BILL REQ. #:  Z-0196.2 

Read first time 01/20/2005.   Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

     AN ACT Relating to allowing certain members of the teachers', school employees', and public employees' retirement systems to return to work without restrictions or begin receiving their retirement allowance before separation from state elective office; amending RCW 41.32.010, 41.32.263, 41.35.030, and 41.40.023; adding a new section to chapter 41.32 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 41.35 RCW; and adding a new section to chapter 41.40 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 41.32 RCW to read as follows:
     A member who retires on or after attainment of age seventy and one-half and enters employment with an employer at least one month after his or her accrual date may continue to receive pension payments while engaged in such service without restriction. The retiree is no longer an active member and may not make contributions, or receive service credit, for future periods of employment while receiving his or her retirement allowance. This section does not apply to any member who is a state elected official unless that member leaves elected office or is reappointed or reelected after the effective date of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 41.35 RCW to read as follows:
     A member who retires on or after attainment of age seventy and one-half and enters employment with an employer at least one month after his or her accrual date may continue to receive pension payments while engaged in such service without restriction. The retiree is no longer an active member and may not make contributions, or receive service credit, for future periods of employment while receiving his or her retirement allowance. This section does not apply to any member who is a state elected official unless that member leaves elected office or is reappointed or reelected after the effective date of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 41.40 RCW to read as follows:
     A member who retires on or after attainment of age seventy and one-half and enters employment with an employer at least one month after his or her accrual date may continue to receive pension payments while engaged in such service without restriction. The retiree is no longer an active member and may not make contributions, or receive service credit, for future periods of employment while receiving his or her retirement allowance. This section does not apply to any member who is a state elected official unless that member leaves elected office or is reappointed or reelected after the effective date of this act.

Sec. 4   RCW 41.32.010 and 2003 c 31 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:
     (1)(a) "Accumulated contributions" for plan 1 members, means the sum of all regular annuity contributions and, except for the purpose of withdrawal at the time of retirement, any amount paid under RCW 41.50.165(2) with regular interest thereon.
     (b) "Accumulated contributions" for plan 2 members, means the sum of all contributions standing to the credit of a member in the member's individual account, including any amount paid under RCW 41.50.165(2), together with the regular interest thereon.
     (2) "Actuarial equivalent" means a benefit of equal value when computed upon the basis of such mortality tables and regulations as shall be adopted by the director and regular interest.
     (3) "Annuity" means the moneys payable per year during life by reason of accumulated contributions of a member.
     (4) "Member reserve" means the fund in which all of the accumulated contributions of members are held.
     (5)(a) "Beneficiary" for plan 1 members, means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by this chapter.
     (b) "Beneficiary" for plan 2 and plan 3 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.
     (6) "Contract" means any agreement for service and compensation between a member and an employer.
     (7) "Creditable service" means membership service plus prior service for which credit is allowable. This subsection shall apply only to plan 1 members.
     (8) "Dependent" means receiving one-half or more of support from a member.
     (9) "Disability allowance" means monthly payments during disability. This subsection shall apply only to plan 1 members.
     (10)(a) "Earnable compensation" for plan 1 members, means:
     (i) All salaries and wages paid by an employer to an employee member of the retirement system for personal services rendered during a fiscal year. In all cases where compensation includes maintenance the employer shall fix the value of that part of the compensation not paid in money.
     (ii) For an employee member of the retirement system teaching in an extended school year program, two consecutive extended school years, as defined by the employer school district, may be used as the annual period for determining earnable compensation in lieu of the two fiscal years.
     (iii) "Earnable compensation" for plan 1 members also includes the following actual or imputed payments, which are not paid for personal services:
     (A) Retroactive payments to an individual by an employer on reinstatement of the employee in a position, or payments by an employer to an individual in lieu of reinstatement in a position which are awarded or granted as the equivalent of the salary or wages which the individual would have earned during a payroll period shall be considered earnable compensation and the individual shall receive the equivalent service credit.
