WEST virginia Legislature

2018 regular session

Introduced

House Bill 4044

By Delegates Summers, Hollen, Kessinger, Sobonya, Miller, C., Canestraro, Miller, R., and Lovejoy

[Introduced January 12, 2018; Referred
to the Committee on the Judiciary then Finance]

A BILL to amend and reenact §25-1-11d of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; and to amend and reenact §31-20-33 of said code, all relating to increasing pay to facilitate hiring and retention of employees by the Division of Corrections and by the Regional Jail Authority and Correctional Facility Authority; providing $3,000 across the board increases for each employee pay scale.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

CHAPTER 25.  DIVISION OF CORRECTIONS.

ARTICLE 1.  ORGANIZATION, INSTITUTIONS AND CORRECTIONS MANAGEMENT.

§25-1-11d.  Compensation of employees approved by commissioner; traveling and other expenses; payment of salaries.

(a) The Commissioner of Corrections shall approve the salaries of all employees of the Division of Corrections. Salaries shall be commensurate with their duties and responsibilities, but no meals or other emoluments of any kind shall be furnished, given or paid to the employee as all or part of their salary. The employees may be provided meals, household facilities and supplies as may be necessary for them to perform their duties, if the employees agree to pay the reasonable cost as established by the Commissioner of Corrections. In the event of If there is an emergency, such as a riot or other disturbance, the commissioner may authorize meals be provided to employees at no cost. Additionally, the commissioner may establish a procedure to reimburse employees reasonable costs in the event the employee’s personal property is stolen or damaged by an inmate. All persons employed under this article are entitled to be reimbursed for necessary traveling and other expenses. The salaries, expenses and appropriations provided for the employees under the commissioner’s jurisdiction shall be paid in the same manner as are those of other state employees and agencies and on a payment schedule set forth by the State Auditor.

(b) The Legislature finds that the Division of Corrections has extreme difficulty in recruiting and retaining employees because of the nature of the work and the current low level of pay. Accordingly, the Legislature directs that the West Virginia Division of Personnel, effective July 1, 2018, provide for a $3,000 across-the-board increase in all Division of Corrections pay scales.

CHAPTER 31. CORPORATIONS.

ARTICLE 20. WEST VIRGINIA REGIONAL JAIL AND CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AUTHORITY.

§31-20-33. Authority pay scales raised for all employees.

The Legislature finds that the Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority has extreme difficulty in recruiting and retaining employees because of the nature of the work and the current level of pay.  Accordingly, effective July 1, 2018, the West Virginia Division of Personnel shall provide for a $3,000 across-the-board increase in all authority pay scales.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to provide for a $3,000 increase in pay scales of all employees within the Division of Corrections and the Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority.

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