The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Authority" means the Washington state health care authority.
(2) "Board" means the public employees' benefits board established under RCW
41.05.055.
(3) "Dependent care assistance program" means a benefit plan whereby state and public employees may pay for certain employment related dependent care with pretax dollars as provided in the salary reduction plan under this chapter pursuant to 26 U.S.C. Sec. 129 or other sections of the internal revenue code.
(4) "Director" means the director of the authority.
(5) "Emergency service personnel killed in the line of duty" means law enforcement officers and firefighters as defined in RCW
41.26.030, members of the Washington state patrol retirement fund as defined in RCW
43.43.120, and reserve officers and firefighters as defined in RCW
41.24.010 who die as a result of injuries sustained in the course of employment as determined consistent with Title
51 RCW by the department of labor and industries.
(6) "Employee" includes all employees of the state, whether or not covered by civil service; elected and appointed officials of the executive branch of government, including full-time members of boards, commissions, or committees; justices of the supreme court and judges of the court of appeals and the superior courts; and members of the state legislature. Pursuant to contractual agreement with the authority, "employee" may also include: (a) Employees of a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state and members of the legislative authority of any county, city, or town who are elected to office after February 20, 1970, if the legislative authority of the county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state seeks and receives the approval of the authority to provide any of its insurance programs by contract with the authority, as provided in RCW
41.04.205 and
41.05.021(1)(g); (b) employees of employee organizations representing state civil service employees, at the option of each such employee organization, and, effective October 1, 1995, employees of employee organizations currently pooled with employees of school districts for the purpose of purchasing insurance benefits, at the option of each such employee organization; (c) employees of a school district if the authority agrees to provide any of the school districts' insurance programs by contract with the authority as provided in RCW
28A.400.350; (d) employees of a tribal government, if the governing body of the tribal government seeks and receives the approval of the authority to provide any of its insurance programs by contract with the authority, as provided in RCW
41.05.021(1) (f) and (g); (e) employees of the Washington health benefit exchange if the governing board of the exchange established in RCW
43.71.020 seeks and receives approval of the authority to provide any of its insurance programs by contract with the authority, as provided in RCW
41.05.021(1) (g) and (n); and (f) employees of a charter school established under chapter
28A.710 RCW. "Employee" does not include: Adult family home providers; unpaid volunteers; patients of state hospitals; inmates; employees of the Washington state convention and trade center as provided in RCW
41.05.110; students of institutions of higher education as determined by their institution; and any others not expressly defined as employees under this chapter or by the authority under this chapter.
(7) "Employer" means the state of Washington.
(8) "Employer group" means those counties, municipalities, political subdivisions, the Washington health benefit exchange, tribal governments, school districts, and educational service districts, and employee organizations representing state civil service employees, obtaining employee benefits through a contractual agreement with the authority.
(9) "Employing agency" means a division, department, or separate agency of state government, including an institution of higher education; a county, municipality, school district, educational service district, or other political subdivision; charter school; and a tribal government covered by this chapter.
(10) "Faculty" means an academic employee of an institution of higher education whose workload is not defined by work hours but whose appointment, workload, and duties directly serve the institution's academic mission, as determined under the authority of its enabling statutes, its governing body, and any applicable collective bargaining agreement.
(11) "Flexible benefit plan" means a benefit plan that allows employees to choose the level of health care coverage provided and the amount of employee contributions from among a range of choices offered by the authority.
(12) "Insuring entity" means an insurer as defined in chapter
48.01 RCW, a health care service contractor as defined in chapter
48.44 RCW, or a health maintenance organization as defined in chapter
48.46 RCW.
(13) "Medical flexible spending arrangement" means a benefit plan whereby state and public employees may reduce their salary before taxes to pay for medical expenses not reimbursed by insurance as provided in the salary reduction plan under this chapter pursuant to 26 U.S.C. Sec. 125 or other sections of the internal revenue code.
(14) "Participant" means an individual who fulfills the eligibility and enrollment requirements under the salary reduction plan.
(15) "Plan year" means the time period established by the authority.
(16) "Premium payment plan" means a benefit plan whereby state and public employees may pay their share of group health plan premiums with pretax dollars as provided in the salary reduction plan under this chapter pursuant to 26 U.S.C. Sec. 125 or other sections of the internal revenue code.
(17) "Retired or disabled school employee" means:
(a) Persons who separated from employment with a school district or educational service district and are receiving a retirement allowance under chapter
41.32 or
41.40 RCW as of September 30, 1993;
(b) Persons who separate from employment with a school district, educational service district, or charter school on or after October 1, 1993, and immediately upon separation receive a retirement allowance under chapter
41.32, 41.35, or
41.40 RCW;
(c) Persons who separate from employment with a school district, educational service district, or charter school due to a total and permanent disability, and are eligible to receive a deferred retirement allowance under chapter
41.32, 41.35, or
41.40 RCW.
(18) "Salary" means a state employee's monthly salary or wages.
