§20-7-1a. Natural resources police officer salary increase based on length of service.

(a) Effective July 1, 2002, each natural resources police officer shall receive and be entitled to an increase in salary based on length of service, including that heretofore and hereafter served as a natural resources police officer as follows: For five years of service with the division, a natural resources police officer shall receive a salary increase of $600 per year payable during his or her next three years of service and a like increase at three-year intervals thereafter, with these increases to be cumulative. A salary increase shall be based upon years of service as of July 1 of each year and may not be recalculated until July 1 of the following year.

Conservation officers in service at the time the amendment to this section becomes effective shall be given credit for prior service and shall be paid salaries as the same length of service will entitle them to receive under the provisions hereof.

(b) This section does not apply to special or emergency natural resources police officers appointed under the authority of section one of this article.