2191-S

AN ACT Relating to admitting fire fighters for institutions of higher education into the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system; amending RCW 41.26.450; reenacting and amending RCW 41.26.030; creating a new section; and decodifying RCW 41.40.093.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) An employee who was a member of the public employees' retirement system on or before January 1, 1996, and, on the effective date of this act, is employed by an institution of higher education as a fire fighter as defined in RCW 41.26.030, has the following options:

(a) Remain a member of the public employees' retirement system; or

(b) Make an irrevocable choice, filed in writing with the department of retirement systems no later than January 1, 1997, to transfer to the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system plan II as defined in RCW 41.26.030. An employee transferring membership under this subsection (1)(b) shall be a dual member as provided in RCW 41.54.010 unless the employee exercises the option to transfer service credit under subsection (2) of this section.

(2)(a) An employee who transferred membership under subsection (1)(b) of this section may choose to transfer service credit as a fire fighter previously earned under the public employees' retirement system, to the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system plan II, by making an irrevocable choice filed in writing with the department of retirement systems within one year of the department's announcement of the ability to make such a transfer.

(b) Any fire fighter choosing to transfer under this subsection shall have transferred from the retirement system to the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system plan II: (i) All the employee's applicable accumulated contributions and employer contributions attributed to such employee; and (ii) all applicable months of service, as defined in RCW 41.26.030(14)(b), credited to the employee under chapter 41.40 RCW, as though such service was rendered as a member of the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system.

(c) For the applicable period of service, the employee shall pay the difference between the contributions such employee paid to the retirement system, and the contributions which would have been paid by the employee had the employee been a member of the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system, plus interest as determined by the director. This payment shall be made no later than December 31, 1998, or the date of retirement, whichever comes first. If the payment required by this subsection is not paid in full by the deadline, the transferred service credit shall not be used to determine eligibility for benefits nor to calculate benefits under the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system. In such case, the additional employee contributions transferred under this subsection, and any payments made under this subsection, shall be refunded to the employee and the employer shall be entitled to a credit for the payments made under (d) of this subsection.

(d) For the applicable period of service, the employer shall pay:

(i) The difference between the employer contributions paid to the public employees' retirement system, and the combined employer and state contributions which would have been payable to the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system; and

(ii) An amount sufficient to ensure that the contribution level of current members of the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system will not increase due to this transfer.

For the purpose of this subsection (2)(d), the state contribution shall not include the contribution related to the amortization of the costs of the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system plan I as required by chapter 41.45 RCW.

(e) An individual who transfers service credit and contributions under this subsection shall be permanently excluded from the public employees' retirement system for all service as a fire fighter.

Sec. 2. RCW 41.26.030 and 1994 c 264 s 14 and 1994 c 197 s 5 are each reenacted and 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 "Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system" provided herein.

(2)(a) "Employer" for plan I members, means the legislative authority of any city, town, county, or district or the elected officials of any municipal corporation that employs any law enforcement officer and/or fire fighter, any authorized association of such municipalities, and, except for the purposes of RCW 41.26.150, any labor guild, association, or organization, which represents the fire fighters or law enforcement officers of at least seven cities of over 20,000 population and the membership of each local lodge or division of which is composed of at least sixty percent law enforcement officers or fire fighters as defined in this chapter.

(b) "Employer" for plan II members, means the following entities to the extent that the entity employs any law enforcement officer and/or fire fighter:

(i) The legislative authority of any city, town, county, or district;

(ii) The elected officials of any municipal corporation; ((or))

(iii) The governing body of any other general authority law enforcement agency; or

(iv) A four-year institution of higher education having a fully operational fire department as of January 1, 1996.

(3) "Law enforcement officer" beginning January 1, 1994, means any person who is commissioned and employed by an employer on a full time, fully compensated basis to enforce the criminal laws of the state of Washington generally, with the following qualifications:

(a) No person who is serving in a position that is basically clerical or secretarial in nature, and who is not commissioned shall be considered a law enforcement officer;

(b) Only those deputy sheriffs, including those serving under a different title pursuant to county charter, who have successfully completed a civil service examination for deputy sheriff or the equivalent position, where a different title is used, and those persons serving in unclassified positions authorized by RCW 41.14.070 except a private secretary will be considered law enforcement officers;

