§23-5-11a. Workers’ Compensation Board of Review generally; administrative powers and duties of the board; effective July 1, 2022.

(a) The “Workers’ Compensation Board of Review”, which may also be referred to as “the Board of Review” or “the board” is hereby continued and granted exclusive jurisdiction over all objections to decisions of the Insurance Commissioner, private carriers, and self-insured employers, whichever is applicable, including any and all matters pending before the Office of Judges after September 30, 2022.

(b) The board consists of five members.

(c) The Governor shall appoint, with the advice and consent of the Senate, five attorneys qualified in accordance with subsection (f) of this section to serve as members of the Board of Review. A member of the Board of Review may be removed by the Governor for official misconduct, incompetence, neglect of duty, gross immorality, or malfeasance and then only after notice and opportunity to respond and present evidence. No more than three of the members of the board may be of the same political party. The Governor shall set the salary of the members of the board: Provided, however, That the annual salary of a member of the Board of Review shall not exceed $125,000. Members are entitled to be reimbursed for actual and necessary travel expenses incurred in the discharge of official duties in a manner consistent with the guidelines of the Travel Management Office of the Department of Administration.

(d) Of the initial appointments of the two additional seats created during the 2021 Regular Session, one member shall be appointed for a term ending December 31, 2025; one member shall be appointed for a term ending December 31, 2027. Thereafter, The appointments shall be for six-year terms.

(e) A member of the Board of Review must, at the time he or she takes office and thereafter during his or her continuance in office, be a resident of this state, be a member in good standing of the West Virginia State Bar, have a minimum of 10 years’ experience as an attorney admitted to practice law in this state prior to appointment and have a minimum of five years’ experience in preparing and presenting cases or hearing actions and making decisions on the basis of the record of those hearings before administrative agencies, regulatory bodies, or courts of record at the federal, state, or local level.

 (f) No member of the Board of Review may hold any other office, or accept any appointment or public trust, nor may he or she become a candidate for any elective public office or nomination thereto. Violation of this subsection requires the member to vacate his or her office. No member of the Board of Review may engage in the practice of law during his or her term of office.

 (g) A vacancy occurring on the board other than by expiration of a term shall be filled in the manner original appointments were made, for the unexpired portion of the term.

 (h) The board shall designate one of its members in rotation to be chair of the board for as long as the board may determine by order made and entered of record. In the absence of the chair, any other member designated by the members present shall act as chair.

(i) The Board of Review shall meet as often as necessary to conduct the board’s administrative business and make rules of practice and procedure, at such times and places as the chair may determine. Two members shall be present in order to conduct administrative business and make rules of practice and procedure. All decisions of the board upon administrative matters, pursuant to this section, shall be determined by a majority of the members of the board.

(j) The Board of Review shall, from time to time, promulgate rules of practice and procedure for the review and determination of all objections filed with the board. The board does not have the power to initiate or to promulgate legislative rules as that phrase is defined in §29A-3-1 et seq. of this code. Any rules adopted pursuant to this section which are applicable to the provisions of this article are not subject to §29A-3-9 through §29A-3-16 of this code. The board shall follow the remaining provisions of chapter 29A of this code for giving notice to the public of its actions and the holding of hearings or receiving of comments on the rules.

(k) The Board of Review may hire a clerk, hearing examiners, and other professional and clerical staff necessary to carry out the requirements of this article. It is the duty of the clerk of the Board of Review to attend in person, or by deputy, all the sessions of the board, to obey its orders and directions, to take care of and preserve in an office, kept for the purpose, all records and papers of the board and to perform other duties as prescribed by law or required of him or her by the board. All employees of the board serve at the will and pleasure of the board. The board’s employees are exempt from the salary schedule or pay plan adopted by the Division of Personnel: Provided, That for the purpose of any applicable Division of Personnel Class Specifications, hearing examiners must be classified under a class with “attorney” in the class title. All personnel of the Board of Review are under the supervision of the chair of the Board of Review.

(l) The administrative expenses of the Board of Review shall be included within the annual budget of the Insurance Commissioner, and the Insurance Commissioner shall have administrative authority and oversight over the Board of Review.

(m) The amendments to this section made during the 2021 Regular Session of the Legislature shall become effective on July 1, 2022: Provided, That the board is authorized to promulgate rules and hire staff, pursuant to subsection (k) and (l) of this section respectively, prior to July 1, 2022, to the extent necessary to comply with the requirements of this article that shall become effective on that date.