The Washington judicial retirement system is hereby created for judges appointed or elected under the provisions of chapters
2.04, 2.06, and
2.08 RCW. All judges first appointed or elected to the courts covered by these chapters on or after August 9, 1971, and prior to July 1, 1988, shall be members of this system: PROVIDED, That following February 23, 1984, and until July 1, 1988, any newly elected or appointed judge holding credit toward retirement benefits under chapter
41.40 RCW shall be allowed thirty days from the effective date of election or appointment to such judgeship to make an irrevocable choice filed in writing with the department of retirement systems to continue coverage under that chapter and to be permanently excluded from coverage under this chapter for the current or any future term as a judge. All judges first appointed or elected to the courts covered by these chapters on or after July 1, 1988, shall not be members of this system, but may become members of the public employees' retirement system under chapter
41.40 RCW on the same basis as other elected officials as provided in RCW
41.40.023(3).
Any member of the retirement system who is serving as a judge as of July 1, 1988, has the option on or before December 31, 1989, of becoming a member of the retirement system created in chapter
41.40 RCW, subject to the conditions imposed by RCW
41.40.095. The option may be exercised by making an irrevocable choice filed in writing with the department of retirement systems to be permanently excluded from this system for all service as a judge. In the case of a former member of the retirement system who is not serving as a judge on July 1, 1988, the written election must be filed within one year after reentering service as a judge.