Bill Text: WV SB19 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Increasing compensation caps for certain family court staff
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-08 - To Judiciary [SB19 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2014-SB19-Introduced.html
Senate Bill No. 19
(By Senators Fitzsimmons and Yost)
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[Introduced January 8, 2014; referred to the Committee on the Judiciary; and then to the Committee on Finance.]
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A BILL to amend and reenact §51-2A-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to increasing the compensation caps for secretary-clerks and case coordinators in the family court system.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §51-2A-6 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 2A. FAMILY COURTS.
§51-2A-6. Compensation and expenses of family court judges and their staffs.
(a) A family court judge is entitled to receive as compensation for his or her services an annual salary of $62,500: Provided, That beginning July 1, 2005, a family court judge is entitled to receive as compensation for his or her services an annual salary of $82,500: Provided, however, That beginning July 1, 2011, the annual salary of a family court judge shall be $94,500.
(b) The secretary-clerk of the family court judge is appointed by the family court judge and serves at his or her will and pleasure. The secretary-clerk of the family court judge is entitled to receive an annual salary of $27,036: Provided, That on and after July 1, 2006, The annual salary of the secretary-clerk shall be established by the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals, but may not exceed $35,000: Provided, That on and after July 1, 2014, the annual salary of the secretary-clerk may not exceed $41,500. In addition, any person employed as a secretary-clerk to a family court judge on the effective date of the enactment of this section during the sixth extraordinary session of the Legislature in the year 2001 who is receiving an additional $500 per year up to ten years of a certain period of prior employment under the provisions of the prior enactment of section eight of this article during the second extraordinary session of the Legislature in the year 1999 shall continue to receive such that additional amount. Further, the secretary-clerk will shall receive such any percentage or proportional salary increases as may be increase provided by general law for other public employees and is entitled to receive the annual incremental salary increase as provided in article five, chapter five of this code.
(c) The family court judge may employ not more than one family case coordinator who serves at his or her will and pleasure. The annual salary of the family case coordinator of the family court judge shall be established by the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals but may not exceed $36,000: Provided, That on and after July 1, 2006, the annual salary of the family case coordinator of the family court judge may not exceed $46,060 July 1, 2014, the annual salary of the family case coordinator may not exceed $52,500. The family case coordinator will shall receive such any percentage or proportional salary increases as may be increase provided by general law for other public employees and is entitled to receive the annual incremental salary increase as provided in article five, chapter five of this code.
(d) The sheriff or his or her designated deputy shall serve serves as a bailiff for a family court judge. The sheriff of each county shall serve serves or shall designate persons to serve so as to assure that a bailiff is available when a family court judge determines the same is necessary for the orderly and efficient conduct of the business of the family court.
(e) Disbursement of salaries for family court judges and members of their staffs are made by or pursuant to the order of the Director of the Administrative Office Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals.
(f) Family court judges and members of their staffs are allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. The expenses and compensation will shall be determined and paid by the Director of the Administrative Office Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals under such guidelines as he or she may prescribe prescribes, as approved by the Supreme Court of Appeals.
(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, family court judges are not eligible to participate in the retirement system for judges under the provisions of article nine of this chapter.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to increase the compensation caps for secretary-clerks and case coordinators in the family court system. The bill is necessary because some relatively recent across-the-board raises for state employees have resulted in some family court employees exceeding the cap.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from the present law, and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