     (B) If a leave of absence, without pay, is taken by a member for the purpose of serving as a member of the state legislature, and such member has served in the legislature five or more years, the salary which would have been received for the position from which the leave of absence was taken shall be considered as compensation earnable if the employee's contribution thereon is paid by the employee. In addition, where a member has been a member of the state legislature for five or more years, earnable compensation for the member's two highest compensated consecutive years of service shall include a sum not to exceed thirty-six hundred dollars for each of such two consecutive years, regardless of whether or not legislative service was rendered during those two years.
     (iv) For members employed less than full time under written contract with a school district, or community college district, in an instructional position, for which the member receives service credit of less than one year in all of the years used to determine the earnable compensation used for computing benefits due under RCW 41.32.497, 41.32.498, and 41.32.520, the member may elect to have earnable compensation defined as provided in RCW 41.32.345. For the purposes of this subsection, the term "instructional position" means a position in which more than seventy-five percent of the member's time is spent as a classroom instructor (including office hours), a librarian, or a counselor. Earnable compensation shall be so defined only for the purpose of the calculation of retirement benefits and only as necessary to insure that members who receive fractional service credit under RCW 41.32.270 receive benefits proportional to those received by members who have received full-time service credit.
     (v) "Earnable compensation" does not include:
     (A) Remuneration for unused sick leave authorized under RCW 41.04.340, 28A.400.210, or 28A.310.490;
     (B) Remuneration for unused annual leave in excess of thirty days as authorized by RCW 43.01.044 and 43.01.041.
     (b) "Earnable compensation" for plan 2 and plan 3 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.
     "Earnable compensation" for plan 2 and plan 3 members also includes the following actual or imputed payments which, except in the case of (b)(ii)(B) of this subsection, are not paid for personal services:
     (i) Retroactive payments to an individual by an employer on reinstatement of the employee in a position or payments by an employer to an individual in lieu of reinstatement in a position which are awarded or granted as the equivalent of the salary or wages which the individual would have earned during a payroll period shall be considered earnable compensation, to the extent provided above, and the individual shall receive the equivalent service credit.
     (ii) In any year in which a member serves in the legislature the member shall have the option of having such member's earnable compensation be the greater of:
     (A) The earnable compensation the member would have received had such member not served in the legislature; or
     (B) Such member's actual earnable compensation received for teaching and legislative service combined. Any additional contributions to the retirement system required because compensation earnable under (b)(ii)(A) of this subsection is greater than compensation earnable under (b)(ii)(B) of this subsection shall be paid by the member for both member and employer contributions.
     (11) "Employer" means the state of Washington, the school district, or any agency of the state of Washington by which the member is paid.
     (12) "Fiscal year" means a year which begins July 1st and ends June 30th of the following year.
     (13) "Former state fund" means the state retirement fund in operation for teachers under chapter 187, Laws of 1923, as amended.
     (14) "Local fund" means any of the local retirement funds for teachers operated in any school district in accordance with the provisions of chapter 163, Laws of 1917 as amended.
     (15) "Member" means any teacher included in the membership of the retirement system. Also, any other employee of the public schools who, on July 1, 1947, had not elected to be exempt from membership and who, prior to that date, had by an authorized payroll deduction, contributed to the member reserve.
     (16) "Membership service" means service rendered subsequent to the first day of eligibility of a person to membership in the retirement system: PROVIDED, That where a member is employed by two or more employers the individual shall receive no more than one service credit month during any calendar month in which multiple service is rendered. The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to plan 1 members.
     (17) "Pension" means the moneys payable per year during life from the pension reserve.
     (18) "Pension reserve" is a fund in which shall be accumulated an actuarial reserve adequate to meet present and future pension liabilities of the system and from which all pension obligations are to be paid.
