HOUSE BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1105

                    As Passed Legislature

Title:  An act relating to retirement credit for leave for legislative service.

Brief Description:  Providing retirement credit for leave for legislative service.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by  Representatives Ogden, Sehlin, H. Sommers, Lambert, Carlson, Wolfe, Anderson and Scott; by request of Joint Committee on Pension Policy).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Appropriations:  2/4/97, 2/19/97 [DPS].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/3/97, 92‑0.

Passed Legislature.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 30 members:  Representatives Huff, Chairman; Alexander, Vice Chairman; Clements, Vice Chairman; Wensman, Vice Chairman; H. Sommers, Ranking Minority Member; Gombosky, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Benson; Carlson; Chopp; Cody; Cooke; Crouse; Dyer; Grant; Keiser; Kenney; Kessler; Lambert; Linville; Lisk; Mastin; McMorris; Parlette; Poulsen; Regala; D. Schmidt; Sehlin; Sheahan; Talcott and Tokuda.

Staff:  Elissa Benson (786-7191).

Background:  Members of the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS), the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS), and the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System (LOEFF) may earn credit while serving as legislators.  Legislators who are members of the Washington State Patrol Retirement System (WSPRS) or participants in TIAA/CREF, a nonprofit retirement system for higher education faculty, do not have this option.

Summary of Bill:  WSPRS members serving on or after January 1, 1995, may continue to earn service credit during the legislative session.  The Legislature will pay the employer contributions to the WSPRS based on the compensation the member would have earned had the member not served in the Legislature.

TIAA/CREF members serving on or after January 1, 1997, may choose to continue their participation in that retirement program during the legislative session.  The employing institution of higher education pays the employee's salary attributable to legislative service and corresponding employer contributions.  The Legislature will reimburse the institution for both the salary and the employer contributions.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  The bill provides legislators who come from the Washington State Patrol or from higher education the same opportunity to continue in their retirement system that is granted for public employees, teachers, or law enforcement and fire fighters who become legislators.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Odgen, prime sponsor; and Rick Jensen, Washington State Patrol Troopers Association.