2905 AAS 3/4/94 S5642.1

 

 

 

HB 2905 - S COMM AMD

By Committee on Ways & Means

 

                                                    ADOPTED 3/4/94

 

    Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

 

    "NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 41.32 RCW under the subchapter hearing "Plan I" to read as follows:

    The dollar amount of the temporary postretirement allowance adjustment granted by section 1, chapter 519, Laws of 1993 shall be provided as a permanent retirement allowance adjustment as of July 1, 1995.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 41.32.010 and 1993 c 95 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

    As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:

    (1)(a) "Accumulated contributions" for plan I members, means the sum of all regular annuity contributions with regular interest thereon.

    (b) "Accumulated contributions" for plan II members, means the sum of all contributions standing to the credit of a member in the member's individual account together with the regular interest thereon.

    (2) "Actuarial equivalent" means a benefit of equal value when computed upon the basis of such mortality tables and regulations as shall be adopted by the director and regular interest.

    (3) "Annuity" means the moneys payable per year during life by reason of accumulated contributions of a member.

    (4) "Member reserve" means the fund in which all of the accumulated contributions of members are held.

    (5)(a) "Beneficiary" for plan I members, means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by this chapter.

    (b) "Beneficiary" for plan II members, means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by this chapter resulting from service rendered to an employer by another person.

    (6) "Contract" means any agreement for service and compensation between a member and an employer.

    (7) "Creditable service" means membership service plus prior service for which credit is allowable.  This subsection shall apply only to plan I members.

    (8) "Dependent" means receiving one‑half or more of support from a member.

    (9) "Disability allowance" means monthly payments during disability.  This subsection shall apply only to plan I members.

    (10)(a) "Earnable compensation" for plan I members, means:

    (i) All salaries and wages paid by an employer to an employee member of the retirement system for personal services rendered during a fiscal year.  In all cases where compensation includes maintenance the employer shall fix the value of that part of the compensation not paid in money.

    (A) Retroactive payments to an individual by an employer on reinstatement of the employee in a position, or payments by an employer to an individual in lieu of reinstatement in a position which are awarded or granted as the equivalent of the salary or wages which the individual would have earned during a payroll period shall be considered earnable compensation and the individual shall receive the equivalent service credit.

    (B) If a leave of absence, without pay, is taken by a member for the purpose of serving as a member of the state legislature, and such member has served in the legislature five or more years, the salary which would have been received for the position from which the leave of absence was taken shall be considered as compensation earnable if the employee's contribution thereon is paid by the employee.  In addition, where a member has been a member of the state legislature for five or more years, earnable compensation for the member's two highest compensated consecutive years of service shall include a sum not to exceed thirty‑six hundred dollars for each of such two consecutive years, regardless of whether or not legislative service was rendered during those two years.

    (ii) For members employed less than full time under written contract with a school district, or community college district, in an instructional position, for which the member receives service credit of less than one year in all of the years used to determine the earnable compensation used for computing benefits due under RCW 41.32.497, 41.32.498, and 41.32.520, the member may elect to have earnable compensation defined as provided in RCW 41.32.345.  For the purposes of this subsection, the term "instructional position" means a position in which more than seventy‑five percent of the member's time is spent as a classroom instructor (including office hours), a librarian, or a counselor.  Earnable compensation shall be so defined only for the purpose of the calculation of retirement benefits and only as necessary to insure that members who receive fractional service credit under RCW 41.32.270 receive benefits proportional to those received by members who have received full‑time service credit.

    (b) "Earnable compensation" for plan II members, means salaries or wages earned by a member during a payroll period for personal services, including overtime payments, and shall include wages and salaries deferred under provisions established pursuant to sections 403(b), 414(h), and 457 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, but shall exclude lump sum payments for deferred annual sick leave, unused accumulated vacation, unused accumulated annual leave, or any form of severance pay.

    (i) Retroactive payments to an individual by an employer on reinstatement of the employee in a position or payments by an employer to an individual in lieu of reinstatement in a position which are awarded or granted as the equivalent of the salary or wages which the individual would have earned during a payroll period shall be considered earnable compensation, to the extent provided above, and the individual shall receive the equivalent service credit.

    (ii) In any year in which a member serves in the legislature the member shall have the option of having such member's earnable compensation be the greater of:

    (A) The earnable compensation the member would have received had such member not served in the legislature; or

    (B) Such member's actual earnable compensation received for teaching and legislative service combined.  Any additional contributions to the retirement system required because compensation earnable under (b)(ii)(A) of this subsection is greater than compensation earnable under (b)(ii)(B) of this subsection shall be paid by the member for both member and employer contributions.

