BILL REQ. #:  H-1100.1 

Read first time 01/29/2003.   Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

     AN ACT Relating to service credit for military service by members of the public employees' retirement system, plan 2; and amending RCW 41.40.710.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 41.40.710 and 2000 c 247 s 1106 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) A member who is on a paid leave of absence authorized by a member's employer shall continue to receive service credit as provided for under the provisions of RCW 41.40.610 through 41.40.740.
     (2) A member who receives compensation from an employer while on an authorized leave of absence to serve as an elected official of a labor organization, and whose employer is reimbursed by the labor organization for the compensation paid to the member during the period of absence, may also be considered to be on a paid leave of absence. This subsection shall only apply if the member's leave of absence is authorized by a collective bargaining agreement that provides that the member retains seniority rights with the employer during the period of leave. The compensation earnable reported for a member who establishes service credit under this subsection may not be greater than the salary paid to the highest paid job class covered by the collective bargaining agreement.
     (3) Except as specified in subsection (4) of this section, a member shall be eligible to receive a maximum of two years service credit during a member's entire working career for those periods when a member is on an unpaid leave of absence authorized by an employer. Such credit may be obtained only if:
     (a) The member makes both the plan 2 employer and member contributions plus interest as determined by the department for the period of the authorized leave of absence within five years of resumption of service or prior to retirement whichever comes sooner; or
     (b) If not within five years of resumption of service but prior to retirement, pay the amount required under RCW 41.50.165(2).
     The contributions required under (a) of this subsection shall be based on the average of the member's compensation earnable at both the time the authorized leave of absence was granted and the time the member resumed employment.
     (4) A member who leaves the employ of an employer to enter the armed forces of the United States shall be entitled to retirement system service credit for up to five years of military service. This subsection shall be administered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the federal uniformed services employment and reemployment rights act.
     (a) The member qualifies for service credit under this subsection if:
     (i) Within ninety days of the member's honorable discharge from the United States armed forces, the member applies for reemployment with the employer who employed the member immediately prior to the member entering the United States armed forces; and
     (ii) The member makes the employee contributions required under RCW 41.45.061 and 41.45.067 within five years of resumption of service or prior to retirement, whichever comes sooner; or
     (iii) Prior to retirement and not within ninety days of the member's honorable discharge or five years of resumption of service the member pays the amount required under RCW 41.50.165(2).
     (b) Upon receipt of member contributions under (a)(ii) of this subsection, the department shall establish the member's service credit and shall bill the employer for its contribution required under RCW 41.45.060, 41.45.061, and 41.45.067 for the period of military service, plus interest as determined by the department.
     (c) The contributions required under (a)(ii) of this subsection shall be based on the compensation the member would have earned if not on leave, or if that cannot be estimated with reasonable certainty, the compensation reported for the member in the year prior to when the member went on military leave.
     (5)(a) After completing twenty-five years of creditable service, any member who is a veteran of the Vietnam conflict may have service in the armed forces credited to him or her as a member whether or not he or she left the employ of an employer to enter the armed forces. However, (i) in no instance under this subsection may military service in excess of five years be credited, and (ii) in each instance the member must restore all withdrawn accumulated contributions, which restoration must be completed within five years of membership service following the first resumption of employment, or complete twenty-five years of creditable service.
     (b) "Veteran of the Vietnam conflict" means a person who (i)(A) served in the Republic of Vietnam during the period beginning February 28, 1961, and ending May 7, 1975, or (B) served during the period beginning August 5, 1964, and ending on May 7, 1975, and (ii) received an honorable discharge or received a discharge for physical reasons with an honorable record.