BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to collection of state retirement system overpayments; and adding new sections to chapter 41.50 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) If the department finds that any member, beneficiary, or other person or entity has been paid an amount of retirement benefits to which that person or entity is not entitled, the department may issue an order and notice of assessment specifying the amount due, including interest, to be remitted to the department. The order and notice of assessment shall be served upon any person or entity who may have received benefits to which the person or entity is not entitled. The order and notice of assessment shall be served by the department in the manner prescribed for the service of a summons in a civil action, or by certified mail to the last known address of the obligor as shown by the records of the department.

(2) The department may issue an order and notice of assessment under this section only after it has notified the person of the department's decision that an amount is due, and of the person's right to seek a review of the department's decision within sixty days. The order and notice of assessment may be served after the end of the sixty-day period if the person does not seek a review of the decision, or upon completion of the review, if the department's decision is upheld on review.

(3) Any notice of assessment under subsection (1) of this section shall constitute a determination of liability from which the member, beneficiary, or other person or entity served may appeal by filing a petition for adjudicative proceedings with the director personally or by mail within thirty days from the date the assessment was served. If a petition for adjudicative proceedings is not filed within thirty days of the delivery of the notice of assessment, the determination that was the basis for establishing the overpayment debt and the assessment is conclusive and final.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. Whenever a notice of determination of liability becomes conclusive and final under section 1 of this act, the director, upon giving at least twenty days notice by certified mail return receipt requested to the individual's last known address of the intended action, may file with the superior court clerk of any county within the state a warrant in the amount of the notice of determination of liability plus a filing fee of five dollars. The clerk of the county where the warrant is filed shall immediately designate a superior court cause number for the warrant, and the clerk shall cause to be entered in the judgment docket under the superior court cause number assigned to the warrant, the name of the person mentioned in the warrant, the amount of the notice of determination of liability, and the date when the warrant was filed. The amount of the warrant as docketed shall become a lien upon the title to, and any interest in, all real and personal property of the person against whom the warrant is issued, the same as a judgment in a civil case duly docketed in the office of such clerk. A copy of the warrant shall be mailed to the person mentioned in the warrant by certified mail to the person's last known address within five days of its filing with the clerk.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The department may issue subpoenas to compel the statement of witnesses and the production of any books, records, or documents necessary or relevant to the department's administration of duties under this chapter. It is unlawful for any person or entity, without just cause, to fail to comply with any subpoena issued under this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The director may waive repayment of all or part of a retirement allowance overpayment, under RCW 41.50.130 only, if:

(a) The overpayment was not the result of the retiree's or the beneficiary's nondisclosure, fraud, misrepresentation, or other fault; and

(b) The director finds in his or her sole discretion that recovery of the overpayment would be against equity and good conscience.

(2) The director may not waive an overpayment if the member, retiree, or beneficiary:

(a) Provided incorrect information to the department or the employer which caused the overpayment;

(b) Failed to provide information to the department or the employer which was necessary to correctly calculate the retirement allowance;

(d) Knew or reasonably should have known that he or she was in receipt of an overpayment.

(3) If the director waives an overpayment and the overpayment occurred because the member's or retiree's employer:

(a) Provided incorrect information to the department which caused the overpayment;

(b) Failed to provide information to the department which was necessary to correctly calculate the retirement allowance;

(d) Knew or reasonably should have known that the information provided would cause the retiree or beneficiary to be overpaid;

then the department shall bill the member's or retiree's employer for the amount of the overpayment that would have been recoverable under RCW 41.50.130 had the overpayment not been waived pursuant to this section.

(4) Nothing in this section authorizes the director to waive the prospective correction of an overstated retirement allowance.

(5) If the director waives an overpayment he or she must state in writing:

(a) The nature of and reason for the overpayment;

(b) The reason for the waiver; and

The department will maintain a file containing documentation of all overpayments waived. The department will provide the file to any person upon request.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Sections 1 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 41.50 RCW.