    (11) "Employer" means the state of Washington, the school district, or any agency of the state of Washington by which the member is paid.

    (12) "Fiscal year" means a year which begins July 1st and ends June 30th of the following year.

    (13) "Former state fund" means the state retirement fund in operation for teachers under chapter 187, Laws of 1923, as amended.

    (14) "Local fund" means any of the local retirement funds for teachers operated in any school district in accordance with the provisions of chapter 163, Laws of 1917 as amended.

    (15) "Member" means any teacher included in the membership of the retirement system. Also, any other employee of the public schools who, on July 1, 1947, had not elected to be exempt from membership and who, prior to that date, had by an authorized payroll deduction, contributed to the member reserve.

    (16) "Membership service" means service rendered subsequent to the first day of eligibility of a person to membership in the retirement system:  PROVIDED, That where a member is employed by two or more employers the individual shall receive no more than one service credit month during any calendar month in which multiple service is rendered.  The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to plan I members.

    (17) "Pension" means the moneys payable per year during life from the pension reserve.

    (18) "Pension reserve" is a fund in which shall be accumulated an actuarial reserve adequate to meet present and future pension liabilities of the system and from which all pension obligations are to be paid.

    (19) "Prior service" means service rendered prior to the first date of eligibility to membership in the retirement system for which credit is allowable.  The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to plan I members.

    (20) "Prior service contributions" means contributions made by a member to secure credit for prior service.  The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to plan I members.

    (21) "Public school" means any institution or activity operated by the state of Washington or any instrumentality or political subdivision thereof employing teachers, except the University of Washington and Washington State University.

    (22) "Regular contributions" means the amounts required to be deducted from the compensation of a member and credited to the member's individual account in the member reserve.  This subsection shall apply only to plan I members.

    (23) "Regular interest" means such rate as the director may determine.

    (24)(a) "Retirement allowance" for plan I members, means monthly payments based on the sum of annuity and pension, or any optional benefits payable in lieu thereof.

    (b) "Retirement allowance" for plan II members, means monthly payments to a retiree or beneficiary as provided in this chapter.

    (25) "Retirement system" means the Washington state teachers' retirement system.

    (26)(a) "Service" means the time during which a member has been employed by an employer for compensation:  PROVIDED, That where a member is employed by two or more employers the individual shall receive no more than one service credit month during any calendar month in which multiple service is rendered.

    (b) "Service" for plan II members, means periods of employment by a member for one or more employers for which earnable compensation is earned subject to the following conditions:

    (i) A member employed in an eligible position or as a substitute shall receive one service credit month for each month of September through August of the following year if he or she earns earnable compensation for eight hundred ten or more hours during that period and is employed during nine of those months, except that a member may not receive credit for any period prior to the member's employment in an eligible position except as provided in RCW 41.32.812 and 41.50.132;

    (ii) If a member is employed either in an eligible position or as a substitute teacher for nine months of the twelve month period between September through August of the following year but earns earnable compensation for less than eight hundred ten hours but for at least six hundred thirty hours, he or she will receive one‑half of a service credit month for each month of the twelve month period;

    (iii) All other members in an eligible position or as a substitute teacher shall receive service credit as follows:

    (A) A service credit month is earned in those calendar months where earnable compensation is earned for ninety or more hours;

    (B) A half-service credit month is earned in those calendar months where earnable compensation is earned for at least seventy hours but less than ninety hours; and

    (C) A quarter-service credit month is earned in those calendar months where earnable compensation is earned for less than seventy hours.

    Any person who is a member of the teachers' retirement system and who is elected or appointed to a state elective position may continue to be a member of the retirement system and continue to receive a service credit month for each of the months in a state elective position by making the required member contributions.

    When an individual is employed by two or more employers the individual shall only receive one month's service credit during any calendar month in which multiple service for ninety or more hours is rendered.

    The department shall adopt rules implementing this subsection.

    (27) "Service credit year" means an accumulation of months of service credit which is equal to one when divided by twelve.

    (28) "Service credit month" means a full service credit month or an accumulation of partial service credit months that are equal to one.

    (29) "Teacher" means any person qualified to teach who is engaged by a public school in an instructional, administrative, or supervisory capacity.  The term includes state, educational service district, and school district superintendents and their assistants and all employees certificated by the superintendent of public instruction; and in addition thereto any full time school doctor who is employed by a public school and renders service of an instructional or educational nature.

