HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 EHB 2057

                      As Passed House:

                       March 13, 1995

Title:  An act relating to retirement eligibility.

Brief Description:  Changing judicial retirement eligibility.

Sponsors:  Representatives Appelwick and Foreman.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Appropriations:  3/3/95 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/13/95, 82-14.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 21 members:  Representatives Silver, Chairman; Clements, Vice Chairman; Huff, Vice Chairman; Pelesky, Vice Chairman; Beeksma; Brumsickle; Carlson; Cooke; Crouse; G. Fisher; Foreman; Grant; Lambert; Lisk; McMorris; Poulsen; Reams; Rust; Sehlin; Sheahan and Talcott.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.  Signed by 6 members:  Representatives Sommers, Ranking Minority Member; Valle, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Basich; Jacobsen; Thibaudeau and Wolfe.

Staff:  Dan Chang (786-7191).

Background:  State judges in the Judicial Retirement System (JRS) qualify for service retirement by completing 15 years of service or by reaching the age of 75.  A partial service retirement is granted if the member involuntarily leaves service at any time after having served for 12 years.

JRS members contribute 7.5 percent of their salary to the system, and there are no provisions for withdrawing these contributions.

Summary of Bill:  This bill permits a judge who is appointed to a position as a federal judge or federal magistrate to qualify for a partial retirement allowance if the judge has 12 years of experience.  This act is retroactive to October 1, 1994.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested March 2, 1995.

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

Testimony For:  Members of the Judicial Retirement System are not allowed by current law to withdraw contributions they have made toward their own retirement, unless they work for 15 years or leave involuntarily.  Members appointed to federal judgeships after 12 years with the state should be entitled to some of their retirement contributions.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Judge Kelley Arnold.