(19) "Salary reduction plan" means a benefit plan whereby state and public employees may agree to a reduction of salary on a pretax basis to participate in the dependent care assistance program, medical flexible spending arrangement, or premium payment plan offered pursuant to 26 U.S.C. Sec. 125 or other sections of the internal revenue code.
(20) "Seasonal employee" means an employee hired to work during a recurring, annual season with a duration of three months or more, and anticipated to return each season to perform similar work.
(21) "Separated employees" means persons who separate from employment with an employer as defined in:
(a) RCW
41.32.010(17) on or after July 1, 1996; or
(b) RCW
41.35.010 on or after September 1, 2000; or
and who are at least age fifty-five and have at least ten years of service under the teachers' retirement system plan 3 as defined in RCW
41.32.010(33), the Washington school employees' retirement system plan 3 as defined in RCW
41.35.010, or the public employees' retirement system plan 3 as defined in RCW
41.40.010.
(22) "State purchased health care" or "health care" means medical and health care, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment purchased with state and federal funds by the department of social and health services, the department of health, the basic health plan, the state health care authority, the department of labor and industries, the department of corrections, the department of veterans affairs, and local school districts.
(23) "Tribal government" means an Indian tribal government as defined in section 3(32) of the employee retirement income security act of 1974, as amended, or an agency or instrumentality of the tribal government, that has government offices principally located in this state.
[2015 c 116 § 2; 2013 c 2 § 306 (Initiative Measure No. 1240, approved November 6, 2012); 2012 c 87 § 22. Prior: 2011 1st sp.s. c 15 § 54; 2009 c 537 § 3; 2008 c 229 § 2; prior: 2007 c 488 § 2; 2007 c 114 § 2; 2005 c 143 § 1; 2001 c 165 § 2; prior: 2000 c 247 § 604; 2000 c 230 § 3; 1998 c 341 § 706; 1996 c 39 § 21; 1995 1st sp.s. c 6 § 2; 1994 c 153 § 2; prior: 1993 c 492 § 214; 1993 c 386 § 5; 1990 c 222 § 2; 1988 c 107 § 3.]
NOTES:
Reviser's note: The definitions in this section have been alphabetized pursuant to RCW
1.08.015(2)(k).
Findings—2013 c 2 (Initiative Measure No. 1240): See RCW
28A.710.005.
Effective date—2012 c 87 §§ 4, 16, 18, and 19-23: See note following RCW
43.71.030.
Spiritual care services—2012 c 87: See RCW
43.71.901.
Effective date—Findings—Intent—Report—Agency transfer—References to head of health care authority—Draft legislation—2011 1st sp.s. c 15: See notes following RCW
74.09.010.
Effective date—2009 c 537: See note following RCW
41.05.008.
Effective date—2008 c 229: See note following RCW
41.05.295.
Short title—2007 c 488: See note following RCW
43.43.285.
Intent—2007 c 114: "Consistent with the centennial accord, the new millennium agreement, related treaties, and federal and state law, it is the intent of the legislature to authorize tribal governments to participate in public employees' benefits board programs to the same extent that counties, municipalities, and other political subdivisions of the state are authorized to do so." [2007 c 114 § 1.]
Effective date—2007 c 114: "This act takes effect January 1, 2009." [2007 c 114 § 8.]
Effective date—2001 c 165 § 2: "Section 2 of this act takes effect March 1, 2002." [2001 c 165 § 5.]
Effective date—Application—2001 c 165: "This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and except for section 2 of this act takes effect immediately [May 7, 2001]. This act applies to all surviving spouses and dependent children of (1) emergency service personnel and (2) members of the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system plan 2, killed in the line of duty." [2006 c 345 § 2; 2001 c 165 § 6.]
Reviser's note: Contractual right not granted
—2006 c 345: See note following RCW
41.26.510.
Effective date—2000 c 230: See note following RCW
41.35.630.
Effective date—1998 c 341: See RCW
41.35.901.
Effective dates—1996 c 39: See note following RCW
41.32.010.
Effective date—1995 1st sp.s. c 6: See note following RCW
28A.400.410.
Intent—1994 c 153: "It is the intent of the legislature to increase access to health insurance for retired and disabled state and school district employees and to increase equity between state and school employees and between state and school retirees." [1994 c 153 § 1.]
Effective dates—1994 c 153: "This act shall take effect January 1, 1995, except section 15 of this act, which takes effect October 1, 1995." [1994 c 153 § 16.]
Findings—Intent—1993 c 492: See notes following RCW
43.20.050.
Short title—Severability—Savings—Captions not law—Reservation of legislative power—Effective dates—1993 c 492: See RCW
43.72.910 through
43.72.915.
Effective date—1993 c 386 §§ 1, 2, 4-6, 8-10, and 12-16: See note following RCW
28A.400.391.