Z-1144.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2242

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By Representatives Carlson, H. Sommers, Smith and Cooke; by request of Department of Retirement Systems

Read first time 01/08/96.  Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

Making payment upon death of disability retiree.

     AN ACT Relating to a member who dies prior to receiving the first disability retirement payment; and amending RCW 41.40.270.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 41.40.270 and 1995 c 144 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) Should a member die before the date of retirement the amount of the accumulated contributions standing to the member's credit in the employees' savings fund, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, at the time of death:

     (a) Shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust, or organization as the member shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department; or

     (b) If there be no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the member's death, or if a member fails to file a new beneficiary designation subsequent to marriage, remarriage, dissolution of marriage, divorce, or reestablishment of membership following termination by withdrawal or retirement, such accumulated contributions, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, shall be paid to the surviving spouse as if in fact such spouse had been nominated by written designation as aforesaid, or if there be no such surviving spouse, then to the member's legal representatives.

     (2) Upon the death in service, or while on authorized leave of absence for a period not to exceed one hundred and twenty days from the date of payroll separation, of any member who is qualified but has not applied for a service retirement allowance or has completed ten years of service at the time of death, the designated beneficiary, or the surviving spouse as provided in subsection (1) of this section, may elect to waive the payment provided by subsection (1) of this section.  Upon such an election, a joint and one hundred percent survivor option under RCW 41.40.188, calculated under the retirement allowance described in RCW 41.40.185 or 41.40.190, whichever is greater, actuarially reduced by the amount of any lump sum benefit identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670 shall automatically be given effect as if selected for the benefit of the designated beneficiary.  If the member is not then qualified for a service retirement allowance, such benefit shall be based upon the actuarial equivalent of the sum necessary to pay the accrued regular retirement allowance commencing when the deceased member would have first qualified for a service retirement allowance.

     (3) Subsection (1) of this section, unless elected, shall not apply to any member who has applied for service retirement in RCW 41.40.180, as now or hereafter amended, and thereafter dies between the date of separation from service and the member's effective retirement date, where the member has selected a survivorship option under RCW 41.40.188.  In those cases the beneficiary named in the member's final application for service retirement may elect to receive either a cash refund, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, or monthly payments according to the option selected by the member.

(4) If a member who has received a determination of disability under RCW 41.40.230 and has selected a retirement option under RCW 41.40.188 dies before receiving the first retirement payment, the beneficiary named in the member's final application for service retirement may elect to receive either a cash refund, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, or monthly payments according to the option selected by the member.

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