(a) Notwithstanding any provision of this code to the contrary, members of the largest statewide professional law-enforcement association representing members of the West Virginia State Police may donate annual leave time to the president of the association. The president may designate the vice president of the association or the chairman of the association's board of directors to act on his or her behalf. The West Virginia State Police will calculate the dollar value of the donated leave based on the hourly rate of the donor multiplied by the number of hours of annual leave to be donated and the donee will use the annual leave at the present dollar value of the donee's hourly rate. The donated annual leave may be used by the president or designee in the performance of his or her duties including: (1) Assistance to members; and (2) the legislative session and legislative meetings.

(b) When the president of the association or his or her designee uses the donated annual leave he or she is considered on personal annual leave of absence with pay just as if he or she used his or her annual leave. While the president of the association or his or her designee are using donated annual leave, all payroll deductions and employee status are maintained as if he or she had

used his or her regularly accrued annual leave. All donated leave that is not used by July 1 of every year will be forfeited to the state and no unused donated leave may be used to add to the president's or his or her designee's retirement.

(c) No member of the association shall be considered absent from service as a member of the West Virginia State Police while serving as president of the association, or as his or her designee in that capacity: Provided, That the period of service credit granted for that service shall not exceed ten years: Provided, however, That a member of the West Virginia State Police Retirement System who is serving or has served as president of the association, or as his or her designee, shall make deposits to the West Virginia State Police Retirement Fund, for the time of any absence, in an amount equal to the sum of the amount which both the employer and the employee would have contributed in his or her regular assignment for a like period of time: Provided further, That if the president of the association, or his or her designee, is a member of the West Virginia State Police Death, Disability and Retirement Fund, he or she may not receive service credit for time spent serving as president or the president's designee.