    (30) "Average final compensation" for plan II members, means the member's average earnable compensation of the highest consecutive sixty service credit months prior to such member's retirement, termination, or death.  Periods constituting authorized leaves of absence may not be used in the calculation of average final compensation except under RCW 41.32.810(2).

    (31) "Retiree" means any member in receipt of a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by this chapter resulting from service rendered to an employer by such member.

    (32) "Department" means the department of retirement systems created in chapter 41.50 RCW.

    (33) "Director" means the director of the department.

    (34) "State elective position" means any position held by any person elected or appointed to state‑wide office or elected or appointed as a member of the legislature.

    (35) "State actuary" or "actuary" means the person appointed pursuant to RCW 44.44.010(2).

    (36) "Substitute teacher" means:

    (a) A teacher who is hired by an employer to work as a temporary teacher, except for teachers who are annual contract employees of an employer and are guaranteed a minimum number of hours; or

    (b) Teachers who either (i) work in ineligible positions for more than one employer or (ii) work in an ineligible position or positions together with an eligible position.

    (37)(a) "Eligible position" for plan II members from June 7, 1990, through September 1, 1991, means a position which normally requires two or more uninterrupted months of creditable service during September through August of the following year.

    (b) "Eligible position" for plan II on and after September 1, 1991, means a position that, as defined by the employer, normally requires five or more months of at least seventy hours of earnable compensation during September through August of the following year.

    (c) For purposes of this chapter an employer shall not define "position" in such a manner that an employee's monthly work for that employer is divided into more than one position.

    (d) The elected position of the superintendent of public instruction is an eligible position.

    (38) "Plan I" means the teachers' retirement system, plan I providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first became members of the system prior to October 1, 1977.

    (39) "Plan II" means the teachers' retirement system, plan II providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first became members of the system on and after October 1, 1977.

    (40) "Index" means, for any calendar year, that year's annual average consumer price index, Seattle, Washington area, for urban wage earners and clerical workers, all items compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor.

    (41) "Index A" means the index for the year prior to the determination of a postretirement adjustment.

    (42) "Index B" means the index for the year prior to index A.

    (43) "Index year" means the earliest calendar year in which the index is more than sixty percent of index A.

    (44) "Adjustment ratio" means the value of index A divided by index B.

 

    Sec. 3.  RCW 41.32.575 and 1989 c 272 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) ((Beginning July 1, 1989, and every year thereafter, the department shall determine the following information for each retired member or beneficiary who is over the age of sixty-five:

    (a) The dollar amount of the retirement allowance received by the retiree at age sixty-five, to be known for the purposes of this section as the "age sixty-five allowance";

    (b) The index for the calendar year prior to the year that the retiree reached age sixty-five, to be known for purposes of this section as "index A";

    (c) The index for the calendar year prior to the date of determination, to be known for purposes of this section as "index B";

    (d) The ratio obtained when index B is divided by index A, to be known for the purposes of this section as the "full purchasing power ratio"; and

    (e) The value obtained when the retiree's age sixty-five allowance is multiplied by sixty percent of the retiree's full purchasing power ratio, to be known for the purposes of this section as the "target benefit.")) Beginning April 1, 1995, and each April 1st thereafter, the office of the state actuary shall notify the department of:

    (a) The index year; and

    (b) The adjustment ratio except the adjustment ratio may not be greater than one and three one-hundredths or less than one.

    (2) Beginning with the July 1, 1995, payment, and annually thereafter the ((retiree's age sixty-five)) retirement allowance of a retiree who attained age sixty-five on or before the index year shall be ((adjusted to be equal to the retiree's target benefit)) multiplied by the adjustment ratio except the adjustment ratio may not exceed one and three one-hundredths or be less than one.  ((In no event, however, shall the adjusted allowance:

    (a) Be smaller than the retirement allowance received without the adjustment; nor

    (b) Differ from the previous year's allowance by more than three percent.

    (3) For members who retire after age sixty-five, the age sixty-five allowance shall be the initial retirement allowance received by the member.

    (4) For beneficiaries of members who die prior to age sixty-five:  (a) The age sixty-five allowance shall be the allowance received by the beneficiary on the date the member would have turned age sixty-five; and (b) index A shall be the index for the calendar year prior to the year the member would have turned age sixty-five.

    (5))) (3) Where the pension payable to a beneficiary was adjusted at the time the benefit commenced, the benefit provided by this section shall be adjusted in a manner consistent with the adjustment made to the beneficiary's pension.