     (19) "Prior service" means service rendered prior to the first date of eligibility to membership in the retirement system for which credit is allowable. The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to plan 1 members.
     (20) "Prior service contributions" means contributions made by a member to secure credit for prior service. The provisions of this subsection shall apply only to plan 1 members.
     (21) "Public school" means any institution or activity operated by the state of Washington or any instrumentality or political subdivision thereof employing teachers, except the University of Washington and Washington State University.
     (22) "Regular contributions" means the amounts required to be deducted from the compensation of a member and credited to the member's individual account in the member reserve. This subsection shall apply only to plan 1 members.
     (23) "Regular interest" means such rate as the director may determine.
     (24)(a) "Retirement allowance" for plan 1 members, means monthly payments based on the sum of annuity and pension, or any optional benefits payable in lieu thereof.
     (b) "Retirement allowance" for plan 2 and plan 3 members, means monthly payments to a retiree or beneficiary as provided in this chapter.
     (25) "Retirement system" means the Washington state teachers' retirement system.
     (26)(a) "Service" for plan 1 members means the time during which a member has been employed by an employer for compensation.
     (i) If a member is employed by two or more employers the individual shall receive no more than one service credit month during any calendar month in which multiple service is rendered.
     (ii) As authorized by RCW 28A.400.300, up to forty-five days of sick leave may be creditable as service solely for the purpose of determining eligibility to retire under RCW 41.32.470.
     (iii) As authorized in RCW 41.32.065, service earned in an out-of-state retirement system that covers teachers in public schools may be applied solely for the purpose of determining eligibility to retire under RCW 41.32.470.
     (b) "Service" for plan 2 and plan 3 members, means periods of employment by a member for one or more employers for which earnable compensation is earned subject to the following conditions:
     (i) A member employed in an eligible position or as a substitute shall receive one service credit month for each month of September through August of the following year if he or she earns earnable compensation for eight hundred ten or more hours during that period and is employed during nine of those months, except that a member may not receive credit for any period prior to the member's employment in an eligible position except as provided in RCW 41.32.812 and 41.50.132((;)).
     (ii) If a member is employed either in an eligible position or as a substitute teacher for nine months of the twelve month period between September through August of the following year but earns earnable compensation for less than eight hundred ten hours but for at least six hundred thirty hours, he or she will receive one-half of a service credit month for each month of the twelve month period((;)).
     (iii) All other members in an eligible position or as a substitute teacher shall receive service credit as follows:
     (A) A service credit month is earned in those calendar months where earnable compensation is earned for ninety or more hours;
     (B) A half-service credit month is earned in those calendar months where earnable compensation is earned for at least seventy hours but less than ninety hours; and
     (C) A quarter-service credit month is earned in those calendar months where earnable compensation is earned for less than seventy hours.
     (iv) Any person who is a member of the teachers' retirement system and who is elected or appointed to a state elective position may continue to be a member of the retirement system and continue to receive a service credit month for each of the months in a state elective position by making the required member contributions.
     (v) Any member of the teachers' retirement system plan 2 or plan 3 who is elected to the state legislature has the option during a ninety-day period at the beginning of each term of office either to resume membership or to end membership in the retirement system and if otherwise eligible begin their retirement allowance. A state legislator who chooses to end membership at the beginning of a term of office and begin their retirement allowance shall neither make contributions nor earn service credit for the duration of that term.
     (vi) Any member of the teachers' retirement system plan 2 or plan 3 who is elected to a state elective position other than the state legislature has the option during a ninety-day period at the beginning of each term of office either to resume membership or to end membership in the retirement system and if otherwise eligible begin their retirement allowance. A state elected official other than a state legislator who chooses to end membership at the beginning of a term of office and begin their retirement allowance shall neither make contributions nor earn service credit for the duration of that term.
     (vii) When an individual is employed by two or more employers the individual shall only receive one month's service credit during any calendar month in which multiple service for ninety or more hours is rendered.
