WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2024 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

House Bill 5534

By Delegates Young, Garcia, and Williams

[Introduced February 09, 2024; Referred to the Committee on Fire Departments and Emergency Medical Services then Government Organization]

A BILL to amend and reenact §8-15-10a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to compensation for firefighters who are required to work holidays.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

article 15. fire fighting; fire companies and departments; civil service for paid fire departments.

§8-15-10a. Firemen who are required to work during holidays; how compensated.

From the effective date of this section, if any member of a paid fire department is required to work during a legal holiday as is specified in subsection (a), section one, article two, chapter two of this code, or if a legal holiday falls on the member's regular scheduled day off, he or she shall be allowed equal time off equal to their shift, even if the shift spans two calendar days, at such time as may be approved by the chief executive officer of the department under whom he or she serves or, in the alternative, shall be paid at a rate not less than one and one-half times his or her regular rate of pay, equal to their shift, even if the shift spans two calendar days: Provided, That if a special election of a political subdivision other than a municipality falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the municipality may choose not to recognize the day of the election as a holiday if a majority of the municipality's city council votes not to recognize the day of the election as a holiday.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish time off or rate of pay for firefighters who are required to work during holidays.

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