FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 2196

C 260 L 10

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Including service credit transferred from the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system plan 1 in the determination of eligibility for military service credit.

Sponsors: House Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Representatives Ericks and Ormsby).

House Committee on Ways & Means

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

The Law Enforcement Officers' and Firefighters' Retirement System, Plan 1 (LEOFF Plan 1) provides retirement and disability benefits to law enforcement officers and firefighters who entered eligible employment between 1969 and 1977. Since 1977 eligible law enforcement officers and firefighters have entered LEOFF Plan 2.  The Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) provides retirement benefits for most regularly compensated employees in ongoing positions who work for most public employers in Washington, except for employees covered by one of the other state or first class cities' retirement plans.  Since 1977 eligible PERS members have had to enter PERS Plans 2 and 3.  The Washington State Patrol Retirement System (WSPRS) provides retirement and disability benefits to fully commissioned officers of the Washington State Patrol.  The WSPRS Plan 1 was closed to new members on December 31, 2002.

Only two plans in the Washington retirement systems allow for the inclusion of up to five years of prior, or non-interruptive, military service when determining a member's total service credit for calculating their retirement allowance — PERS Plan 1 and WSPRS Plan 1. Members of PERS Plan 1 and WSPRS Plan 1 must have at least 25 years of member service before the prior military service may be included. No other of the remaining plans, including LEOFF Plan 1, allow for the inclusion of prior military service. All systems and plans allow for the inclusion of up to five years of interruptive military service, as long as the member makes the necessary member contributions.

Service credit that has been transferred from LEOFF Plan 1 does not apply to the eligibility requirements for inclusion of prior military service in either PERS Plan 1 or WSPRS Plan 1.

Summary:

Members that transferred service credit from LEOFF Plan 1 to PERS Plan 1 between July 1, 1997, and July 1, 1998, are permitted to include the years of transferred service in meeting the 25 years of member service requirement to qualify for up to five years of prior, or non-interruptive, military service credit.

Votes on Final Passage: