Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Personnel Policy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee approves letting deputy sheriffs carry up to 60 days of vacation, adopts county‑discretion amendment
Summary
Committee counsel said HB 55-64 would let deputy sheriffs carry over 60 days of accrued vacation (up from 30), aligning them with state police; a fiscal note estimated an average county cost in 2026 of $2,205,000 though the note's per‑county aggregation was unclear. The committee adopted an amendment to make carryover above 30 days permissive at county discretion and reported the bill as amended.
The Senate Committee on Government Organization adopted an amendment and reported House Bill 55-64 after counsel described the measure and an associated fiscal note.
Committee counsel summarized that current code limits deputy sheriffs to carrying no more than 30 days of accrued vacation forward; the bill would increase that limit to 60 days, aligning sheriff deputies with state police. Counsel said a fiscal note from the County Commissioners Association of West Virginia estimated an average cost to responding counties in 2026 of $2,205,000 but acknowledged the note was not crystal clear on whether that figure was aggregate or per county. "What they say the amount is an average cost of the responding county," counsel said, and noted ambiguity in the fiscal note's presentation.
The junior senator from the sixteenth proposed an amendment to allow counties, at their discretion, to permit carryover above 30 days up to 60 days; counsel agreed suggested language could be drafted to allow counties the option. The amendment was adopted by voice vote. The vice chair then moved the bill be reported to the full Senate as amended; the motion carried.
Committee discussion recorded no roll-call tally; the transcript shows voice votes and the chair's declarations that the ayes had it.
