§5-5-1. Definitions.

For the purposes of this article:

(a) "Eligible employee" means:

(1) Any regular full-time employee of the state or any spending unit of the state who is eligible for membership in any state retirement system of the State of West Virginia or other retirement plan authorized by the state: Provided, That the mandatory salary increase required by this article does not apply to any employee of the state whose compensation is fixed by statute or by statutory schedule other than employees described in this section. Clerks, deputy clerks and magistrate assistants of magistrate courts are eligible for the incremental salary increases provided in this article with the increases to be allowable in addition to the maximum salaries and compensation for the employee offices under the magistrate court system statutes of article one, chapter fifty of this code. Members of the board of Parole are eligible for the incremental salary increases provided in this article with the increases to be allowable in addition to the salaries and compensation provided in section two-a, article seven, chapter six of this code. This article may not be construed to mandate an increase in the salary of any elected or appointed officer of the state;

(2) Any classified employee as defined in section two, article nine, chapter eighteen-b of this code who is an employee of a state institution of higher education, the Higher Education Policy Commission or the Council for Community and Technical College Education; or

(3) Any full-time faculty member as defined in section one, article eight, chapter eighteen-b of this code who is an employee of a state institution of higher education, the Higher Education Policy Commission or the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education.

(b) "Years of service" means full years of totaled service as an employee of the State of West Virginia. For full-time faculty as defined in this section, each nine or more months of contracted employment during a fiscal year equals one full year of service; and

(c) "Spending unit" means any state office, department, agency, board, commission, institution, bureau or other designated body authorized to hire employees.