FINAL BILL REPORT

                     SHB 1721

                                 C 159 L 91

                            Synopsis As Enacted

Brief Description:  Refunding contributions to the judicial retirement system.

By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives May and Locke).

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:  Judges elected or appointed to the Superior Court, Court of Appeals, or Supreme Court prior to August 9, 1971 were members of the Judges Retirement System.  Those elected or appointed between August 9, 1971 and July 1, 1988 are members of the Judicial Retirement System.

The periods of service required to vest in these retirement systems is relatively long.  The Judges Retirement System requires at least 12 years of service before pension eligibility is attained.  The Judicial Retirement System requires at least 10 years' service.

Contributions to either plan are not refundable if a judge leaves the system before becoming vested.  Former members of the Judicial Retirement System who were not vested have filed numerous claims for return of contributions through the sundry claims process.  Few claims are known to have been paid through sundry claims.

Both the Judicial and the Judges Retirement systems are "closed" systems.  Since July 1, 1988, newly elected or appointed judges are members of the Public Employees Retirement System.

Summary:  A judge who was a member of either the Judges or Judicial Retirement System, or the surviving spouse of such a judge, may apply for and receive a refund of the judge's contributions to the system if: (1)  the judge left the system before July 1, 1988; (2) the judge was not eligible to receive a pension benefit from the system; and (3) neither the spouse nor the judge received an amount under a sundry claims appropriation intended as a refund of the judge's retirement contributions.

If funds are not provided in the operating budget specifically for this act, the act is null and void.

Votes on Final Passage:

House 98    0

Senate   46    1

Effective:     July 28, 1991