    (((6))) (4) For the purposes of this section((:

    (a) "Index" means, for any calendar year, that year's average consumer price index‑-Seattle, Washington area for urban wage earners and clerical workers, all items, compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor;

    (b))) "retired member" or "retiree" means any member who has retired for service or because of duty or nonduty disability, or the surviving beneficiary of such a member.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 41.40 RCW under the subchapter heading "Plan I" to read as follows:

    The dollar amount of the temporary postretirement allowance adjustment granted by section 1, chapter 519, Laws of 1993 shall be provided as a permanent retirement allowance adjustment as of July 1, 1995.

 

    Sec. 5.  RCW 41.40.010 and 1993 c 95 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:

    (1) "Retirement system" means the public employees' retirement system provided for in this chapter.

    (2) "Department" means the department of retirement systems created in chapter 41.50 RCW.

    (3) "State treasurer" means the treasurer of the state of Washington.

    (4)(a) "Employer" for plan I members, means every branch, department, agency, commission, board, and office of the state, any political subdivision or association of political subdivisions of the state admitted into the retirement system, and legal entities authorized by RCW 35.63.070 and 36.70.060 or chapter 39.34 RCW as now or hereafter amended; and the term shall also include any labor guild, association, or organization the membership of a local lodge or division of which is comprised of at least forty percent employees of an employer (other than such labor guild, association, or organization) within this chapter.  The term may also include any city of the first class that has its own retirement system.

    (b) "Employer" for plan II members, means every branch, department, agency, commission, board, and office of the state, and any political subdivision and municipal corporation of the state admitted into the retirement system, including public agencies created pursuant to RCW 35.63.070, 36.70.060, and 39.34.030.

    (5) "Member" means any employee included in the membership of the retirement system, as provided for in RCW 41.40.023.

    (6) "Original member" of this retirement system means:

    (a) Any person who became a member of the system prior to April 1, 1949;

    (b) Any person who becomes a member through the admission of an employer into the retirement system on and after April 1, 1949, and prior to April 1, 1951;

    (c) Any person who first becomes a member by securing employment with an employer prior to April 1, 1951, provided the member has rendered at least one or more years of service to any employer prior to October 1, 1947;

    (d) Any person who first becomes a member through the admission of an employer into the retirement system on or after April 1, 1951, provided, such person has been in the regular employ of the employer for at least six months of the twelve-month period preceding the said admission date;

    (e) Any member who has restored all contributions that may have been withdrawn as provided by RCW 41.40.150 and who on the effective date of the individual's retirement becomes entitled to be credited with ten years or more of membership service except that the provisions relating to the minimum amount of retirement allowance for the member upon retirement at age seventy as found in RCW 41.40.190(4) shall not apply to the member;

    (f) Any member who has been a contributor under the system for two or more years and who has restored all contributions that may have been withdrawn as provided by RCW 41.40.150 and who on the effective date of the individual's retirement has rendered five or more years of service for the state or any political subdivision prior to the time of the admission of the employer into the system; except that the provisions relating to the minimum amount of retirement allowance for the member upon retirement at age seventy as found in RCW 41.40.190(4) shall not apply to the member.

    (7) "New member" means a person who becomes a member on or after April 1, 1949, except as otherwise provided in this section.

    (8)(a) "Compensation earnable" for plan I members, means salaries or wages earned during a payroll period for personal services and where the compensation is not all paid in money, maintenance compensation shall be included upon the basis of the schedules established by the member's employer:  PROVIDED, That retroactive payments to an individual by an employer on reinstatement of the employee in a position, or payments by an employer to an individual in lieu of reinstatement in a position which are awarded or granted as the equivalent of the salary or wage which the individual would have earned during a payroll period shall be considered compensation earnable and the individual shall receive the equivalent service credit:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That if a leave of absence is taken by an individual for the purpose of serving in the state legislature, the salary which would have been received for the position from which the leave of absence was taken, shall be considered as compensation earnable if the employee's contribution is paid by the employee and the employer's contribution is paid by the employer or employee.

