Bill Text: WV SB403 | 2016 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to cooperative extension workers
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2016-02-16 - To House Agriculture and Natural Resources [SB403 Detail]
Download: West_Virginia-2016-SB403-Introduced.html
WEST virginia Legislature
2016 regular session
Introduced
Senate Bill 403
By Senators Leonhardt and Williams
[Introduced January
27, 2016;
Referred to the Committee on Government Organization.]
A BILL to amend and reenact §19-8-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to cooperative extension workers.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §19-8-1 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended and reenacted to read as follows:
ARTICLE 8. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION WORKERS.
§19-8-1. County extension service committee; composition; organization; duties and responsibilities; employment and compensation of extension workers.
The county extension service committee shall be composed of (a) the president of the county farm bureau, (b) the president of the county extension homemakers council, (c) the president of the county Four-H leaders' association, (d) a county commissioner designated by the president of the county commission, (e) a member of the county board of education designated by the president of the county board of education, (f) a county representative of the Grange, and (g) two members who are residents of the county to be appointed by the board of advisors of West Virginia University for staggered terms of three years each beginning on July 1, and in making these appointments the board of advisors shall appoint one member designated by any other active farm organization in the county not already represented by virtue of this section. If any of the above-named organizations do not exist in the county, the board of advisors of West Virginia University may appoint an additional member for each such vacancy. The committee shall annually elect from its membership a chairperson and a secretary.
It shall each year be the duty and responsibility of the county extension service committee:
(1) To enter into a
memorandum of agreement with the cooperative extension service of West Virginia
University for the employment of county cooperative extension workers
(2) (1) To prepare a memorandum of agreement with
the county commission and with the county board of education for their
financial support of extension work; and
(3) (2) To give guidance and assistance in the
development of the county cooperative extension service program and in the
preparation of the annual plan of work for the county.
Such county cooperative
extension service committee may on or before July 1, of each year file with the
county commission a written memorandum of agreement with the cooperative
extension service of West Virginia University for the employment for the next
fiscal year of county extension agents, extension homemaker agents, associate
or assistant agents, and clerical workers.
The county cooperative
extension service committee may also file on or before July 1, of each year
with the county board of education a written memorandum of agreement with the
cooperative extension service of West Virginia University for the employment for
the next fiscal year of Four-H club or youth development agents, associate or
assistant agents, and clerical workers.
If such agreement or
agreements are so filed, the county commission and the county board of
education of such county, or either of them, may annually enter into such
agreement or agreements for the employment for the next fiscal year of such
county extension agents, extension homemaker agents, Four-H club or youth
development agents, associate or assistant agents, and clerical workers, or any
of them, as may be nominated by the cooperative extension service of West
Virginia University, and approved in writing by at least five members of the
county extension service committee.
Salaries and expenses of
all such county extension workers shall be paid by the cooperative
extension service, the county commission, and the Board of Education, or
jointly out of such appropriations as are made by the
Legislature, the county commission and the Board of Education, separately or in
conjunction with such federal acts as do now, or may hereafter that
provide funds for such purpose. That part of salaries, travel and general
office expense to be provided by the county commission according to the
approved memorandum shall be paid from general county funds.
Whenever the cooperative
extension service is required by law or legislative intent to grant a salary
increase to its employees, the state budget shall include such
additional funds as may be necessary to fully fund such the
salary increase. It is the intent of this section that the cooperative
extension service shall not be dependent upon county or federal funds or
upon the other funds of the institution or the governing board to meet
the costs of such a the salary increase required by law or
legislative intent regardless of the source of the employee's base salary: Provided,
That any decrease by the county of base salary levels of county extension
employees, as exists on June 30 of the year preceding the year the salary
increase is authorized, shall not be funded by the state.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to strike language eliminating a requirement that a county cooperative extension committee enter into an agreement relating to the hiring of county cooperative extension workers and to eliminate outdated code provisions.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.
