H-2120.1 _______________________________________________
SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1431
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 54th Legislature 1995 Regular Session
By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representative Silver; by request of Department of Retirement Systems)
Read first time 02/28/95.
AN ACT Relating to department of retirement system expenses; amending RCW 41.50.255 and 43.41.180; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 41.50.255 and 1993 sp.s. c 24 s 916 are each amended to read as follows:
The director is authorized to pay from the interest earnings of the trust funds of the public employees' retirement system, the teachers' retirement system, the Washington state patrol retirement system, the Washington judicial retirement system, the judges' retirement system, or the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system lawful obligations of the appropriate system for legal expenses and medical expenses which expenses are primarily incurred for the purpose of protecting the appropriate trust fund or are incurred in compliance with statutes governing such funds.
The term "legal expense" includes, but is not limited to, legal services provided through the legal services revolving fund, fees for expert witnesses, travel expenses, fees for court reporters, cost of transcript preparation, and reproduction of documents.
The term "medical costs" includes, but is not limited to, expenses for the medical examination or reexamination of members or retirees, the costs of preparation of medical reports, and fees charged by medical professionals for attendance at discovery proceedings or hearings.
((During the period
from July 1, 1993, until June 30, 1995,)) The director may also
pay from the interest earnings of the trust funds specified in this section
costs incurred in investigating fraud and collecting overpayments, including
expenses incurred to review and investigate cases of possible fraud against the
trust funds and collection agency fees and other costs incurred in recovering
overpayments.
Sec. 2. RCW 43.41.180 and 1993 c 500 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
(1)(a) The office of financial management is authorized to approve the use of electronic and other technological means to transfer both funds and information whenever economically feasible, to eliminate paper documentation wherever possible, and to provide greater fiscal responsibility. This authorization includes but is not limited to the authority to approve use of electronic means to transfer payroll, vendor payments, and benefit payments and acceptance of credit cards, debit cards, and other consumer debt instruments for payment of taxes, licenses, and fees. The office of financial management shall adopt rules under RCW 43.41.110(13) to specify the manner in which electronic and other technological means, including credit cards, are available to state agencies.
(b) In order to reduce expenses of recovery of retirement system overpayments, the department shall require, when authorizing transfers or entering into agreements with financial institutions under this section, that the financial institution be required to notify the department of retirement systems of the death of a beneficiary within thirty days of the financial institution receiving notice of the death of the beneficiary. The department may provide penalties for late notice by the financial institution to the department of retirement systems; the penalty shall not exceed fifty dollars per day.
(2) No state agency may use electronic or other technological means, including credit cards, without specific continuing authorization from the office of financial management.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect July 1, 1995.
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