    (b) "Compensation earnable" for plan II members, means salaries or wages earned by a member during a payroll period for personal services, including overtime payments, and shall include wages and salaries deferred under provisions established pursuant to sections 403(b), 414(h), and 457 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, but shall exclude nonmoney maintenance compensation and lump sum payments for deferred annual sick leave, unused accumulated vacation, unused accumulated annual leave, or any form of severance pay:  PROVIDED, That retroactive payments to an individual by an employer on reinstatement of the employee in a position, or payments by an employer to an individual in lieu of reinstatement in a position which are awarded or granted as the equivalent of the salary or wage which the individual would have earned during a payroll period shall be considered compensation earnable to the extent provided above, and the individual shall receive the equivalent service credit:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That in any year in which a member serves in the legislature, the member shall have the option of having such member's compensation earnable be the greater of:

    (i) The compensation earnable the member would have received had such member not served in the legislature; or

    (ii) Such member's actual compensation earnable received for nonlegislative public employment and legislative service combined.  Any additional contributions to the retirement system required because compensation earnable under subparagraph (i) of this subsection is greater than compensation earnable under subparagraph (ii) of this subsection shall be paid by the member for both member and employer contributions.

    (9)(a) "Service" for plan I members, except as provided in RCW 41.40.088, means periods of employment in an eligible position or positions for one or more employers rendered to any employer for which compensation is paid, and includes time spent in office as an elected or appointed official of an employer.  Compensation earnable earned in full time work for seventy hours or more in any given calendar month shall constitute one service credit month except as provided in RCW 41.40.088.  Compensation earnable earned for less than seventy hours in any calendar month shall constitute one-quarter service credit month of service except as provided in RCW 41.40.088.  Only service credit months and one-quarter service credit months shall be counted in the computation of any retirement allowance or other benefit provided for in this chapter.  Any fraction of a year of service shall be taken into account in the computation of such retirement allowance or benefits.

    Service by a state employee officially assigned by the state on a temporary basis to assist another public agency, shall be considered as service as a state employee:  PROVIDED, That service to any other public agency shall not be considered service as a state employee if such service has been used to establish benefits in any other public retirement system:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That an individual shall receive no more than a total of twelve service credit months of service during any calendar year:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That where an individual is employed in an eligible position by one or more employers the individual shall receive no more than one service credit month during any calendar month in which multiple service for seventy or more hours is rendered.

    (b) "Service" for plan II members, means periods of employment by a member in an eligible position or positions for one or more employers for which compensation earnable is paid.  Compensation earnable earned for ninety or more hours in any calendar month shall constitute one service credit month except as provided in RCW 41.40.088.  Compensation earnable earned for at least seventy hours but less than ninety hours in any calendar month shall constitute one-half service credit month of service.  Compensation earnable earned for less than seventy hours in any calendar month shall constitute one-quarter service credit month of service.

    Any fraction of a year of service shall be taken into account in the computation of such retirement allowance or benefits.

    Service in any state elective position shall be deemed to be full time service, except that persons serving in state elective positions who are members of the teachers' retirement system or law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system at the time of election or appointment to such position may elect to continue membership in the teachers' retirement system or law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system.

    A member shall receive a total of not more than twelve service credit months of service for such calendar year:  PROVIDED, That when an individual is employed in an eligible position by one or more employers the individual shall receive no more than one service credit month during any calendar month in which multiple service for ninety or more hours is rendered.

    (10) "Service credit year" means an accumulation of months of service credit which is equal to one when divided by twelve.

    (11) "Service credit month" means a month or an accumulation of months of service credit which is equal to one.

    (12) "Prior service" means all service of an original member rendered to any employer prior to October 1, 1947.

    (13) "Membership service" means:

    (a) All service rendered, as a member, after October 1, 1947;

    (b) All service after October 1, 1947, to any employer prior to the time of its admission into the retirement system:  PROVIDED, That an amount equal to the employer and employee contributions which would have been paid to the retirement system on account of such service shall have been paid to the retirement system with interest (as computed by the department) on the employee's portion prior to retirement of such person, by the employee or his employer, except as qualified by RCW 41.40.023:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That employer contributions plus employee contributions with interest submitted by the employee under this subsection shall be placed in the employee's individual account in the employees' savings fund and be treated as any other contribution made by the employee, with the exception that the contributions submitted by the employee in payment of the employer's obligation, together with the interest the director may apply to the employer's contribution, shall be excluded from the calculation of the member's annuity in the event the member selects a benefit with an annuity option;

    (c) Service not to exceed six consecutive months of probationary service rendered after April 1, 1949, and prior to becoming a member, in the case of any member, upon payment in full by such member of the total amount of the employer's contribution to the retirement fund which would have been required under the law in effect when such probationary service was rendered if the member had been a member during such period, except that the amount of the employer's contribution shall be calculated by the director based on the first month's compensation earnable as a member;

    (d) Service not to exceed six consecutive months of probationary service, rendered after October 1, 1947, and before April 1, 1949, and prior to becoming a member, in the case of any member, upon payment in full by such member of five percent of such member's salary during said period of probationary service, except that the amount of the employer's contribution shall be calculated by the director based on the first month's compensation earnable as a member.