     (((vi))) (viii) As authorized by RCW 28A.400.300, up to forty-five days of sick leave may be creditable as service solely for the purpose of determining eligibility to retire under RCW 41.32.470. For purposes of plan 2 and plan 3 "forty-five days" as used in RCW 28A.400.300 is equal to two service credit months. Use of less than forty-five days of sick leave is creditable as allowed under this subsection as follows:
     (A) Less than eleven days equals one-quarter service credit month;
     (B) Eleven or more days but less than twenty-two days equals one-half service credit month;
     (C) Twenty-two days equals one service credit month;
     (D) More than twenty-two days but less than thirty-three days equals one and one-quarter service credit month;
     (E) Thirty-three or more days but less than forty-five days equals one and one-half service credit month.
     (((vii))) (ix) As authorized in RCW 41.32.065, service earned in an out-of-state retirement system that covers teachers in public schools may be applied solely for the purpose of determining eligibility to retire under RCW 41.32.470.
     (((viii))) (x) The department shall adopt rules implementing this subsection.
     (27) "Service credit year" means an accumulation of months of service credit which is equal to one when divided by twelve.
     (28) "Service credit month" means a full service credit month or an accumulation of partial service credit months that are equal to one.
     (29) "Teacher" means any person qualified to teach who is engaged by a public school in an instructional, administrative, or supervisory capacity. The term includes state, educational service district, and school district superintendents and their assistants and all employees certificated by the superintendent of public instruction; and in addition thereto any full time school doctor who is employed by a public school and renders service of an instructional or educational nature.
     (30) "Average final compensation" for plan 2 and plan 3 members, means the member's average earnable compensation of the highest consecutive sixty service credit months prior to such member's retirement, termination, or death. Periods constituting authorized leaves of absence may not be used in the calculation of average final compensation except under RCW 41.32.810(2).
     (31) "Retiree" means any person who has begun accruing a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by this chapter resulting from service rendered to an employer while a member.
     (32) "Department" means the department of retirement systems created in chapter 41.50 RCW.
     (33) "Director" means the director of the department.
     (34) "State elective position" means any position held by any person elected or appointed to statewide office or elected or appointed as a member of the legislature.
     (35) "State actuary" or "actuary" means the person appointed pursuant to RCW 44.44.010(2).
     (36) "Substitute teacher" means:
     (a) A teacher who is hired by an employer to work as a temporary teacher, except for teachers who are annual contract employees of an employer and are guaranteed a minimum number of hours; or
     (b) Teachers who either (i) work in ineligible positions for more than one employer or (ii) work in an ineligible position or positions together with an eligible position.
     (37)(a) "Eligible position" for plan 2 members from June 7, 1990, through September 1, 1991, means a position which normally requires two or more uninterrupted months of creditable service during September through August of the following year.
     (b) "Eligible position" for plan 2 and plan 3 on and after September 1, 1991, means a position that, as defined by the employer, normally requires five or more months of at least seventy hours of earnable compensation during September through August of the following year.
     (c) For purposes of this chapter an employer shall not define "position" in such a manner that an employee's monthly work for that employer is divided into more than one position.
     (d) The elected position of the superintendent of public instruction is an eligible position.
     (38) "Plan 1" means the teachers' retirement system, plan 1 providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first became members of the system prior to October 1, 1977.
     (39) "Plan 2" means the teachers' retirement system, plan 2 providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first became members of the system on and after October 1, 1977, and prior to July 1, 1996.
     (40) "Plan 3" means the teachers' retirement system, plan 3 providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first become members of the system on and after July 1, 1996, or who transfer under RCW 41.32.817.
     (41) "Index" means, for any calendar year, that year's annual average consumer price index, Seattle, Washington area, for urban wage earners and clerical workers, all items compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor.
     (42) "Index A" means the index for the year prior to the determination of a postretirement adjustment.
