H. B. 2323
(By Delegate Border)
[Introduced February 12, 2009; referred to the
Committee on Pensions and Retirement then Finance.]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by
adding thereto a new section, designated §5-10-15c, relating
to public employees receiving credit toward their West
Virginia public employee retirement benefits for service in
the Peace Corps.
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 §5-10-15c, to read as
follows:
ARTICLE 10. WEST VIRGINIA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT ACT.
§5-10-15c. Peace Corps service credit.
(a) The Legislature recognizes the men and women of this state
who have served their country in the cause of peace by living and
working in developing countries for the Peace Corps.
(b) In addition to any benefit provided by federal law, any member of the retirement system who has previously served in or
enters the active service of the Peace Corps shall receive credited
service for the time spent in the Peace Corps, not to exceed five
years, if the member substantiates by appropriate documentation or
evidence his or her active Peace Corps service and entry into Peace
Corps service.
(c) Any member of the retirement system who enters the active
service of the Peace Corps shall receive the credit provided by
this section regardless of whether he or she was a public employee
at the time of entering the Peace Corps.
(d) In any case of doubt as to the period of service to be
credited a member under the provisions of this section, the board
of trustees has the final power to determine this period.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to grant Peace Corps members
credited service toward the West Virginia public employees
retirement benefits, even if they are not public employees at the
time of their service.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.