H-2150              _______________________________________________

                                           SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 632

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By House Committee on Constitution, Elections & Ethics (originally sponsored by Representatives Fisch, Winsley, Day, R. King, Fisher, Baugher, Lux and Crane)

Read first time 2/27/87 and passed to Committee on Rules.

AN ACT Relating to retirement allowance deduction; and amending RCW 41.40.380.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 39, chapter 274, Laws of 1947 as last amended by section 2, chapter 135, Laws of 1982 and RCW 41.40.380 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the right of a person to a pension, an annuity, or retirement allowance, any optional benefit, any other right accrued or accruing to any person under the provisions of this chapter, the various funds created by this chapter, and all moneys and investments and income thereof, are hereby exempt from any state, county, municipal, or other local tax, and shall not be subject to execution, garnishment, attachment, the operation of bankruptcy or insolvency laws, or other process of law whatsoever, and shall be unassignable.

          (2) This section shall not be deemed to prohibit a beneficiary of a retirement allowance from authorizing deductions therefrom for payment of:

(a) Premiums due on any group insurance policy or plan issued for the benefit of a group comprised of public employees of the state of Washington or its political subdivisions and which has been approved for deduction in accordance with rules and regulations that may be promulgated by the state employees' insurance board and/or the department of retirement systems((, and this section shall not be deemed to prohibit a beneficiary of a retirement allowance from authorizing deductions therefrom for payment of));

(b) Dues and other membership fees to any retirement association or organization the membership of which is composed of retired public employees, if a total of three hundred or more of such retired employees have authorized such deduction for payment to the same retirement association or organization; or

(c) Voluntary deductions for a political committee of an association or organization which is qualified to receive deductions under (b) of this subsection, or for a political committee of a national affiliate of such an association or organization.  Such a political committee must be registered with the public disclosure commission and/or the federal election commission.  The name and address of such a political committee shall be submitted in writing to the department of retirement systems by the governing body of an association or organization which is qualified to receive deductions under (b) of this subsection.  Verification that the political committee is registered and remains designated by that governing body to receive such voluntary deductions shall be submitted in writing by that governing body to the department annually.

          (3) Benefits under this chapter shall be payable to a spouse or ex-spouse to the extent expressly provided for in any court decree of dissolution or legal separation or in any court order or court-approved property settlement agreement incident to any court decree of dissolution or legal separation.