COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
H. B. 4077
(By Delegates Williams, H. White, Boggs, Varner, Kominar,
Carmichael, Houston, Cann, Canterbury, Proudfoot
and Browning)
(Originating in the Committee on Finance)
[February 23, 2006]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §18A-4-2b, relating
to establishing a state minimum salary supplement for
professional personnel holding professional certification in
speech-language pathology, audiology or counseling;
limitations; applicability; state board rule.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended
by adding thereto a new section, designated §18A-4-2b, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 4. SALARIES, WAGES AND OTHER BENEFITS.
18A-4-2b. State minimum salary supplement for professional
personnel with recognized national certification in
speech-language pathology, audiology or counseling.
(a) (1) The Legislature finds that achieving a nationally
recognized professional certification in speech-language pathology
or audiology involves a rigorous process of demonstrating both knowledge and skills and results in highly trained and capable
employees. Individuals who attain the national professional
certification by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
(ASHA) provide needed and essential services to the school students
of this state and, consequently, should be encouraged to achieve
and maintain the national board certification through reimbursement
of expenses and a salary bonus which reflects their additional
certification, to be paid in accordance with subsection (b) of this
section.
(2) The Legislature further finds and declares that the
rigorous standards and processes for advanced certification by
either the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) or the
West Virginia Board of Examiners in Counseling (WVBEC) helps to
promote the quality of counseling in schools. Counselors in the
public schools of West Virginia should be encouraged to achieve and
maintain the advanced certification through reimbursement of
expenses and a salary bonus that reflects their additional
certification, to be paid in accordance with subsection (b) of this
section.
(3) Therefore, the purpose of this section is to provide a
statewide salary supplement for certain professional personnel
employed in the public schools who hold a nationally recognized
professional certification in speech-language pathology, audiology
or counseling, to treat the professional certification equally, to
encourage others to attain such a certification and to help school
systems with recruitment of these highly qualified professionals.
(b) In addition to any amounts prescribed in the applicable
state minimum salary schedule, any professional personnel who hold
national certification or other credential as provided in this
section, must be paid an annual salary supplement of two thousand
five hundred dollars. The payment is:
(1) To be made in equal monthly installments;
(2) To be considered a part of the state minimum salaries for
teachers; and
(3) To continue for the life of the certification, or for ten
years for any one certification, whichever first expires.
(c) Professional personnel employed as speech-language
pathologists, audiologists or counselors are eligible upon
enrollment for reimbursement for one-half of the fee for
certification in accordance with this section. In addition, these
personnel are eligible upon attainment of the certification for
reimbursement of the remainder of the application fee plus other
expenses actually incurred toward attainment of the certification,
not exceeding six hundred dollars, upon approval by the department
of education. No more than one hundred speech-language
pathologists, audiologists and counselors, combined total, are
eligible for reimbursement in any one fiscal year.
(d) Notwithstanding subsection (b) of this section, no more
than one hundred speech-language pathologists, audiologists and
counselors, combined total, shall be paid the annual salary
supplement provided for in said subsection during the first year of
implementation. The number of speech-language pathologists, audiologists and counselors paid the annual salary supplement
provided for in said subsection (b) may not exceed an additional
one hundred qualified recipients in each of the subsequent fiscal
years. The state board shall promulgate a legislative rule
establishing criteria for selection of the individuals eligible for
reimbursement and a salary supplement in accordance with this
section. The selection criteria shall prioritize the length of
time the certification has been held and the years of experience of
the holder in determining eligibility.
(e) The board shall report the rule to the Legislative
Oversight Commission on Education Accountability by the January,
two thousand seven, legislative interim meeting period, and shall
report on its progress in developing the rule to the commission
during each prior interim meeting period.
(f) Payment of the supplement and reimbursement provided in
this section is subject to legislative appropriation therefore;
nothing in this section requires any appropriation, or any specific
level of appropriation, by the Legislature.
(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or the
provisions of section two-a of this article, professional personnel
may not be paid a salary supplement pursuant to the provisions of
both said sections.