WSR 16-08-089

PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY

[Filed April 4, 2016, 4:37 p.m.]

Subject of Possible Rule Making: Updating rules to reflect current administrative practice to only require a member to submit proof of age if the department of retirement systems (DRS) has any questions about a member's age.

Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: RCW 41.50.050.

Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: Based on an analysis of DRS's benefit recalculation process through a lean project, it was determined that gathering proof of age documents is almost always redundant and unnecessary for members, since this information is already in the member's retirement file having been received from the member's employer. Not requiring a proof of age document was estimated to eliminate having to perform about three hundred ninety-one recalculations a year. DRS may still require a member to submit proof of age documentation in cases where there is a need for further clarity, such as when the date of birth on the retirement application does not match the date of birth in the member's retirement file.

Process for Developing New Rule: Agency study.

Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Jilene Siegel, Rules Coordinator, DRS, P.O. Box 48380, Olympia, WA 98504-8380, e-mail Rules@drs.wa.gov, phone (360) 664-7291.

March 28, 2016

Jilene Siegel

Rules Coordinator