    (14)(a) "Beneficiary" for plan I members, means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance, pension or other benefit provided by this chapter.

    (b) "Beneficiary" for plan II members, means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by this chapter resulting from service rendered to an employer by another person.

    (15) "Regular interest" means such rate as the director may determine.

    (16) "Accumulated contributions" means the sum of all contributions standing to the credit of a member in the member's individual account together with the regular interest thereon.

    (17)(a) "Average final compensation" for plan I members, means the annual average of the greatest compensation earnable by a member during any consecutive two year period of service credit months for which service credit is allowed; or if the member has less than two years of service credit months then the annual average compensation earnable during the total years of service for which service credit is allowed.

    (b) "Average final compensation" for plan II members, means the member's average compensation earnable of the highest consecutive sixty months of service credit months prior to such member's retirement, termination, or death.  Periods constituting authorized leaves of absence may not be used in the calculation of average final compensation except under RCW 41.40.710(2).

    (18) "Final compensation" means the annual rate of compensation earnable by a member at the time of termination of employment.

    (19) "Annuity" means payments for life derived from accumulated contributions of a member.  All annuities shall be paid in monthly installments.

    (20) "Pension" means payments for life derived from contributions made by the employer.  All pensions shall be paid in monthly installments.

    (21) "Retirement allowance" means the sum of the annuity and the pension.

    (22) "Employee" means any person who may become eligible for membership under this chapter, as set forth in RCW 41.40.023.

    (23) "Actuarial equivalent" means a benefit of equal value when computed upon the basis of such mortality and other tables as may be adopted by the director.

    (24) "Retirement" means withdrawal from active service with a retirement allowance as provided by this chapter.

    (25) "Eligible position" means:

    (a) Any position that, as defined by the employer, normally requires five or more months of service a year for which regular compensation for at least seventy hours is earned by the occupant thereof.  For purposes of this chapter an employer shall not define "position" in such a manner that an employee's monthly work for that employer is divided into more than one position;

    (b) Any position occupied by an elected official or person appointed directly by the governor for which compensation is paid.

    (26) "Ineligible position" means any position which does not conform with the requirements set forth in subsection (25) of this section.

    (27) "Leave of absence" means the period of time a member is authorized by the employer to be absent from service without being separated from membership.

    (28) "Totally incapacitated for duty" means total inability to perform the duties of a member's employment or office or any other work for which the member is qualified by training or experience.

    (29) "Retiree" means any member in receipt of a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by this chapter resulting from service rendered to an employer by such member.

    (30) "Director" means the director of the department.

    (31) "State elective position" means any position held by any person elected or appointed to state-wide office or elected or appointed as a member of the legislature.

    (32) "State actuary" or "actuary" means the person appointed pursuant to RCW 44.44.010(2).

    (33) "Plan I" means the public employees' retirement system, plan I providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first became members of the system prior to October 1, 1977.

    (34) "Plan II" means the public employees' retirement system, plan II providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first became members of the system on and after October 1, 1977.

    (35) "Index" means, for any calendar year, that year's annual average consumer price index, Seattle, Washington area, for urban wage earners and clerical workers, all items, compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor.

    (36) "Index A" means the index for the year prior to the determination of a postretirement adjustment.

    (37) "Index B" means the index for the year prior to index A.

    (38) "Index year" means the earliest calendar year in which the index is more than sixty percent of index A.

    (39) "Adjustment ratio" means the value of index A divided by index B.

 

    Sec. 6.  RCW 41.40.325 and 1989 c 272 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Beginning ((July 1, 1989, and every year thereafter, the department shall determine the following information for each retired member or beneficiary who is over the age of sixty-five:

    (a) The dollar amount of the retirement allowance received by the retiree at age sixty-five, to be known for the purposes of this section as the "age sixty-five allowance";

    (b) The index for the calendar year prior to the year that the retiree reached age sixty-five, to be known for purposes of this section as "index A";

    (c) The index for the calendar year prior to the date of determination, to be known for purposes of this section as "index B";

    (d) The ratio obtained when index B is divided by index A, to be known for the purposes of this section as the "full purchasing power ratio"; and

    (e) The value obtained when the retiree's age sixty-five allowance is multiplied by sixty percent of the retiree's full purchasing power ratio, to be known for the purposes of this section as the "target benefit.")) April 1, 1995, and each April 1st thereafter, the office of the state actuary shall notify the department of:

    (a) The index year; and

    (b) The adjustment ratio except the adjustment ratio may not be greater than one and three one-hundredths or less than one.

