Labor & Employment (Public Employees)

passed · West Virginia · Senate Mar 13, 2026

SB 774: Allowing certain county EMS officers to participate in EMS Retirement System

SB 774 allows county emergency medical services (EMS) officers to join the Emergency Medical Services Retirement System (EMSRS), removing a prior requirement that they be certified as law enforcement officers. It enables current EMS officers enrolled in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) to elect to switch to the EMSRS and transfer their eligible service years to the new system. The bill clarifies how retirement benefits are calculated for these officers, ensuring their prior service counts toward future benefits. This change directly affects county EMS officers by providing them with a retirement system tailored to their profession.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill expands retirement benefits for EMS officers by enabling system transfers and clarifying benefit calculations, improving employment benefits for a specific workforce.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Employees Tags Public Safety

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 16, 2026

HB 5365: Relating to the regulation of pharmacy benefit managers providing services to the Public Employees Insurance Agency.

HB 5365 regulates pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that provide prescription drug coverage services to West Virginia's Public Employees Insurance Agency (PEIA). The bill amends state code to create a special investigating unit within PEIA and grants the Insurance Commissioner authority to investigate PBM practices. It defines key terms related to PEIA operations and establishes oversight mechanisms for PBMs handling state employee health benefits. This bill directly affects PEIA and its contracted PBM providers, focusing on increasing transparency and accountability in prescription drug benefit management. The legislation is currently in committee review (House Banking and Insurance) after introduction on February 9, 2026.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRegulates PBMs to ensure fair practices for state employee health benefits, protecting patient access and rights through oversight mechanisms.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRegulates PBMs to ensure fair prescription drug coverage for state employees via PEIA, protecting a key employment benefit under health insurance oversight.80% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs Public Employees

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Feb 3, 2026

HB 5077: Related to Mental Health Protection Act

HB 5077 requires all health insurance policies in West Virginia (including group plans, public employee coverage, and hospital plans) issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027, to cover medically necessary mental health and substance use disorder treatment. It defines "medically necessary" as care meeting established clinical standards, being appropriate in type/duration, and not primarily benefiting insurers. The law prohibits insurers from using arbitrary "discretionary clauses" to deny such coverage. This directly affects all West Virginians with health insurance by mandating comprehensive coverage for these conditions.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates mental health coverage in insurance, prohibits arbitrary denials, and defines 'medically necessary' care per support indicators for healthcare expansion.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRequires mental health coverage in health insurance (via group plans/public employee coverage), expanding worker benefits as part of employment standards under Labor & Employment.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Insurance Mental Health Substance Abuse Public Employees

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 23, 2026

SB 585: Increasing annual salaries of certain state employees

SB 585 increases annual salaries for specific state employees in West Virginia, including West Virginia State Police members (across all ranks), forensic laboratory personnel, public school teachers, and school service staff. The bill establishes new salary schedules effective July 1, 2026, with detailed pay rates for each position category (e.g., troopers, sergeants, forensic scientists). It also maintains existing length-of-service pay increases for State Police members, which began in 2015. The legislation directly affects these state workforce groups by raising their base pay through specified salary schedules.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationDirectly increases public school teacher salaries and school service staff pay, aligning with educator support and funding indicators95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases salaries for state employees including police, teachers, and staff, directly advancing wage standards per Labor & Employment topic description.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Employees

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 14, 2026

HB 4155: To include all West Virginia correctional classifications in the Natural Resources Officer Pension System.

HB 4155 expands West Virginia's Natural Resources Police Officer Retirement System to include all correctional classifications within the state's correctional system. This change directly affects correctional officers who were previously excluded from this specific pension system and were instead covered under the Public Employees Retirement System. The bill establishes procedures for these officers to transfer their service credit into the Natural Resources Police retirement system upon hire or rehire, ensuring continuity of benefits. It modifies existing pension rules to allow correctional officers to participate in this system rather than the broader public employee plan, without creating new benefits.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands retirement benefits for correctional officers by including them in the Natural Resources Police Pension System, previously excluded, strengthening their employment benefits.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Employees Retirement Benefits

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in committee · West Virginia · House of Delegates Jan 21, 2026

HB 4657: Allow the use of unused employee sick time in retirement calculation

HB 4657 would allow West Virginia public employees to count unused sick leave toward their retirement benefits. Currently, members who joined the West Virginia Public Employees Retirement System after July 1, 2015, cannot use sick leave for retirement credit; this bill would remove that restriction for all members. The bill specifies that each unused sick leave day would count as two workdays toward retirement credit, with credit calculated in monthly increments (20 workdays per month, and 10 or more additional workdays counting as a full month). It directly affects public employees with unused sick leave who are members of the retirement system.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands retirement benefits for public employees by allowing unused sick leave to count toward retirement credits, strengthening worker benefits under employment standards.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Paid Leave Public Employees

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in committee · West Virginia · Senate Jan 21, 2026

SB 563: Repealing exemptions from Division of Personnel

Senate Bill 563 repeals specific exemptions that allowed three West Virginia state agencies to operate outside the standard Division of Personnel's rules. It removes special personnel provisions for the Department of Transportation (§5F-2-8), the Tax Division (§11B-1-8), and the Bureau for Social Services (§49-10-101-103). The bill requires these agencies to follow the state's standard hiring, pay, and personnel management procedures governed by the Division of Personnel. This change directly affects how these agencies manage their staff, bringing them under unified state personnel oversight.

Topics ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRepealing exemptions requires state agencies to follow standard personnel rules for hiring/pay, aligning with employment standards and ensuring consistent workplace management practices.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Public Employees

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