenditure schedule as provided by article two, chapter five-a of this code and shall be made under the direct supervision of the director.

(b) For the operation of the division, there is hereby created in the state Treasury a special revolving fund to be known and designated as the "Division of Personnel Recruitment and Retention fund."  This fund shall consist of reappropriated funds from "Personal Services" to offer tuition reimbursement to new positions for professional personnel:  Provided, That the new professional personnel agree to work for the agency for a five-year period. Tuition reimbursement shall be paid in four equal installments on the second anniversary of the new professional personnel and each year thereafter for three additional years.

The director shall maintain accurate records reflecting the cost of administering the provisions of this article.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create in the state Treasury a special revolving fund to be known and designated as the "Division of Personnel Recruitment and Retention fund" consisting of reappropriated funds from "Personal Services" to offer tuition reimbursement to new positions for professional personnel.

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