(a) A West Virginia law-enforcement agency shall, and a governing board may, pay compensation to employees, including wages, salaries, benefits, tuition, and expenses, for the employees’ attendance at a law-enforcement training academy. The compensation paid to the employees for such attendance may not include overtime compensation under the provisions of § 21-5C-3 of this code and shall be at the regular rate to which each employee would be entitled for a workweek of 40 hours in regular employment with the employer.

(b) In consideration for such compensation, the governing board, hospital, county commission, or municipal government may require each employee to enter into a written agreement in advance of such attendance that obligates the employee to repay the employer if he or she voluntarily discontinues employment within one year immediately following completion of the training curriculum. The amount of repayment shall be a pro rata portion of the total compensation which is equal to the portion of the year which the employee chose not to remain employed.

(c) As used in this section, “governing board” has the meaning ascribed in § 18B-1-2 of this code.