(c) Only such full time commissioned law enforcement personnel as have been appointed to offices, positions, or ranks in the police department which have been specifically created or otherwise expressly provided for and designated by city charter provision or by ordinance enacted by the legislative body of the city shall be considered city police officers;

(d) The term "law enforcement officer" also includes the executive secretary of a labor guild, association or organization (which is an employer under RCW 41.26.030(2) as now or hereafter amended) if that individual has five years previous membership in the retirement system established in chapter 41.20 RCW. The provisions of this subsection (3)(d) shall not apply to plan II members; and

(e) The term "law enforcement officer" also includes a person employed on or after January 1, 1993, as a public safety officer or director of public safety, so long as the job duties substantially involve only either police or fire duties, or both, and no other duties in a city or town with a population of less than ten thousand. The provisions of this subsection (3)(e) shall not apply to any public safety officer or director of public safety who is receiving a retirement allowance under this chapter as of May 12, 1993.

(4) "Fire fighter" means:

(a) Any person who is serving on a full time, fully compensated basis as a member of a fire department of an employer and who is serving in a position which requires passing a civil service examination for fire fighter, and who is actively employed as such;

(b) Anyone who is actively employed as a full time fire fighter where the fire department does not have a civil service examination;

(d) Any full time executive secretary of an association of fire protection districts authorized under RCW 52.12.031. The provisions of this subsection (4)(d) shall not apply to plan II members;

(e) The executive secretary of a labor guild, association or organization (which is an employer under RCW 41.26.030(2) as now or hereafter amended), if such individual has five years previous membership in a retirement system established in chapter 41.16 or 41.18 RCW. The provisions of this subsection (4)(e) shall not apply to plan II members;

(f) Any person who is serving on a full time, fully compensated basis for an employer, as a fire dispatcher, in a department in which, on March 1, 1970, a dispatcher was required to have passed a civil service examination for fire fighter; and

(g) Any person who on March 1, 1970, was employed on a full time, fully compensated basis by an employer, and who on May 21, 1971, was making retirement contributions under the provisions of chapter 41.16 or 41.18 RCW.

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

(6) "Surviving spouse" means the surviving widow or widower of a member. "Surviving spouse" shall not include the divorced spouse of a member except as provided in RCW 41.26.162.

(7)(a) "Child" or "children" means an unmarried person who is under the age of eighteen or mentally or physically handicapped as determined by the department, except a handicapped person in the full time care of a state institution, who is:

(i) A natural born child;

(ii) A stepchild where that relationship was in existence prior to the date benefits are payable under this chapter;

(iii) A posthumous child;

(iv) A child legally adopted or made a legal ward of a member prior to the date benefits are payable under this chapter; or

(v) An illegitimate child legitimized prior to the date any benefits are payable under this chapter.

(b) A person shall also be deemed to be a child up to and including the age of twenty years and eleven months while attending any high school, college, or vocational or other educational institution accredited, licensed, or approved by the state, in which it is located, including the summer vacation months and all other normal and regular vacation periods at the particular educational institution after which the child returns to school.

(8) "Member" means any fire fighter, law enforcement officer, or other person as would apply under subsections (3) or (4) of this section whose membership is transferred to the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system on or after March 1, 1970, and every law enforcement officer and fire fighter who is employed in that capacity on or after such date.

(9) "Retirement fund" means the "Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system fund" as provided for herein.

(10) "Employee" means any law enforcement officer or fire fighter as defined in subsections (3) and (4) of this section.

(11)(a) "Beneficiary" for plan I members, means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance, disability allowance, death benefit, or any other benefit described herein.

(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.

(12)(a) "Final average salary" for plan I members, means (i) for a member holding the same position or rank for a minimum of twelve months preceding the date of retirement, the basic salary attached to such same position or rank at time of retirement; (ii) for any other member, including a civil service member who has not served a minimum of twelve months in the same position or rank preceding the date of retirement, the average of the greatest basic salaries payable to such member during any consecutive twenty-four month period within such member's last ten years of service for which service credit is allowed, computed by dividing the total basic salaries payable to such member during the selected twenty-four month period by twenty-four; (iii) in the case of disability of any member, the basic salary payable to such member at the time of disability retirement; (iv) in the case of a member who hereafter vests pursuant to RCW 41.26.090, the basic salary payable to such member at the time of vesting.

