Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/Bill_Status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=SB597%20SUB2%20ENR.htm&yr=2020&sesstype=RS&i=597
Timestamp: 2020-08-12 00:49:08
Document Index: 409629341

Matched Legal Cases: ['§50', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§51', '§5', '§5', '§51']

Enrolled Version - Final Version Senate Bill 597 History
Senators Trump, Woelfel, Romano, Unger, and Lindsay, Palumbo, and Plymale, original sponsors
[Passed March 7, 2020; to take effect July 1, 2020]
AN ACT to amend and reenact §50-1-3 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §51-1-10a of said code; to amend and reenact §51-2-13 of said code; and to amend and reenact §51-2A-6 of said code, all relating to providing a 10 percent salary increase to certain judicial officers.
(2) The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has held that a salary system for magistrates which is based upon the population that each magistrate serves does not violate section 39, article VI, of the Constitution of West Virginia;
(4) Organizing the two tiers of the salary schedule into one tier for magistrates serving less than 7,300 in population and a second tier for magistrates serving 7,300 or more in population is no longer rational and equitable given current statistical information relating to population and caseload; and
(b) The salary of each magistrate shall be paid by the state. Magistrates who serve fewer than 7,300 in population shall be paid annual salaries of $51,125 and magistrates who serve 7,300 or more in population shall be paid annual salaries of $57,500.
(e) On or before July 1, 2013, the Joint Committee on Government and Finance shall request a study by the National Center for State Courts, working in conjunction with the Administrative Office of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, to review the weighted caseloads in each of the magistrate courts in this state, and present recommendations as to how the present resources and personnel in the magistrate court system could be better apportioned to equitably and timely meet the collective needs of the magistrate court system in West Virginia. Based on the findings and data generated by that study, the National Center for State Courts shall make recommendations as to the equitable redistribution of personnel and resources, by temporary or permanent reassignment, to better meet the needs and weighted loads that are demonstrated to exist in the various magistrate courts in this state. This study shall be presented to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance no later than December 1, 2014, and shall include recommendations and proposed legislation resulting from such study and shall also include a plan to continue the efficient delivery of justice by the magistrate court system and the justification for equalization of pay for all magistrates. As a part of the submitted study, the plan shall consider the reassignment of magistrates or the extension of their duties and jurisdiction to include holding court or delivering services to adjacent counties with higher caseloads, as part of their regular duties, or being on call as needed to serve other needs in other adjacent counties or within the same judicial circuit.
On or before January 15, 2015, the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia shall present its recommendations to the Legislature regarding how to allocate or assign a maximum of 158 magistrates throughout this state to improve the magistrate process, and more equitably distribute the magistrate court resources to efficiently and effectively meet the needs of the citizens of this state.
(g) Notwithstanding any provisions of this code to the contrary, beginning July 1, 2021, the annual salary of a magistrate shall be $60,375, and beginning July 1, 2022, the annual salary of a magistrate shall be $63,250.
The salary of each of the justices of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall be $95,000 per year: Provided, That beginning July 1, 2005, the salary of each of the justices of the Supreme Court shall be $121,000: Provided, however, That beginning July 1, 2011, the annual salary of a justice of the Supreme Court shall be $136,000: Provided further, That beginning July 1, 2021, the annual salary of a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall be $142,800, and beginning July 1, 2022, the annual salary of a justice of the Supreme Court of Appeals shall be $149,600.
The salaries of the judges of the various circuit courts shall be paid solely out of the State Treasury. No county, county commission, board of commissioners, or other political subdivision shall supplement or add to such salaries.
The annual salary of all circuit judges shall be $90,000 per year: Provided, That beginning July 1, 2005, the annual salary of all circuit judges shall be $116,000 per year: Provided, however, That beginning July 1, 2011, the annual salary of a circuit court judge shall be $126,000: Provided further, That beginning July 1, 2021, the annual salary of a circuit judge shall be $132,300 and beginning July 1, 2022, the annual salary of a circuit court judge shall be $138,600.
(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: Provided further, That beginning July 1, 2020, the annual salary of a family court judge shall be $103,950.
(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 $39,000. 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 10 years of a certain period of prior employment under the provisions of the prior enactment of §51-2A-8 of this code during the second extraordinary session of the Legislature in the year 1999 shall continue to receive such additional amount. Further, the secretary-clerk will receive such percentage or proportional salary increases as may be provided by general law for other public employees and is entitled to receive the annual incremental salary increase as provided in §5-5-1 et seq. 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 $51,000. The family case coordinator will receive such percentage or proportional salary increases as may be provided by general law for other public employees and is entitled to receive the annual incremental salary increase as provided in §5-5-1 et seq. of this code.
(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 §51-9-1 et seq. of this code.