Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=HB2802%20SUB%20ENR.htm&yr=2013&sesstype=RS&i=2802
Timestamp: 2018-01-18 20:07:07
Document Index: 37103576

Matched Legal Cases: ['§16', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§16', '§16']

HB 2802 Text
Enrolled Version - Final Version House Bill 2802 History
H. B. 2802
AN ACT to amend and reenact §16-5V-2, §16-5V-8, §16-5V-11, §16-5V-20, §16-5V-21 and §16-5V-24 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, and to amend said code by adding thereto two new sections, designated §16-5V-8a and §16-5V-35, all relating to the Emergency Medical Services Retirement System; modifying the definition of annual compensation as it relates to determining benefits; adding a definition for contributing service to this article; adding a definition for the terms retire and retirement to this article; providing for correction of participating public employer errors by the board; providing eligibility requirements for commencement of benefits; specifying that the board must be in receipt of a request for estimation of benefits prior to providing a member with an explanation of their estimated gross monthly annuity and a retirement application; providing that a member shall have at least ten years of contributing service to qualify for nonduty related disability retirement; specifying that the total nonduty disability award received by a member shall be based on their average monthly compensation during the twelve month period immediately preceding the disability award; providing that all costs associated with disability benefit examinations shall be paid from the board’s expense fund; providing that disability benefits shall cease on the first day of the month following termination of disability by the board; requiring annual disability recertification for a retirant who is less than sixty years of age during the first five years of retirement and once every three years thereafter; providing that if a member who is receiving a nonduty disability benefit dies the surviving spouse shall receive the average monthly compensation received by the member prior to the disability award; and providing for the annuity calculation for a member who returns to covered employment after retirement.
(e) "Annual compensation" means the wages paid to the member during covered employment within the meaning of Section 3401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, but determined without regard to any rules that limit the remuneration included in wages based upon the nature or location of employment or services performed during the plan year plus amounts excluded under Section 414(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code and less reimbursements or other expense allowances, cash or noncash fringe benefits or both, deferred compensation and welfare benefits. Annual compensation for determining benefits during any determination period may not exceed the maximum compensation allowed as adjusted for cost of living in accordance with section seven, article ten-d, chapter five of this code and Section 401(a)(17) of the Internal Revenue Code.
(j) "County commission or political subdivision" has the meaning ascribed to it in this code.
(k) "Covered employment" means either: (1) Employment as a full-time emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician/paramedic or emergency medical services/registered nurse and the active performance of the duties required of emergency medical services officers; or (2) the period of time during which active duties are not performed but disability benefits are received under this article; or (3) concurrent employment by an emergency medical services officer in a job or jobs in addition to his or her employment as an emergency medical services officer where the secondary employment requires the emergency medical services officer to be a member of another retirement system which is administered by the Consolidated Public Retirement Board pursuant to this code: Provided, That the emergency medical services officer contributes to the fund created in this article the amount specified as the member's contribution in section eight of this article.
(l) "Credited service" means the sum of a member's years of service, active military duty, disability service and accrued annual and sick leave service.
(p) "Early retirement age" means age forty-five or over and completion of twenty years of contributory service.
(q) "Effective date" means January 1, 2008.
(r) "Emergency medical services officer" means an individual employed by the state, county or other political subdivision as a medical professional who is qualified to respond to medical emergencies, aids the sick and injured and arranges or transports to medical facilities, as defined by the West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services. This definition is construed to include employed ambulance providers and other services such as law enforcement, rescue or fire department personnel who primarily perform these functions and are not provided any other credited service benefits or retirement plans. These persons may hold the rank of emergency medical technician/basic, emergency medical technician/paramedic, emergency medical services/registered nurse, or others as defined by the West Virginia Office of Emergency Medical Services and the Consolidated Public Retirement Board.
(s) "Employer error" means an omission, misrepresentation or violation of relevant provisions of the West Virginia Code or of the West Virginia Code of State Rules or the relevant provisions of both the West Virginia Code and of the West Virginia Code of State Rules by the participating public employer that has resulted in an underpayment or overpayment of contributions required. A deliberate act contrary to the provisions of this article by a participating public employer does not constitute employer error.
