The Department of Retirement Systems has received a public records request for information about individuals who retired from a DRS-administered retirement system.

The request is from the Retired Public Employees Council of Washington. This is a recurring request, submitted quarterly to DRS. A sample of the request is available here.

Upon review, DRS has determined these records are public and, per the state of Washington’s Public Records Act, are not exempt from disclosure. Accordingly, documents that provide the information listed below will be released to the requesting organization approximately 30 days from receipt of the request.

Per this request, records to be released will include information for each individual who retired from the following systems and plans during the preceding quarter: Public Employees’ Retirement Systems (PERS) Plan 1, Plan 2, Plan 3; School Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) Plan 2 and Plan 3; and Public Safety Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) Plan 2. The information requested below is for the period of April 1, 2020 – June 30, 2020.

Records to be released will contain the following information:

1. Name
2. Full ID Number: 8-digit Member ID preceded by “M” for retiree members
3. Retirement system/plan
4. Retirement date
5. Agency retired from
6. Org ID
7. City of residence
8. ZIP code

If you are the subject of a public records request, no action is required of you. If you want additional information or have questions about a request, please contact DRS at 844-704-6780 or drs.pdrnotice@drs.wa.gov.

A note about injunctive relief

DRS is often asked if individuals who are the subject of a records request can seek an injunction to prevent the release of their records.

Under RCW 42.56.540, an individual may seek an injunction in the superior court for the county where they reside, or in Thurston County Superior Court, if the release of records “would clearly not be in the public interest and would substantially and irreparably damage any person, or would substantially and irreparably damage vital governmental functions.”

To prevent the release of records in the current requests, DRS would need to be served with an injunction prior to the release, which will occur approximately 30 days from the receipt of the request.

Whether to seek an injunction is a decision that must be made by each individual. State agencies cannot provide advice on this matter. Individuals should be aware that the superior courts may charge certain fees or costs for an injunction; they may want to obtain the advice of private counsel before deciding whether to pursue an injunction.