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SB 719

Relating to Municipal Police Officers and Firefighters Retirement System

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Vince Deeds and 1 co-sponsor

SB 719 lets campus police earn MPF retirement credit for unused leave and mandates new hires join DSRS, with defined MPF eligibility for existing officers.

Chapter 205, Acts, Regular Session, 2026
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Bill Summary · SB 719

Summary of SB 719 (2026) – West Virginia

Purpose and intent

SB 719 amends and clarifies provisions related to the Municipal Police Officers and Firefighters Retirement System (MPF) and the status of campus police officers within West Virginia. The bill aims to ensure campus police officers can receive retirement credit for unused leave days and to clarify how campus police officers may participate in MPF, including which officers are eligible and when participation is required.

Key provisions and changes

  • Credit for unused leave for retirement (§8-22A-27a).

    • Establishes that an annual leave or sick leave day equals eight hours.
    • Allows a member to elect, after the effective date of the section, to use unused leave days at the time of retirement to acquire additional credited service in MPF.
    • For campus police officers who elected MPF participation under §18B-4-5, only leave accrued after the date participation began may be used.
    • Credit is granted at a rate of one day of credit per one day of accrued leave; retirement service credit is calculated with a monthly credit standard of 20 days, with any remainder under 10 days dropped (i.e., not credited).
    • The plan still limits total credited service to no more than 12 months in any given year.
    • If the member’s unused leave is paid as a lump sum, that lump sum is not treated as final average salary compensation for retirement calculations.

  • Campus police officers; administration and retirement integration (§18B-4-5).

    • Campus police officers may be appointed by governing boards on university premises; they have law-enforcement authority on campus and adjacent areas, with authority to assist local agencies.
    • Campus police officers may carry firearms and be subject to certification requirements; they must adhere to oath and bonding requirements before duty.
    • The campus police officer’s salary is paid by the employing board; the institution may provide equipment and identify credentials.
    • Boards may revoke authority, with reporting requirements upon termination.
    • The governing board may seek grants and similar funding for campus police activities.
    • Retirement participation:
    • Current campus police officers may choose to participate in the Deputy Sheriffs Retirement System (DSRS); if they do, no service credit or dollars accrued may be moved to MPF.
    • Effective January 1, 2026, all newly hired campus police officers must participate in DSRS.
    • Campus police officers hired before January 1, 2026, may elect MPF participation, with restrictions:
      • Once in MPF, cannot move service credit or dollars from other plans.
      • May not participate in other retirement plans offered by the employer while in MPF.
      • Must inform the West Virginia Consolidated Public Retirement Board (CPRB) in writing of their MPF election by December 31, 2025, or they may not switch to MPF afterward.
    • Campus police officers hired on or after January 1, 2026, must participate in MPF.

Who is affected

  • Campus police officers employed by state institutions in West Virginia.
  • Existing MPF plan members who may elect to apply unused leave toward additional service credit.
  • Governing boards of state higher education institutions (through their authority to appoint campus police and manage retirement elections).
  • The Consolidated Public Retirement Board (CPRB), which administers MPF and DSRS.

Procedural and timeline notes

  • Effective dates:
    • January 1, 2026: All newly hired campus police officers must join DSRS.
    • On or before December 31, 2025: Pre-2026 campus police officers seeking MPF participation must elect in writing; otherwise, they may be barred from later MPF participation.
  • The bill was introduced in February 2026, referred to Pensions and then Finance, and has since moved through the standard legislative process, with final actions recorded in March 2026 (Governor’s signature and Chapter 205, Acts, Regular Session 2026).

Overall impact

SB 719 provides a mechanism for increasing retirement benefits via credit for unused leave, clarifies eligibility and enrollment rules for campus police officers in MPF, and aligns campus police retirement options with broader state retirement systems. It also introduces a shift requiring new campus police hires to participate in DSRS while allowing a transition window for existing officers to elect MPF under defined conditions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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