     (43) "Index B" means the index for the year prior to index A.
     (44) "Index year" means the earliest calendar year in which the index is more than sixty percent of index A.
     (45) "Adjustment ratio" means the value of index A divided by index B.
     (46) "Annual increase" means, initially, fifty-nine cents per month per year of service which amount shall be increased each July 1st by three percent, rounded to the nearest cent.
     (47) "Member account" or "member's account" for purposes of plan 3 means the sum of the contributions and earnings on behalf of the member in the defined contribution portion of plan 3.
     (48) "Separation from service or employment" occurs when a person has terminated all employment with an employer.
     (49) "Employed" or "employee" means a person who is providing services for compensation to an employer, unless the person is free from the employer's direction and control over the performance of work. The department shall adopt rules and interpret this subsection consistent with common law.

Sec. 5   RCW 41.32.263 and 1991 c 35 s 41 are each amended to read as follows:
     A member of the retirement system who is a member of the state legislature or a state official eligible for the combined pension and annuity provided by RCW 41.32.497((,)) or 41.32.498((, as now or hereafter amended)) shall have deductions taken from his or her salary in the amount of seven and one-half percent of earnable compensation and that service credit shall be established with the retirement system while such deductions are reported to the retirement system, unless he or she has by reason of his or her employment become a contributing member of another public retirement system in the state of Washington. Such elected official who has retired or otherwise terminated his or her public school service may then elect to terminate his or her membership in the retirement system and receive retirement benefits while continuing to serve as an elected official. A member of the retirement system who had previous service as an elected or appointed official, for which he or she did not contribute to the retirement system, may receive credit for such legislative service unless he or she has received credit for that service in another state retirement system, upon making contributions in such amounts as shall be determined by the ((board of trustees)) director.

Sec. 6   RCW 41.35.030 and 2003 c 157 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     Membership in the retirement system shall consist of all regularly compensated classified employees and appointive and elective officials of employers, as defined in this chapter, with the following exceptions:
     (1) Persons in ineligible positions;
     (2)(a) Persons holding elective offices or persons appointed directly by the governor: PROVIDED, That such persons shall have the option of applying for membership during such periods of employment: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That any persons holding or who have held elective offices or persons appointed by the governor who are members in the retirement system and who have, prior to becoming such members, previously held an elective office, and did not at the start of such initial or successive terms of office exercise their option to become members, may apply for membership to be effective during such term or terms of office, and shall be allowed to establish the service credit applicable to such term or terms of office upon payment of the employee contributions therefor by the employee with interest as determined by the director and employer contributions therefor by the employer or employee with interest as determined by the director: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That all contributions with interest submitted by the employee under this subsection shall be placed in the employee's individual account in the employee's savings fund and be treated as any other contribution made by the employee, with the exception that any contributions submitted by the employee in payment of the employer's obligation, together with the interest the director may apply to the employer's contribution, shall not be considered part of the member's annuity for any purpose except withdrawal of contributions;
     (b) A member holding elective office other than state elective office who has elected to apply for membership pursuant to (a) of this subsection and who later ((wishes to be)) is eligible for a retirement allowance shall have the option of ending his or her membership in the retirement system. A member ((wishing to end)) ending his or her membership under this subsection must file on a form supplied by the department a statement indicating that the member agrees to irrevocably abandon any claim for service for future periods served as an elected official. A member who receives more than fifteen thousand dollars per year in compensation for his or her elective service, adjusted annually for inflation by the director, is not eligible for the option provided by this subsection (2)(b);
     (c) Any member of the school employees' retirement system plan 2 or plan 3 who is elected to the state legislature has the option during a ninety-day period at the beginning of each term of office either to resume membership or to end membership in the retirement system and if otherwise eligible begin their retirement allowance. A state legislator who chooses to end membership at the beginning of a term of office and begin their retirement allowance shall neither make contributions nor earn service credit for the duration of that term;
