HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SSB 5177

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to increasing the number of hours retired teachers or retired administrators can substitute teach and increasing the number of hours retired principals can serve as substitute principals.

Brief Description:  Increasing the number of hours retired teachers or retired administrators can substitute teach and increasing the number of hours retired principals can serve as substitute principals.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Goings, Oke, Winsley, Kohl‑Welles, Long, Eide, Fraser, Rasmussen and Benton).

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Education:  3/18/99, 3/25/99 [DPA].

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

            (As Amended by House Committee)

$Extending the number of hours that retired teachers and administrators may work as substitute teachers without losing retirement benefits.

$Extending the number of hours that retired administrators may work as substitute administrators without losing retirement benefits.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.  Signed by 13 members:  Representatives Quall, Democratic Co-Chair; Talcott, Republican Co-Chair; Haigh, Democratic Vice Chair; Schindler, Republican Vice Chair; Carlson; Cox; Keiser; Rockefeller; Santos; D. Schmidt; Schual-Berke; Stensen and Sump.

Staff:  Susan Morrissey (786-7111).

Background:

The Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) Plan I includes teachers and school administrators hired prior to October 1, 1977.  A retiree under this system may work 525 hours, or about 75 days, each year with no reduction in retirement benefits. 

In a school district that has passed a resolution declaring a shortage of substitute teachers, a TRS Plan I retiree can work an additional 105 hours, for a total of about 90 days, as a substitute teacher.  In a school district that has passed a resolution declaring an inability to find a replacement administrator to fill a vacancy, a TRS I retiree may serve as a substitute administrator for an additional 105 hours.  The additional 105 hours is available only to those TRS Plan I retirees working as substitute teachers or administrators.

A resolution is valid only for the school year in which it is adopted.  A copy of the resolution, with a list of retirees who have been hired, must be provided to the Department of Retirement Systems.

Summary of Amended Bill:

In addition to the 525 hours that TRS Plan I retirees may work each year with no reduction in benefits, TRS Plan I retirees working for school districts that have declared a shortage of substitute teachers may work an additional 350 as substitute teachers.  Retired administrators working for school districts that have declared a shortage of administrators may work an additional 350 hours as substitute administrators.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  The number of additional hours that retired teachers and administrators may act as substitutes is increased from 315 to 350.  The additional hours for substitute administrators are not restricted to principals; the hours are available for all substitute administrators.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date of Amended Bill:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  (Substitute bill)  The pool of available substitute teachers is shrinking precipitously.  This legislation will not cost the state any money, but will expand the substitute pool by allowing retired teachers to substitute for additional hours each year without losing pension benefits.  These retired teachers bring a wealth of experience into state classrooms.  They have vital classroom management techniques and are dependable, screened, experienced, and highly skilled.  It also permits retired teachers to continue to contribute to the lives of children while the retired teachers earn a little extra money.  Although the bill as it passed the Senate will help districts, the house version was more helpful because it allowed retired administrators to serve as substitute administrators, and it increased by five days the amount of time retired teachers and administrators could act as substitutes.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  (Substitute bill)  Patrick Hoban, Washington State Retired Teachers Association; John Kvamme, Association of Washington School Principals and Washington Association of School Administrators; Bob Maier, Washington Education Association; Joe Pope, Association of Washington School Principals; Helen Carlstrom and Jean Kycek, Washington Education Association - Retired; Karen Davis, Superintendent of Public Instruction; Dwayne Slate, Washington State School Directors' Association; and Joe Daniels, Seattle School District.