HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2456

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Passed House:

February 13, 2014

Title: An act relating to correcting the expiration date of a definition of firefighter.

Brief Description: Correcting the expiration date of a definition of firefighter.

Sponsors: Representatives Gregerson, Freeman, Tarleton, Orwall, Sells, Ryu, Appleton, Van De Wege, Goodman, Morrell and Muri; by request of LEOFF Plan 2 Retirement Board.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Appropriations: 1/23/14, 1/27/14 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 2/13/14, 97-0.

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Removes the July 1, 2023, expiration of the portion of the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System Plan 2 (LEOFF 2) membership definition that includes qualified Emergency Medical Technicians in LEOFF 2.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 30 members: Representatives Hunter, Chair; Ormsby, Vice Chair; Chandler, Ranking Minority Member; Ross, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Wilcox, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Buys, Carlyle, Christian, Cody, Dahlquist, Dunshee, Fagan, Green, Haigh, Haler, Harris, Hudgins, G. Hunt, S. Hunt, Jinkins, Kagi, Lytton, Morrell, Parker, Schmick, Seaquist, Springer, Sullivan, Taylor and Tharinger.

Staff: David Pringle (786-7310).

Background:

Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are included in the membership of the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Plan 2 (LEOFF 2) if they work on a full-time, fully compensated basis for public employers, including cities, towns, counties, districts, municipal corporations, general authority law enforcement agencies, or four-year institutions of higher education that had working fire departments before January 1, 1996.Certain EMTs were moved from membership in the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) to the LEOFF 2 by two bills enacted by the Legislature in 2005 and 2007. Each bill provided a mechanism to enable EMT members of the LEOFF 2 to earn future service credit in the LEOFF 2, and for members to transfer past service earned as an EMT in the PERS Plan 2.

Emergency Medical Technician LEOFF 2 members transferring PERS service are required to pay the difference between the contributions paid into the PERS, and those that would have been paid had the member earned the service originally in the LEOFF 2, plus interest. The member payment must be completed within five years of electing to transfer the service.

The provisions permitting EMT members of the LEOFF 2 to transfer past service from the PERS expire July 1, 2023. The changes to the LEOFF 2 definition that included EMTs expired in the 2005 legislation (Chapter 459, Laws of 2005), and in the 2007 legislation (Chapter 304, Laws of 2007) provisions were included that both indicated that the definition change would not expire, and that the entire act including the definition section would expire.

Summary of Bill:

The July 1, 2023, expiration date of the portion of the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System Plan 2 (LEOFF 2) membership definition that includes qualified Emergency Medical Technicians in LEOFF 2 is repealed by specifying the sections of the 2007 EMT LEOFF 2 legislation (Chapter 304, Laws of 2007) that expire.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This is a simple little bill with a long definition. This bill was endorsed by the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Plan 2 Board.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Gregerson, prime sponsor; and Steve Nelsen, Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Plan 2 Board.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.