(b) "Final average salary" for plan II members, means the monthly average of the member's basic salary for the highest consecutive sixty service credit months of service prior to such member's retirement, termination, or death. Periods constituting authorized unpaid leaves of absence may not be used in the calculation of final average salary.

(13)(a) "Basic salary" for plan I members, means the basic monthly rate of salary or wages, including longevity pay but not including overtime earnings or special salary or wages, upon which pension or retirement benefits will be computed and upon which employer contributions and salary deductions will be based.

(b) "Basic salary" 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. In any year in which a member serves in the legislature the member shall have the option of having such member's basic salary be the greater of:

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

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

(14)(a) "Service" for plan I members, means all periods of employment for an employer as a fire fighter or law enforcement officer, for which compensation is paid, together with periods of suspension not exceeding thirty days in duration. For the purposes of this chapter service shall also include service in the armed forces of the United States as provided in RCW 41.26.190. Credit shall be allowed for all service credit months of service rendered by a member from and after the member's initial commencement of employment as a fire fighter or law enforcement officer, during which the member worked for seventy or more hours, or was on disability leave or disability retirement. Only service credit months of service shall be counted in the computation of any retirement allowance or other benefit provided for in this chapter.

(i) For members retiring after May 21, 1971 who were employed under the coverage of a prior pension act before March 1, 1970, "service" shall also include (A) such military service not exceeding five years as was creditable to the member as of March 1, 1970, under the member's particular prior pension act, and (B) such other periods of service as were then creditable to a particular member under the provisions of RCW 41.18.165, 41.20.160 or 41.20.170. However, in no event shall credit be allowed for any service rendered prior to March 1, 1970, where the member at the time of rendition of such service was employed in a position covered by a prior pension act, unless such service, at the time credit is claimed therefor, is also creditable under the provisions of such prior act.

(ii) A member who is employed by two employers at the same time shall only be credited with service to one such employer for any month during which the member rendered such dual service.

(b) "Service" for plan II members, means periods of employment by a member for one or more employers for which basic salary is earned for ninety or more hours per calendar month which shall constitute a service credit month. Periods of employment by a member for one or more employers for which basic salary is earned for at least seventy hours but less than ninety hours per calendar month shall constitute one-half service credit month. Periods of employment by a member for one or more employers for which basic salary is earned for less than seventy hours shall constitute a one-quarter service credit month.

Members of the retirement system who are elected or appointed to a state elective position may elect to continue to be members of this retirement system.

Service credit years of service shall be determined by dividing the total number of service credit months of service by twelve. Any fraction of a service credit year of service as so determined shall be taken into account in the computation of such retirement allowance or benefits.

If a member receives basic salary from two or more employers during any calendar month, the individual shall receive one service credit month's service credit during any calendar month in which multiple service for ninety or more hours is rendered; or one-half service credit month's service credit during any calendar month in which multiple service for at least seventy hours but less than ninety hours is rendered; or one-quarter service credit month during any calendar month in which multiple service for less than seventy hours is rendered.

(15) "Accumulated contributions" means the employee's contributions made by a member, including any amount paid under RCW 41.50.165(2), plus accrued interest credited thereon.

(16) "Actuarial reserve" means a method of financing a pension or retirement plan wherein reserves are accumulated as the liabilities for benefit payments are incurred in order that sufficient funds will be available on the date of retirement of each member to pay the member's future benefits during the period of retirement.

(17) "Actuarial valuation" means a mathematical determination of the financial condition of a retirement plan. It includes the computation of the present monetary value of benefits payable to present members, and the present monetary value of future employer and employee contributions, giving effect to mortality among active and retired members and also to the rates of disability, retirement, withdrawal from service, salary and interest earned on investments.

(18) "Disability board" for plan I members means either the county disability board or the city disability board established in RCW 41.26.110.

(19) "Disability leave" means the period of six months or any portion thereof during which a member is on leave at an allowance equal to the member's full salary prior to the commencement of disability retirement. The definition contained in this subsection shall apply only to plan I members.

(20) "Disability retirement" for plan I members, means the period following termination of a member's disability leave, during which the member is in receipt of a disability retirement allowance.

(21) "Position" means the employment held at any particular time, which may or may not be the same as civil service rank.

(22) "Medical services" for plan I members, shall include the following as minimum services to be provided. Reasonable charges for these services shall be paid in accordance with RCW 41.26.150.

