FINAL BILL REPORT
HB 2456
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
C 145 L 14
Synopsis as Enacted
Brief Description: Correcting the expiration date of a definition of firefighter.
Sponsors: Representatives Gregerson, Freeman, Tarleton, Orwall, Sells, Ryu, Appleton, Van De Wege, Goodman, Morrell and Muri; by request of LEOFF Plan 2 Retirement Board.
House Committee on Appropriations
Senate Committee on Ways & Means
Background:
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) are included in the membership of the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Plan 2 (LEOFF 2) if they work on a full-time, fully compensated basis for public employers, including cities, towns, counties, districts, municipal corporations, general authority law enforcement agencies, or four-year institutions of higher education that had working fire departments before January 1, 1996.Certain EMTs were moved from membership in the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) to the LEOFF 2 by two acts enacted in 2005 and 2007. Each bill provided a mechanism to enable EMT members of the LEOFF 2 to earn future service credit in the LEOFF 2, and for members to transfer past service earned as an EMT in the PERS Plan 2.
Emergency Medical Technician LEOFF 2 members transferring PERS service are required to pay the difference between the contributions paid into the PERS and those that would have been paid had the member earned the service originally in the LEOFF 2, plus interest. The member payment must be completed within five years of electing to transfer the service.
The provisions permitting EMT members of the LEOFF 2 to transfer past service from the PERS expire July 1, 2023. The changes to the LEOFF 2 definition that included EMTs expired in the 2005 legislation, and in the 2007 legislation provisions were included that both indicated that the definition change would not expire and that the entire act including the definition section would expire.
Summary:
The July 1, 2023, expiration date of the portion of the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System Plan 2 (LEOFF 2) membership definition that includes qualified Emergency Medical Technicians in LEOFF 2 is repealed by specifying the sections of the 2007 EMT LEOFF 2 legislation that expire.
Votes on Final Passage:
House | 97 | 0 | |
Senate | 48 | 1 |
Effective: | June 12, 2014 |