Brief Description: Allowing vesting after five years of service in the defined benefit portion of the public employees' retirement system, the school employees' retirement system, and the teachers' retirement system plan 3.

Sponsors: By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Fromhold, Bailey, Conway, Lovick, Green, Sells, Kenney, Quall, Simpson, Moeller and Morrell; by request of Select Committee on Pension Policy).

House Committee on Appropriations
Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

A member of Washington's public retirement systems must complete specific amounts of qualified employment before he or she is entitled to a pension benefit. This period of service requirement is called "vesting."

In the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) Plans 1 and 2, the School Employees' Retirement System (SERS) Plan 2, and the Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) Plans 1 and 2, the vesting period for employees is five years. After five years of service in Plan 1 or Plan 2, members' defined benefits are based in part upon the number of qualified years of service they have worked multiplied by 2 percent of their final average salaries. The method of calculating final average salary varies by plan.

The Plans 3 are a "hybrid" plan design in which employer contributions are made to support a defined benefit, and employee contributions are made into individual defined contribution accounts.

In PERS 3, SERS 3, and TRS 3, the vesting period in the defined benefit portion of employees' benefits is 10 years, or five years including one year after age 54. After 10 years of service, a Plan 3 member's defined benefit is based upon the number of qualified years of service he or she has worked multiplied by 1 percent of average final salary. Plan 3 members vest immediately in the defined contribution portion of their benefits.

Members who were already vested in Plan 2 when they transferred to PERS 3, SERS 3, or TRS 3 remain vested members.

Summary:

The vesting requirement for members of PERS, SERS, and TRS Plans 3 is reduced from 10 years or five years with one year after age 54 to five years of service with one year after age 44.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   97   0
Senate   45   0

Effective: June 7, 2006