(a) Hospital expenses: These are the charges made by a hospital, in its own behalf, for

(i) Board and room not to exceed semiprivate room rate unless private room is required by the attending physician due to the condition of the patient.

(ii) Necessary hospital services, other than board and room, furnished by the hospital.

(b) Other medical expenses: The following charges are considered "other medical expenses", provided that they have not been considered as "hospital expenses".

(i) The fees of the following:

(A) A physician or surgeon licensed under the provisions of chapter 18.71 RCW;

(B) An ((~~osteopath [osteopathic physician and surgeon]~~)) osteopathic physician and surgeon licensed under the provisions of chapter 18.57 RCW;

(ii) The charges of a registered graduate nurse other than a nurse who ordinarily resides in the member's home, or is a member of the family of either the member or the member's spouse.

(iii) The charges for the following medical services and supplies:

(A) Drugs and medicines upon a physician's prescription;

(B) Diagnostic x-ray and laboratory examinations;

(D) Anesthesia and oxygen;

(E) Rental of iron lung and other durable medical and surgical equipment;

(F) Artificial limbs and eyes, and casts, splints, and trusses;

(G) Professional ambulance service when used to transport the member to or from a hospital when injured by an accident or stricken by a disease;

(H) Dental charges incurred by a member who sustains an accidental injury to his or her teeth and who commences treatment by a legally licensed dentist within ninety days after the accident;

(I) Nursing home confinement or hospital extended care facility;

(J) Physical therapy by a registered physical therapist;

(K) Blood transfusions, including the cost of blood and blood plasma not replaced by voluntary donors;

(L) An optometrist licensed under the provisions of chapter 18.53 RCW.

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

(24) "Retiree" for persons who establish membership in the retirement system on or after October 1, 1977, 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.

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

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

(27) "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.

(28) "Plan I" means the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system, plan I providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first became members of the system prior to October 1, 1977.

(29) "Plan II" means the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' 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.

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

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

(32) "General authority law enforcement agency" means any agency, department, or division of a municipal corporation, political subdivision, or other unit of local government of this state, and any agency, department, or division of state government, having as its primary function the detection and apprehension of persons committing infractions or violating the traffic or criminal laws in general, but not including the Washington state patrol. Such an agency, department, or division is distinguished from a limited authority law enforcement agency having as one of its functions the apprehension or detection of persons committing infractions or violating the traffic or criminal laws relating to limited subject areas, including but not limited to, the state departments of natural resources, fish and wildlife, and social and health services, the state gambling commission, the state lottery commission, the state parks and recreation commission, the state utilities and transportation commission, the state liquor control board, and the state department of corrections.

Sec. 3. RCW 41.26.450 and 1993 c 502 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The required contribution rates to the plan II system for members, employers, and the state of Washington shall be established by the director from time to time as may be necessary upon the advice of the state actuary. The state actuary shall use the aggregate actuarial cost method to calculate contribution rates.

(2) Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, the member, the employer and the state shall each contribute the following shares of the cost of the retirement system:

Member 50%

Employer 30%

State 20%

((~~However,~~)) (3) Port districts established under Title 53 RCW and institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 shall contribute both the employer and state shares of the cost of the retirement system for any of their employees who are law enforcement officers. Institutions of higher education shall contribute both the employer and the state shares of the cost of the retirement system for any of their employees who are fire fighters.

(4) Effective January 1, 1987, however, no member or employer contributions are required for any calendar month in which the member is not granted service credit.

(5) Any adjustments in contribution rates required from time to time for future costs shall likewise be shared proportionally by the members, employers, and the state.

(6) Any increase in the contribution rate required as the result of a failure of the state or of an employer to make any contribution required by this section shall be borne in full by the state or by that employer not making the contribution.

(7) The director shall notify all employers of any pending adjustment in the required contribution rate and such increase shall be announced at least thirty days prior to the effective date of the change.

(8) Members' contributions required by this section shall be deducted from the members basic salary each payroll period. The members contribution and the employers contribution shall be remitted directly to the department within fifteen days following the end of the calendar month during which the payroll period ends. The state's contribution required by this section shall be transferred to the plan II fund from the total contributions transferred by the state treasurer under RCW 41.45.060 and 41.45.070.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. RCW 41.40.093 is decodified.