(t) "Final average salary" means the average of the highest annual compensation received for covered employment by the member during any five consecutive plan years within the member's last ten years of service while employed, prior to any disability payment. If the member did not have annual compensation for the five full plan years preceding the member's attainment of normal retirement age and during that period the member received disability benefits under this article, then "final average salary" means the average of the monthly salary determined paid to the member during that period as determined under section nineteen of this article multiplied by twelve. "Final average salary" does not include any lump sum payment for unused, accrued leave of any kind or character.
(u) "Full-time employment" means permanent employment of an employee by a participating public employer in a position which normally requires twelve months per year service and requires at least one thousand forty hours per year service in that position.
(v) "Fund" means the West Virginia Emergency Medical Services Retirement Fund created by this article.
(x) "Member" means a person first hired as an emergency medical services officer by an employer which is a participating public employer of the Public Employees Retirement System or the Emergency Medical Services Retirement System after the effective date of this article, as defined in subsection (q) of this section, or an emergency medical services officer of an employer which is a participating public employer of the Public Employees Retirement System first hired prior to the effective date and who elects to become a member pursuant to this article. A member shall remain a member until the benefits to which he or she is entitled under this article are paid or forfeited.
(y) "Monthly salary" means the W-2 reportable compensation received by a member during the month.
(aa) "Normal retirement age" means the first to occur of the following:
(bb) "Participating public employer" means any county commission or political subdivision in the state which has elected to cover its emergency medical services officers, as defined in this article, under the West Virginia Emergency Medical Services Retirement System.
(cc) "Political subdivision" means a county, city or town in the state; any separate corporation or instrumentality established by one or more counties, cities or towns, as permitted by law; any corporation or instrumentality supported in most part by counties, cities or towns; and any public corporation charged by law with the performance of a governmental function and whose jurisdiction is coextensive with one or more counties, cities or towns: Provided, That any public corporation established under section four, article fifteen, chapter seven of this code is considered a political subdivision solely for the purposes of this article.
(dd) "Plan" means the West Virginia Emergency Medical Services Retirement System established by this article.
(ee) "Plan year" means the twelve-month period commencing on January 1 of any designated year and ending the following December 31.
(ff) "Public Employees Retirement System" means the West Virginia Public Employee's Retirement System created by West Virginia Code.
(hh) "Required beginning date" means April 1 of the calendar year following the later of: (1) The calendar year in which the member attains age seventy and one-half; or (2) the calendar year in which he or she retires or otherwise separates from covered employment.
(ii) "Retirant" means any member who commences an annuity payable by the plan.
(jj) “Retire” or “retirement” means a member’s withdrawal from the employ of a participating public employer and the commencement of an annuity by the plan.
(kk) "Retirement income payments" means the monthly retirement income payments payable under the plan.
(ll) "Spouse" means the person to whom the member is legally married on the annuity starting date.
(mm) "Surviving spouse" means the person to whom the member was legally married at the time of the member's death and who survived the member.
(nn) "Totally disabled" means a member's inability to engage in substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determined physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or that has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than twelve months.
(oo) "Year of service" means a member shall, except in his or her first and last years of covered employment, be credited with years of service credit based upon the hours of service performed as covered employment and credited to the member during the plan year based upon the following schedule:
(a) The board may require any member who has applied for or is receiving disability benefits under this article to submit to a physical examination, mental examination or both, by a physician or physicians selected or approved by the board. All costs incident to any examination by a board selected physician shall be paid from the board’s expense fund. The costs may include hospital, laboratory, X-ray, medical and physicians' fees. A report of the findings of any physician shall be submitted in writing to the board for its consideration. If, from the report, independent information, or from the report and any hearing on the report, the board is of the opinion and finds that: (1) The member has become reemployed as an emergency medical services officer; (2) a physician who has examined the member has found that considering the opportunities for emergency medical services in West Virginia, the member could be so employed as an emergency medical services officer; or (3) other facts exist to demonstrate that the member is no longer totally disabled, then the disability benefits shall cease the first day of the month following board action. (b) The board shall require recertification for a disabled retirant, who has not attained age sixty, at least once each year during the first five years following his or her retirement and at least once in each three year period thereafter.