     (d) Any member of the school employees' retirement system plan 2 or plan 3 who is elected to a state elective position other than the state legislature has the option during a ninety-day period at the beginning of each term of office either to resume membership or to end membership in the retirement system and if otherwise eligible begin their retirement allowance. A state elected official other than a state legislator who chooses to end membership at the beginning of a term of office and begin their retirement allowance shall neither make contributions nor earn service credit for the duration of that term;
     (3) Retirement system retirees: PROVIDED, That following reemployment in an eligible position, a retiree may elect to prospectively become a member of the retirement system if otherwise eligible;
     (4) Persons enrolled in state-approved apprenticeship programs, authorized under chapter 49.04 RCW, and who are employed by employers to earn hours to complete such apprenticeship programs, if the employee is a member of a union-sponsored retirement plan and is making contributions to such a retirement plan or if the employee is a member of a Taft-Hartley retirement plan;
     (5) Persons rendering professional services to an employer on a fee, retainer, or contract basis or when the income from these services is less than fifty percent of the gross income received from the person's practice of a profession;
     (6) Substitute employees, except for the purposes of the purchase of service credit under rcw 41.35.033. Upon the return or termination of the absent employee a substitute employee is replacing, that substitute employee shall no longer be ineligible under this subsection;
     (7) Employees who (a) are not citizens of the United States, (b) do not reside in the United States, and (c) perform duties outside of the United States;
     (8) Employees who (a) are not citizens of the United States, (b) are not covered by chapter 41.48 RCW, (c) are not excluded from membership under this chapter or chapter 41.04 RCW, (d) are residents of this state, and (e) make an irrevocable election to be excluded from membership, in writing, which is submitted to the director within thirty days after employment in an eligible position;
     (9) Employees who are citizens of the United States and who reside and perform duties for an employer outside of the United States: PROVIDED, That unless otherwise excluded under this chapter or chapter 41.04 RCW, the employee may apply for membership (a) within thirty days after employment in an eligible position and membership service credit shall be granted from the first day of membership service, and (b) after this thirty-day period, but membership service credit shall be granted only if payment is made for the noncredited membership service under RCW 41.50.165(2), otherwise service shall be from the date of application.

Sec. 7   RCW 41.40.023 and 2001 c 37 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     Membership in the retirement system shall consist of all regularly compensated employees and appointive and elective officials of employers, as defined in this chapter, with the following exceptions:
     (1) Persons in ineligible positions;
     (2) Employees of the legislature except the officers thereof elected by the members of the senate and the house and legislative committees, unless membership of such employees be authorized by the said committee;
     (3)(a) Persons holding elective offices or persons appointed directly by the governor: PROVIDED, That such persons shall have the option of applying for membership during such periods of employment: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That any persons holding or who have held elective offices or persons appointed by the governor who are members in the retirement system and who have, prior to becoming such members, previously held an elective office, and did not at the start of such initial or successive terms of office exercise their option to become members, may apply for membership to be effective during such term or terms of office, and shall be allowed to establish the service credit applicable to such term or terms of office upon payment of the employee contributions therefor by the employee with interest as determined by the director and employer contributions therefor by the employer or employee with interest as determined by the director: AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That all contributions with interest submitted by the employee under this subsection shall be placed in the employee's individual account in the employee's savings fund and be treated as any other contribution made by the employee, with the exception that any contributions submitted by the employee in payment of the employer's obligation, together with the interest the director may apply to the employer's contribution, shall not be considered part of the member's annuity for any purpose except withdrawal of contributions;
     (b) A member holding elective office other than state elective office who has elected to apply for membership pursuant to (a) of this subsection and who later ((wishes to be)) is eligible for a retirement allowance shall have the option of ending his or her membership in the retirement system. A member ((wishing to end)) ending his or her membership under this subsection must file, on a form supplied by the department, a statement indicating that the member agrees to irrevocably abandon any claim for service for future periods served as an elected official. A member who receives more than fifteen thousand dollars per year in compensation for his or her elective service, adjusted annually for inflation by the director, is not eligible for the option provided by this subsection (3)(b);
