H. B. 2826
(By Delegate Browning)
[Introduced February 5, 2007; referred to the
Committee on Education then Finance.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §18A-4-2b of the Code of West Virginia,
1931, as amended, relating to including school psychologists
and school nurses with other professional school personnel for
a salary supplement and reimbursement for achieving national
board certification.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §18A-4-2b of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended,
be amended and reenacted 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, school
psychology 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) The Legislature further finds that achieving a nationally
recognized professional certification in school psychology involves
a rigorous process of demonstrating competencies in scientific
research-based knowledge and skills. School psychologists provide assessment, counseling, and consultation to students, teachers,
school administrators, and parents. Individuals who attain the
national professional certification by the National Association of
School Psychologists provide services to students, families, and
school systems in this state and 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.
(4) The Legislature further finds that achieving a nationally
recognized professional certification in school nursing involves a
rigorous process of demonstrating competencies in health care and
nursing applications, knowledge and skills. School nurses provide
assessment, counseling, and consultation to students, teachers,
school administrators, and parents. School nurses who attain the
national professional certification provide services to students,
families, and school systems in this state and 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.
(3) (5) 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,
school psychology, school nursing 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, effective the first day of July, two
thousand six, 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) Effective the first day of July, two thousand six,
professional personnel employed as speech-language pathologists,
audiologists,
school psychologist, school nurse 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,
school
psychologist, school nurses and counselors, combined total, shall
be paid the annual salary supplement provided
for in
said
subsection
(b) during the first year of implementation. The number
of speech-language pathologists, audiologists,
school
psychologists, school nurses 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.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to include school
psychologists and school nurses with other professional school
personnel for a salary supplement and reimbursement for achieving
national board certification.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from
the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would
be added.