By Vivian Parsons, Executive Director

Hello CCAWV...We are now in the 22nd day of the 2012 Legislative Session.  February 20th is the last day to introduce new bills in the House and Senate.  Following is a quick up date on some bills of county interest:

Calls to Action

SB 167 - Authorizing counties and municipalities accept credit or check card as payment.  This bill passed out of the Senate and goes to the House.  Will keep you posted on House committee assignment.
SB 168 - The county officials compensation increase bill is pending in Senate Finance.   Support for the bill needs to be expressed to members of Senate Finance.  Comments from several legislators is that the amounts are likely to be adjusted if the bill progresses.
SB 347 - Allowing counties to keep all the transfer taxes they currently collect to be used for regional jail costs.  Currently half is sent to the State.  This bill is also in Senate Finance.  Calls of support to Senate Finance is needed to get this bill moving. OPEB Legislation Introduced

Listened to PEIA director, Ted Cheatham report to the House Pensions Committee regarding the OPEB bill that has been introduced in both the House (HB 4364) and the Senate (SB 469). The bill dedicates $35 million transferred from the State Personal Income Tax, to the West Virginia Retiree Health Benefit Trust Fund until governor certifies that trust fund is fully funded or July 1, 2037 whichever date is later.  It also transfers responsibility for the employer annual required contribution of county boards of education to the state.  It was asked by the Chairman, and clarified by the PEIA director, that the bill does nothing to address the OPEB liability for counties and municipalities!  We will continue to receive a bill with no requirement to pay it, but will be required to carry the liability on our books.   The House bill also codifies the action taken by the PEIA Finance Board that caps giving subsidized retiree health care premiums to hires after July 1, 2010.  Senate bill does not...seems there is some disagreement over that issue.

SB 150 - Clarifying Consolidated Public Retirement Board's authority to determine public employer contribution rate.
Senate Pensions Chairman Foster has announced a joint public hearing  on SB 150, the bill that would put a "cap " back in statute, as to the amount the PERS board can set the employer contribution rate each year based on actuarial recommendation.  It sets the cap at no more than 14.5%.   Attendance and participation is needed.  Joint Public Hearing on SB 150  --  Wednesday, February 8, 2012  --  Senate Judiciary meeting room, 208W  --  4:00 PM

HB 4030 - prioritizing payment of fees, costs, bonds, fines, or other sums assessed in Magistrate courts.

HB 4030 will require magistrate courts to credit the payments related to worthless check payees and restitution before any other costs or fines are paid.  The committee discussion included hearing from the supreme court that this bill could affect the  revenues used to reimburse counties for magistrate court rent and to pay magistrate court utilities.  Committee also heard that this bill could affect the amount of revenues available to hire a worthless check clerk to hand worthless checks in the county.  Further the committee heard from the Regional Jail Authority Accountant that receiving less court fees could result in less revenue to pay the RJA debt service and could result in higher per diem rate charged to counties.  The Regional Jail Authority estimates that the Authority could lose another $1.2 Million in court fee collections if this bill is passed. It passed out of House Judiciary on Tuesday.  The bill passed out of the House Judiciary Committee and now goes to House Finance. 

SB 108 relating to establishing education requirements to serve as magistrate, failed on the Senate floor this week.

SB 211 creating traffic offenses for texting or using handheld wireless communication devices while driving passed out of Senate Committees and is on 1st reading on the Senate Floor.

HB 4257 providing late voter registration opportunities to individuals covered by the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Act of 1986 has complemented committee work in the House and is on 1st reading on the House Floor.