     (c) Any member of the public employees' retirement system who is elected to the state legislature has the option during a ninety-day period at the beginning of each term of office either to resume membership or to end membership in the retirement system and if otherwise eligible begin their retirement allowance. A state legislator who chooses to end membership at the beginning of a term of office and begin their retirement allowance shall neither make contributions nor earn service credit for the duration of that term;
     (d) Any member of the public employees' retirement system who is elected to a state elective position other than the state legislature has the option during a ninety-day period at the beginning of each term of office either to resume membership or to end membership in the retirement system and if otherwise eligible begin their retirement allowance. A state elected official other than a state legislator who chooses to end membership at the beginning of a term of office and begin their retirement allowance shall neither make contributions nor earn service credit for the duration of that term;
     (4) Employees holding membership in, or receiving pension benefits under, any retirement plan operated wholly or in part by an agency of the state or political subdivision thereof, or who are by reason of their current employment contributing to or otherwise establishing the right to receive benefits from any such retirement plan except as follows:
     (a) In any case where the retirement system has in existence an agreement with another retirement system in connection with exchange of service credit or an agreement whereby members can retain service credit in more than one system, such an employee shall be allowed membership rights should the agreement so provide;
     (b) An employee shall be allowed membership if otherwise eligible while receiving survivor's benefits;
     (c) An employee shall not either before or after June 7, 1984, be excluded from membership or denied service credit pursuant to this subsection solely on account of: (i) Membership in the plan created under chapter 2.14 RCW; or (ii) enrollment under the relief and compensation provisions or the pension provisions of the volunteer fire fighters' relief and pension fund under chapter 41.24 RCW;
     (d) Except as provided in RCW 41.40.109, on or after July 25, 1999, an employee shall not be excluded from membership or denied service credit pursuant to this subsection solely on account of participation in a defined contribution pension plan qualified under section 401 of the internal revenue code;
     (e) Employees who have been reported in the retirement system prior to July 25, 1999, and who participated during the same period of time in a defined contribution pension plan qualified under section 401 of the internal revenue code and operated wholly or in part by the employer, shall not be excluded from previous retirement system membership and service credit on account of such participation;
     (5) Patient and inmate help in state charitable, penal, and correctional institutions;
     (6) "Members" of a state veterans' home or state soldiers' home;
     (7) Persons employed by an institution of higher learning or community college, primarily as an incident to and in furtherance of their education or training, or the education or training of a spouse;
     (8) Employees of an institution of higher learning or community college during the period of service necessary to establish eligibility for membership in the retirement plans operated by such institutions;
     (9) Persons rendering professional services to an employer on a fee, retainer, or contract basis or when the income from these services is less than fifty percent of the gross income received from the person's practice of a profession;
     (10) Persons appointed after April 1, 1963, by the liquor control board as agency vendors;
     (11) Employees of a labor guild, association, or organization: PROVIDED, That elective officials and employees of a labor guild, association, or organization which qualifies as an employer within this chapter shall have the option of applying for membership;
     (12) Retirement system retirees: PROVIDED, That following reemployment in an eligible position, a retiree may elect to prospectively become a member of the retirement system if otherwise eligible;
     (13) Persons employed by or appointed or elected as an official of a first class city that has its own retirement system: PROVIDED, That any member elected or appointed to an elective office on or after April 1, 1971, shall have the option of continuing as a member of this system in lieu of becoming a member of the city system. A member who elects to continue as a member of this system shall pay the appropriate member contributions and the city shall pay the employer contributions at the rates prescribed by this chapter. The city shall also transfer to this system all of such member's accumulated contributions together with such further amounts as necessary to equal all employee and employer contributions which would have been paid into this system on account of such service with the city and thereupon the member shall be granted credit for all such service. Any city that becomes an employer as defined in RCW 41.40.010(4) as the result of an individual's election under this subsection shall not be required to have all employees covered for retirement under the provisions of this chapter. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a city of the first class with its own retirement system from: (a) Transferring all of its current employees to the retirement system established under this chapter, or (b) allowing newly hired employees the option of continuing coverage under the retirement system established by this chapter.
     Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, persons transferring from employment with a first class city of over four hundred thousand population that has its own retirement system to employment with the state department of agriculture may elect to remain within the retirement system of such city and the state shall pay the employer contributions for such persons at like rates as prescribed for employers of other members of such system;
     (14) Employees who (a) are not citizens of the United States, (b) do not reside in the United States, and (c) perform duties outside of the United States;
     (15) Employees who (a) are not citizens of the United States, (b) are not covered by chapter 41.48 RCW, (c) are not excluded from membership under this chapter or chapter 41.04 RCW, (d) are residents of this state, and (e) make an irrevocable election to be excluded from membership, in writing, which is submitted to the director within thirty days after employment in an eligible position;
     (16) Employees who are citizens of the United States and who reside and perform duties for an employer outside of the United States: PROVIDED, That unless otherwise excluded under this chapter or chapter 41.04 RCW, the employee may apply for membership (a) within thirty days after employment in an eligible position and membership service credit shall be granted from the first day of membership service, and (b) after this thirty-day period, but membership service credit shall be granted only if payment is made for the noncredited membership service under RCW 41.50.165(2), otherwise service shall be from the date of application;
     (17) The city manager or chief administrative officer of a city or town, other than a retiree, who serves at the pleasure of an appointing authority: PROVIDED, That such persons shall have the option of applying for membership within thirty days from date of their appointment to such positions. Persons serving in such positions as of April 4, 1986, shall continue to be members in the retirement system unless they notify the director in writing prior to December 31, 1986, of their desire to withdraw from membership in the retirement system. A member who withdraws from membership in the system under this section shall receive a refund of the member's accumulated contributions.
     Persons serving in such positions who have not opted for membership within the specified thirty days, may do so by paying the amount required under RCW 41.50.165(2) for the period from the date of their appointment to the date of acceptance into membership;
     (18) Persons serving as: (a) The chief administrative officer of a public utility district as defined in RCW 54.16.100; (b) the chief administrative officer of a port district formed under chapter 53.04 RCW; or (c) the chief administrative officer of a county who serves at the pleasure of an appointing authority: PROVIDED, That such persons shall have the option of applying for membership within thirty days from the date of their appointment to such positions. Persons serving in such positions as of July 25, 1999, shall continue to be members in the retirement system unless they notify the director in writing prior to December 31, 1999, of their desire to withdraw from membership in the retirement system. A member who withdraws from membership in the system under this section shall receive a refund of the member's accumulated contributions upon termination of employment or as otherwise consistent with the plan's tax qualification status as defined in internal revenue code section 401.
     Persons serving in such positions who have not opted for membership within the specified thirty days, may do so at a later date by paying the amount required under RCW 41.50.165(2) for the period from the date of their appointment to the date of acceptance into membership;
     (19) Persons enrolled in state-approved apprenticeship programs, authorized under chapter 49.04 RCW, and who are employed by local governments to earn hours to complete such apprenticeship programs, if the employee is a member of a union-sponsored retirement plan and is making contributions to such a retirement plan or if the employee is a member of a Taft-Hartley retirement plan;
     (20) Beginning on July 22, 2001, persons employed exclusively as trainers or trainees in resident apprentice training programs operated by housing authorities authorized under chapter 35.82 RCW, (a) if the trainer or trainee is a member of a union-sponsored retirement plan and is making contributions to such a retirement plan or (b) if the employee is a member of a Taft-Hartley retirement plan.