SENATE BILL REPORT

                  EHB 2057

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                  Ways & Means, April 3, 1995

Title:  An act relating to retirement eligibility.

Brief Description:  Changing judicial retirement eligibility.

Sponsors:  Representatives Appelwick and Foreman.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Ways & Means:  4/3/95 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Rinehart, Chair; Loveland, Vice Chair; Bauer, Cantu, Drew, Finkbeiner, Fraser, Gaspard, Hargrove, Hochstatter, Johnson, Long, McDonald, Pelz, Quigley, Roach, Sheldon, Snyder, Spanel, Strannigan, West and Winsley.

Staff:  Denise Graham (786-7715)

Background:  Membership in the Judicial Retirement System (JRS) consists of state judges first appointed or elected to the superior court, the Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court between August 1971 and July 1988.  Members 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 Amended Bill:  A judge who is appointed to a position as a federal judge or federal magistrate is permitted to qualify for a partial retirement allowance if the judge has 12 years of experience. 

Amended Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The engrossed House bill had a retroactive effective date of October 1, 1994.  This is removed by the amended bill.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested March 2, 1995.

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

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  No one.