READ FIRST TIME 02/23/09.   

     AN ACT Relating to mailing information to certain members of the state retirement systems; and adding a new section to chapter 41.50 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 41.50 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Any organization that exclusively provides representation or services to retired members of the Washington state retirement systems and has membership dues deducted through the department of retirement systems has the right to request the department to assist in doing blind mailings to retirees twice each year. The mailings must provide information to members of the retirement systems eligible for membership in the retiree organization regarding services offered by the retiree organization. The mailings shall not be for the purpose of supporting or opposing any political party, ballot measure, or candidate. The retiree organization must provide all printed materials to be mailed and envelopes to a mail processing center and pay all costs for generating mailing labels, inserting materials into envelopes, sealing, labeling, and delivering materials to be mailed to a bulk mail center or post office. The organization must use its own bulk mail permit and pay all postage costs.
     (2) The department must provide requested retiree data for addressing the envelopes to the mail center under a secure data share agreement with the mail center under which neither the organizations nor any other entity has direct access to any names or addresses. The department has no obligation to approve or disapprove, or in any other way take any responsibility for, the content of the mailings. Only organizations that meet the requirements under subsection (1) of this section and have legal authority to provide services to retirement system retirees have the right to request assistance with blind mailings.