West Virginia House Bill HB2930

West Virginia 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/24/25
• Refer: 2/24/25

Caption

Removing the 140 day a year cap placed on the amount of days a year a retired teacher can work before having their retirement penalized

Summary

HB2930 amends the state law governing the West Virginia Teachers Retirement System to change how many days a retired teacher may work without triggering a reduction in retirement benefits. Under current law and board rule, retired teachers are subject to a maximum number of days they may be employed before their retirement benefit is reduced. This bill would prohibit the Consolidated Public Retirement Board from setting a limit below 140 days and would allow retired teachers to work beyond 140 days without a benefit reduction when there are teaching vacancies and a demonstrated need for teachers. The bill also changes how days worked by retired substitute teachers are counted. Instead of relying only on calendar days, the bill requires hours worked to be totaled and then converted into days by dividing by the standard number of hours a full-time teacher works per day. The stated purpose is to allow retired teachers to continue working in schools under certain conditions without losing retirement benefits and to address inconsistencies in how county boards calculate the maximum number of days.

Impact

HB2930 would directly affect the administration of the West Virginia Teachers Retirement System by limiting the Board’s authority to impose a work-day cap below 140 days and by creating an exception that permits additional post-retirement employment when vacancies and staffing needs exist. It would also standardize the counting method for retired substitute teachers by using hours worked converted into days, which could reduce variation among county boards and affect when retirement benefits are reduced. The bill is aimed at retired teachers, substitute teachers, county school boards, and the retirement system’s benefit administration rules.

Sentiment

The available context suggests generally favorable intent toward the bill, with the caption framing it as removing the 140-day cap on retired teachers’ work before retirement penalties apply. The bill text itself emphasizes flexibility for staffing shortages and correcting inconsistent county-level calculations, which indicates support for keeping experienced retired educators in the classroom. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no evidence of formal opposition or support beyond the bill’s stated purpose and framing.

Contention

The main point of contention is the balance between allowing retired teachers to continue working and preserving the retirement system’s limits on post-retirement employment. Supporters are likely to favor the bill because it helps fill teaching vacancies and avoids penalizing retirees who return to work, while critics may be concerned that extending work beyond 140 days could weaken the intended cap on post-retirement employment or increase costs to the retirement system. Another possible issue is the shift from day-based to hour-based counting, which may be seen as improving consistency but could also create administrative complexity for county boards.