This bill aims to amend various sections of the West Virginia Code to establish a new framework for determining the salaries of certain lower court staff, including magistrate court clerks, magistrate assistants, magistrate court deputy clerks, secretary-clerks of family court judges, and family case coordinators. The proposed changes will replace fixed salary amounts with a pay scale that will be established by the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court of Appeals. This change is intended to provide more flexibility in compensation and allow for adjustments based on state employee salary increases.

Additionally, the bill modifies existing language regarding the appointment and duties of these court staff members. It clarifies that magistrate assistants and deputy clerks may not be immediate family members of any magistrate and outlines their responsibilities in relation to the magistrate court clerks. The bill also allows for the creation of additional classifications of support staff as deemed necessary by the Supreme Court of Appeals, with their salaries also determined by the established pay scale. Overall, the bill seeks to modernize the compensation structure for lower court staff and ensure that salaries are aligned with broader state employee compensation practices.

Statutes affected:
Introduced Version: 50-1-8, 50-1-9, 50-1-9a, 51-2A-6