SENATE BILL REPORT

HB 2189

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 Senate, March 10, 2020

Title: An act relating to including specified competency restoration workers at department of social and health services institutional and residential sites in the public safety employees retirement system.

Brief Description: Including specified competency restoration workers at department of social and health services institutional and residential sites in the public safety employees retirement system.

Sponsors: Representatives Leavitt, Irwin, Sells, MacEwen, Fitzgibbon, Wylie, Corry, Tharinger, Kilduff, Callan, Davis, Robinson, Doglio, Slatter, Ryu, Griffey, Ormsby and Harris.

Brief History: Passed House: 2/12/20, 97-0.

Committee Activity: Ways & Means: 2/26/20, 2/28/20 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed Senate: 3/10/20, 46-0.

Brief Summary of Bill

  • Expands membership in the Public Safety Employees' Retirement System to employees of eligible employers at institutions or residential sites that perform competency restoration services.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report: Do pass.

Signed by Senators Rolfes, Chair; Frockt, Vice Chair, Operating, Capital Lead; Mullet, Capital Budget Cabinet; Braun, Ranking Member; Brown, Assistant Ranking Member, Operating; Honeyford, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Becker, Billig, Carlyle, Conway, Darneille, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Muzzall, Pedersen, Rivers, Schoesler, Van De Wege, Wagoner, Warnick and Wilson, L..

Staff: Amanda Cecil (786-7460)

Background: The Public Safety Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) was established July 1, 2006. Certain state and local government job classes that were covered by the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) that had been identified as having law enforcement responsibilities and powers were moved to PSERS. PSERS has a normal retirement age of 60 with 10 years of service as compared to the PERS 2 plan with a normal retirement age of 65.

Membership in PSERS is limited by employer and specific job criteria. PSERS employers are defined as the Department of Corrections, the Department of Natural Resources, the State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Gambling Commission, the Washington State Patrol, the Liquor Control Board, Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), the Department of Veterans Affairs, county corrections departments, and the corrections departments of municipalities not classified as first class cities.

The specific job classes covered by PSERS include: city corrections officers; jailers; police support officers; custody officers and bailiffs; county corrections officers; probation officers and probation counselors; state correctional officers; correctional sergeants and community corrections officers; liquor enforcement officers; park rangers; commercial vehicle enforcement officers; gambling special agents, and certain employees whose primary responsibility is to provide nursing care or to ensure the custody or safety of offender and patient populations. In addition to being one of the listed positions in order to be eligible for membership, the employee must work full-time.

Summary of Bill: PSERS membership is expanded to include employees of DSHS and DCYF that work at an institution or residential site that perform competency restoration services.  

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.

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

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: This is basically a technical fix. These job classes were previously added to PSERS and this just captures a new type of facility that opened after the 2018 bill passed.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Matt Zuvich, AFSCME Council 28/WFSE.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.