    (2) Beginning with the July 1, 1995, payment, and annually thereafter the ((retiree's age sixty-five)) retirement allowance of a retiree who attained age sixty-five on or before the index year shall be ((adjusted to be equal to the retiree's target benefit)) multiplied by the adjustment ratio except the adjustment ratio may not exceed one and three one-hundredths or be less than one.  ((In no event, however, shall the adjusted allowance:

    (a) Be smaller than the retirement allowance received without the adjustment; nor

    (b) Differ from the previous year's allowance by more than three percent.

    (3) For members who retire after age sixty-five, the age sixty-five allowance shall be the initial retirement allowance received by the member.

    (4) For beneficiaries of members who die prior to age sixty-five:  (a) The age sixty-five allowance shall be the allowance received by the beneficiary on the date the member would have turned age sixty-five; and (b) index A shall be the index for the calendar year prior to the year the member would have turned age sixty-five.

    (5))) (3) Where the pension payable to a beneficiary was adjusted at the time the benefit commenced, the benefit provided by this section shall be adjusted in a manner consistent with the adjustment made to the beneficiary's pension.

    (((6))) (4) For the purposes of this section((:

    (a) "Index" means, for any calendar year, that year's average consumer price index‑-Seattle, Washington area for urban wage earners and clerical workers, all items, compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor;

    (b))) "retired member" or "retiree" means any member who has retired for service or because of duty or nonduty disability, or the surviving beneficiary of such a member.

 

    Sec. 7.  RCW 43.88.030 and 1991 c 358 s 1 and 1991 c 284 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

    (1) The director of financial management shall provide all agencies with a complete set of instructions for submitting biennial budget requests to the director at least three months before agency budget documents are due into the office of financial management.  The director shall provide agencies that are required under RCW 44.40.070 to develop comprehensive six-year program and financial plans with a complete set of instructions for submitting these program and financial plans at the same time that instructions for submitting other budget requests are provided.  The budget document or documents shall consist of the governor's budget message which shall be explanatory of the budget and shall contain an outline of the proposed financial policies of the state for the ensuing fiscal period, as well as an outline of the proposed six-year financial policies where applicable, and shall describe in connection therewith the important features of the budget.  The message shall set forth the reasons for salient changes from the previous fiscal period in expenditure and revenue items and shall explain any major changes in financial policy.  Attached to the budget message shall be such supporting schedules, exhibits and other explanatory material in respect to both current operations and capital improvements as the governor shall deem to be useful to the legislature.  The budget document or documents shall set forth a proposal for expenditures in the ensuing fiscal period, or six-year period where applicable, based upon the estimated revenues as approved by the economic and revenue forecast council or upon the estimated revenues of the office of financial management for those funds, accounts, and sources for which the office of the economic and revenue forecast council does not prepare an official forecast, including those revenues anticipated to support the six-year programs and financial plans under RCW 44.40.070.  In estimating revenues to support financial plans under RCW 44.40.070, the office of financial management shall rely on information and advice from the interagency revenue task force.  Revenues shall be estimated for such fiscal period from the source and at the rates existing by law at the time of submission of the budget document, including the supplemental budgets submitted in the even-numbered years of a biennium.  However, the estimated revenues for use in the governor's budget document may be adjusted to reflect budgetary revenue transfers and revenue estimates dependent upon budgetary assumptions of enrollments, workloads, and caseloads.  All adjustments to the approved estimated revenues must be set forth in the budget document.  The governor may additionally submit, as an appendix to each supplemental, biennial, or six-year agency budget or to the budget document or documents, a proposal for expenditures in the ensuing fiscal period from revenue sources derived from proposed changes in existing statutes.

    Supplemental and biennial documents shall reflect a six-year expenditure plan consistent with estimated revenues from existing sources and at existing rates for those agencies required to submit six-year program and financial plans under RCW 44.40.070.  Any additional revenue resulting from proposed changes to existing statutes shall be separately identified within the document as well as related expenditures for the six-year period.

