WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

HB 5511

To allow money to be paid to county board of education employees’ estates for accrued and unused leave if they pass away before retirement

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Roger Hanshaw and 2 co-sponsors

The bill allows the estates of county education employees who die before retirement to receive payment for accrued and unused leave balances.

To Finance
#education(k12) #statepersonnel
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · HB 5511

Bill Overview

HB 5511 (Session 2026, West Virginia) seeks to allow money to be paid to the estates of county board of education employees for accrued and unused leave if the employee dies before retirement.

Purpose and Intent

  • What it aims to do: Create a mechanism for monetary payments to the estates of deceased county education employees for accrued and unused leave balances.
  • Rationale implied by language: Ensure that employees who die prior to retirement can have their accrued leave values paid to their estates, rather than potentially remaining unrealized or forfeited.

Key Provisions

  • Eligible recipients: The estates of county board of education employees who die while employed (prior to retirement).
  • Benefit: Payment of accrued and unused leave balances.
  • Administration: The bill likely designates how the payout is calculated, when payment is made, and which entity administers the payment (typically the county board of education or the relevant school district’s payroll/finance apparatus). The exact calculation method (e.g., dollar value of unused leave hours or days, cap amounts) would be specified in the act or related statutes.
  • Parties involved: County boards of education, payroll or finance departments, and the decedent’s estate or heirs as recipients of the payout.

Affected Parties and Impacts

  • Primary beneficiaries: Estates of county board of education employees who die before retirement.
  • Employers affected: County boards of education and related school finance offices, which would process and issue the payments.
  • Potential downstream effects:
    • Administrative workflow changes to accommodate processing of death-related leave payouts.
    • Implications for budgeting and accounting within school districts, including potential impacts on leave accrual policies and funded liabilities.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Historical progression:
    • Introduced in the House on 2026-02-13 and routed to committees (Energy and Public Works, then Finance).
    • Passed the House on 2026-03-04 (Roll Call No. 325) and communicated to the Senate.
    • In the Senate, introduced on 2026-03-05 and referred to Education, then Finance.
    • Reported "do pass, but first to Finance" in the Senate on 2026-03-09, indicating a committee-stage recommendation before potential final consideration.
  • Next steps likely:
    • Senate Finance or Education committees to consider fiscal impact and details.
    • Full Senate debate and vote, then potential conference if differences arise with House version.
    • Signature by the governor to become law, or veto override process if applicable.

Fiscal Considerations

  • The bill would potentially create budgetary liabilities for county boards of education in the form of payable accrued leave to estates.
  • The magnitude depends on:
    • The value and balance of accrued unused leave across employees at time of death.
    • Any caps or limitations on payout amounts.
    • Whether the payout is funded from existing leave liability accounts or requires new appropriation.

Notes

  • Specific numeric details (e.g., calculation method, maximum payout per employee, funding source, and transition provisions) are not provided in the summary; the full text would specify these details.
  • The measure reflects a policy preference to recognize and monetize accrued leave benefits of employees who die before retirement, aligning with other state or local government practices that provide death benefit or payout of accumulated leave.

If you’d like, I can extract or infer exact language from the bill text once available, or compare to similar statutes in West Virginia to illustrate typical implementation.

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

Sign in to ask a question.