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2010 Legislative Session

Click on the bill number for more detailed information about the legislation

* Signed by Governor

House Bill Number	Senate Bill Number	Title
HB 1541 *	SB 5302	SERS Past Part-Time Service Credit This bill grants a half-time service credit to qualifying members in Plans 2 and 3 of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) and School Employees' Retirement System (SERS), who worked for an educational employer in school years prior to January 1, 1987. To qualify for service credit under this proposal a member must have: Earned service credit between the effective date of this bill and before September 1, 2010; Earned at least 630 hours during the school year in question; Worked at least nine months of the school year in question; Earned less than six months of service credit during the school year in question; and Service credit for the school year in question has not been withdrawn.
HB 1545 *	SB 5308	Higher Education Retirement Plan This bill provides eligible employees of the Higher Education Coordinating Board the ability to participate in the Higher Education Retirement Plan instead of the Public Employees' Retirement System.
HB 1547	SB 5312	Increase Duty-Related Death Benefit to $175,000 This bill increases the duty-related death benefit for public employees from $150,000 to $175,000. This increase applies to members of the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System, Teachers' Retirement System, School Employees' Retirement System, Public Safety Employees' Retirement System, Public Employees' Retirement System, and the Washington State Patrol Retirement System.
HB 1679 *	SB 5541	Catastrophic Disability Medical Insurance This bill would provide payment of medical insurance premiums for members of the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement Systems (LEOFF) Plan 2 and the Washington State Patrol Retirement System (WSPRS) who are catastrophically disabled in the line of duty, and their spouses and dependent children. The cost of the insurance premiums would be paid from the LEOFF Plan 2 retirement fund for qualifying LEOFF Plan 2 members, or paid by the Washington State Patrol for qualifying WSPRS members.
HB 1722	SB 5307	Change Retirement Plan Default in PERS Plans 2 & 3 Newly hired members of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) have 90 days to select either Plan 2 or Plan 3. If a selection is not made within 90 days, the member defaults to Plan 3. This bill changes the default to Plan 2.
HB 2196 *	--	PERS Military Service Credit and Prior LEOFF 1 Service Under this bill, Public Employees' Retirement System Plan 1 members who retired on or after January 1, 1998 will be eligible to use any service transferred from Plan 1 of the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System to qualify for military service credit at no cost.
HB 2489	--	Judges Mandatory Retirement Age Removes the mandatory retirement age for Judges, currently age 75. As this mandatory retirement age is also part of the State Constitution, the bill would only be effective if a proposal to remove the retirement age from the Constitution is submitted to and approved by the voters.
HB 2492	SB 6453 *	Shared Leave For LEOFF Plan 2 Members Allows shared leave to be treated as reportable compensation for all members of LEOFF Plan 2. Earnings can be used in the calculation of a member's benefit, and service credit will be earned according to hours reported. Currently, shared leave is reportable for state, K-12, and higher education employees, including those who are members of LEOFF Plan 2.
HB 2519 *	SB 6407	Duty Related Death Benefits Provides additional benefits to survivors of police officers, fire fighters and State Patrol officers killed in the line of duty. Additional benefits for the survivors of members of the Law Enforcement Officers’ and Fire Fighters’ (LEOFF) Plan 2 or the Washington State Patrol Retirement System (WSPRS) Plan 2 killed in the line of duty: Provides survivors of all members with the same choice currently provided to survivors of members with 10 or more years of service (ongoing pension or withdrawal of 150% of account balance.); Establishes a minimum monthly survivor pension amount equal to 10% of the member’s final average salary; and Eliminates the actuarial reduction currently applied to the ongoing survivor pension payment. Additional benefits for the survivors of all members of LEOFF or the WSPRS killed in the line of duty: Increases the $150,000 lump-sum death benefit to $214,000 (reflecting inflation since 1995, when the benefit was first established) and provides an annual inflationary adjustment to this amount for the future. Eliminates the requirement that the surviving spouse’s workers’ compensation benefits be stopped upon remarriage. Surviving spouses who have already had their benefits suspended due to remarriage will begin receiving the benefits again. Finally, for eligible children and surviving spouses of all law enforcement officers, fire fighters or Washington State Patrol officers killed or totally disabled in the line of duty, the bill requires state universities and community colleges to waive all fees for tuition, services, and activities.
HB 2607	--	Exception To Retire/Rehire Restrictions Modifies the retire/rehire rules for certain Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) Plan 1 retirees who have returned to teaching. Retirees are exempted from the lifetime hourly limit (currently 1,900 hours), which suspends pension benefits once the hourly limit is reached, if they have returned to teach in the high demand subjects of math, science, and/or special education.
HB 2783	--	Definition of Earnable Compensation in WSPRS This bill would amend the definition of earnable compensation in the Washington State Patrol Retirement System to include voluntary overtime related to certain Department of Transportation projects. Currently, all voluntary overtime earned by State Patrol members is excluded from use in the calculation of the monthly pension benefit
HB 2825	SB 6592	VFF &RO Transfer of Administrative Responsibility to DRS This bill would transfer the duties and responsibility to administer the Volunteer Fire Fighters' and Reserve Officers' Relief and Pension System to the Department of Retirement Systems. Board employees would transfer to DRS and continue providing the same services as today. The administrative budget would remain the same while DRS, in coordination with the State Board, conducts cost/benefit analysis on any proposed changes to the administration of the system.
HB 2862	SB 6546 *	Director of Fire Protection This bill would give a Director of Fire Protection who was previously a member of LEOFF Plan 2 the choice to continue membership in LEOFF Plan 2 while employed in this role. Otherwise, the Director of Fire Protection would be a PERS covered position.
HB 2919	SB 6493	Disability Benefits Study This bill directs the Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) to continue the study of disability benefit options for members of Plans 2 and 3 of the Public Employees' Retirement System, Teachers' Retirement System and School Employees' Retirement System that was authorized during the 2009 legislative session. The findings and recommendations of the continued study must be reported to the Select Committee on Pension Policy and the fiscal committees of the legislature no later than November 17, 2010. This bill also directs the Health Care Authority to coordinate with the WSIPP on study recommendations that impact the benefits offered to public employees, and to improve communication about the importance of the disability insurance benefits currently available.
HB 3013	SB 6621	CVEO Service Transfer into WSPRS This bill gives active members of the Washington State Patrol Retirement System (WSPRS) the option to transfer into that system any Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) Plan 2 service credit earned while working as a Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Officer. To qualify, the member must have become a commissioned officer on or before July 1, 2000.
--	SB 6309	Definition of Slayer with Regard to Benefit Eligibility This bill amends the definition of slayer to include a person who is acquitted by reason of insanity. Washington state law precludes DRS from paying benefits to a beneficiary who is formally accused or convicted of killing the member.
--	SB 6516	Change Retirement Plan Default in PERS, TRS and SERS Plans 2 & 3 Newly hired members of the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) and the School Employees' Retirement System (SERS) have 90 days to select either Plan 2 or Plan 3. If a selection is not made within 90 days, the member defaults to Plan 3. This bill changes the default to Plan 2.
--	SB 6836	Post Retirement Employment in Higher Education This bill would exempt Teachers' Plan 1 retirees from post-retirement employment restrictions if they meet the following criteria: They return to work for a Higher Education employer at least one month after retirement; and They return to work in a non-instructional capacity.