West Virginia Senate Bill SB 28

West Virginia 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/14/26
• Refer: 1/14/26
• Report Pass: 2/10/26
• Refer: 2/10/26
• Report Pass: 2/16/26
• Engrossed: 2/19/26
• Refer: 2/20/26
• Enrolled: 3/12/26
• Passed: 4/1/26

Caption

Allowing members of State Police retirement system to use accrued leave as credit toward retirement

Summary

SB 28 amends the retirement rules for members of the West Virginia State Police retirement system by allowing certain accrued leave to be counted as credit toward retirement. In practical terms, the bill gives eligible State Police members an additional way to increase credited service at retirement by converting unused leave into retirement credit, subject to the terms set out in the bill and the retirement system’s administration. Because the bill text was not provided in readable form, the available context indicates the measure is narrowly focused on retirement benefits for State Police personnel rather than a broad change to public employee retirement law. The bill appears intended to improve retirement flexibility and potentially reward long service by recognizing accumulated leave as part of retirement eligibility or benefit calculation.

Impact

The bill affects the statutes governing the State Police retirement system by adding a new method for members to obtain retirement credit through accrued leave. Its impact is limited to eligible State Police retirees and the administration of their pension benefits, and it may affect retirement timing, benefit calculations, and leave-management practices within the agency. It does not appear to alter retirement rules for other state employees or public retirement systems.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed the Senate 31-0 and the House 92-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The lack of recorded committee discussion also suggests there was little visible opposition or debate in the available record.

Contention

No major points of contention are evident in the available materials. The only likely policy questions would involve the fiscal and administrative effects of allowing accrued leave to count as retirement credit, such as the cost to the retirement system or the potential precedent for other employee groups. However, the unanimous votes suggest those concerns did not rise to the level of significant opposition among legislators.