This bill amends various sections of the Code of West Virginia to grant the Supreme Court of Appeals the authority to establish uniform pay scales for all levels of judicial support staff, including magistrate court clerks, magistrate assistants, magistrate court deputy clerks, and family court secretary-clerks. The current fixed annual salaries for these positions, which are set at specific amounts, will be replaced with salaries determined by a pay scale established by the Administrative Director of the Supreme Court. This change aims to enhance recruitment and retention efforts for judicial support staff by providing a clearer and more consistent pay structure based on job duties and educational qualifications.

In addition to the salary adjustments, the bill also allows for general salary increases for these positions, similar to those granted to other state employees whose salaries are not statutorily fixed. The bill emphasizes the importance of maintaining appropriate staffing levels in the courts and provides the Supreme Court of Appeals with the flexibility to create additional classifications of support staff as needed. Overall, the proposed changes are intended to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the judicial system in West Virginia.

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