    The budget document or documents shall also contain:

    (a) Revenues classified by fund and source for the immediately past fiscal period, those received or anticipated for the current fiscal period, those anticipated for the ensuing biennium, and those anticipated for the ensuing six-year period to support the six-year programs and financial plans required under RCW 44.40.070;

    (b) The undesignated fund balance or deficit, by fund;

    (c) Such additional information dealing with expenditures, revenues, workload, performance, and personnel as the legislature may direct by law or concurrent resolution;

    (d) Such additional information dealing with revenues and expenditures as the governor shall deem pertinent and useful to the legislature;

    (e) Tabulations showing expenditures classified by fund, function, activity and object;

    (f) A delineation of each agency's activities, including those activities funded from nonbudgeted, nonappropriated sources, including funds maintained outside the state treasury; ((and))

    (g) Identification of all proposed direct expenditures to implement the Puget Sound water quality plan under chapter 90.70 RCW, shown by agency and in total; and

    (h) Tabulations showing each postretirement adjustment by retirement system established after fiscal year 1991, to include, but not be limited to, estimated total payments made to the end of the previous biennial period, estimated payments for the present biennium, and estimated payments for the ensuing biennium.

    (2) The budget document or documents shall include detailed estimates of all anticipated revenues applicable to proposed operating or capital expenditures and shall also include all proposed operating or capital expenditures.  The total of beginning undesignated fund balance and estimated revenues less working capital and other reserves shall equal or exceed the total of proposed applicable expenditures.  The budget document or documents shall further include:

    (a) Interest, amortization and redemption charges on the state debt;

    (b) Payments of all reliefs, judgments and claims;

    (c) Other statutory expenditures;

    (d) Expenditures incident to the operation for each agency;

    (e) Revenues derived from agency operations;

    (f) Expenditures and revenues shall be given in comparative form showing those incurred or received for the immediately past fiscal period and those anticipated for the current biennium and next ensuing biennium, as well as those required to support the six-year programs and financial plans required under RCW 44.40.070;

    (g) A showing and explanation of amounts of general fund and other funds obligations for debt service and any transfers of moneys that otherwise would have been available for appropriation;

    (h) Common school expenditures on a fiscal-year basis;

    (i) A showing, by agency, of the value and purpose of financing contracts for the lease/purchase or acquisition of personal or real property for the current and ensuing fiscal periods; and

    (j) A showing and explanation of anticipated amounts of general fund and other funds required to amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the retirement system specified under chapter 41.45 RCW, and the contributions to meet such amortization, stated in total dollars and as a level percentage of total compensation.

    (3) A separate capital budget document or schedule shall be submitted that will contain the following:

    (a) A capital plan consisting of proposed capital spending for at least four fiscal periods succeeding the next fiscal period;

    (b) A capital program consisting of proposed capital projects for at least the two fiscal periods succeeding the next fiscal period;

    (c) A capital plan consisting of proposed capital spending for at least four fiscal periods succeeding the next fiscal period;

    (d) A statement of the reason or purpose for a project;

    (e) Verification that a project is consistent with the provisions set forth in chapter 36.70A RCW;

    (f) A statement about the proposed site, size, and estimated life of the project, if applicable;

    (g) Estimated total project cost;

    (h) Estimated total project cost for each phase of the project as defined by the office of financial management;

    (i) Estimated ensuing biennium costs;

    (j) Estimated costs beyond the ensuing biennium;

    (k) Estimated construction start and completion dates;

    (l) Source and type of funds proposed;

    (m) Such other information bearing upon capital projects as the governor deems to be useful;

    (n) Standard terms, including a standard and uniform definition of maintenance for all capital projects;

    (o) Such other information as the legislature may direct by law or concurrent resolution.

    For purposes of this subsection (3), the term "capital project" shall be defined subsequent to the analysis, findings, and recommendations of a joint committee comprised of representatives from the house capital appropriations committee, senate ways and means committee, legislative transportation committee, legislative evaluation and accountability program committee, and office of financial management.

    (4) No change affecting the comparability of agency or program information relating to expenditures, revenues, workload, performance and personnel shall be made in the format of any budget document or report presented to the legislature under this section or RCW 43.88.160(1) relative to the format of the budget document or report which was presented to the previous regular session of the legislature during an odd-numbered year without prior legislative concurrence.  Prior legislative concurrence shall consist of (a) a favorable majority vote on the proposal by the standing committees on ways and means of both houses if the legislature is in session or (b) a favorable majority vote on the proposal by members of the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee if the legislature is not in session.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8.  This act shall take effect August 1, 1994."

 

 

 

HB 2905 - S COMM AMD

By Committee on Ways & Means

 

                                                    ADOPTED 3/4/94

 

    On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "allowances;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 41.32.010, 41.32.575, 41.40.010, and 41.40.325; reenacting and amending RCW 43.88.030; adding a new section to chapter 41.32 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 41.40 RCW; and providing an effective date."

 


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