BILL REQ. #:  H-4773.1 

Read first time 01/23/08.   Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

     AN ACT Relating to past part-time service credit for members of the school employees' retirement system; and amending RCW 41.35.180.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 41.35.180 and 1998 c 341 s 19 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Except for any period prior to the member's employment in an eligible position, a plan 2 or plan 3 member who is employed by a school district or districts or an educational service district:
     (a) Shall receive a service credit month for each month of the period from September through August of the following year if he or she is employed in an eligible position, earns compensation earnable for eight hundred ten hours or more during that period, and is employed during nine months of that period;
     (b) If a member in an eligible position for each month of the period from September through August of the following year does not meet the hours requirements of (a) of this subsection, the member is entitled to one-half service credit month for each month of the period if he or she earns earnable compensation for at least six hundred thirty hours but less than eight hundred ten hours during that period, and is employed nine months of that period;
     (c) In all other instances, a member in an eligible position is entitled to service credit months as follows:
     (i) One service credit month for each month in which compensation is earned for ninety or more hours;
     (ii) One-half service credit month for each month in which compensation is earned for at least seventy hours but less than ninety hours; and
     (iii) One-quarter service credit month for each month in which compensation is earned for less than seventy hours.
     (2) Beginning on the effective date of this act and through December 31, 2010, an active contributing member that:
     (a) Was employed in an eligible position before September 1, 1987;
     (b) Made member contributions for service that was not credited, as the hours worked were insufficient to earn partial service credit for certain months of service under the rules in place at that time;
     (c) Either did not withdraw, or has restored, all withdrawn service; and
     (d) The hours worked before September 1, 1987, would have been sufficient for partial service credit had the service been earned under subsection (1) of this section;
may apply to the department to have those periods of partial service earned prior to September 1, 1987, credited to their accounts to the extent that the hours worked meet the service credit formulae in subsection (1) of this section. A member applying for periods of partial service must provide proof to the department of the hours worked for any month in question according to rules adopted by the department.
     (3) The department shall adopt rules implementing this section.