If you are a member of PERS, TRS, SERS, or WSPRS, and you have previously established service credit in LEOFF Plan 1, you may irrevocably choose to transfer your LEOFF Plan 1 service to your current retirement system and plan subject to the following conditions:
(1) The choice to transfer service must be filed in writing with the department no later than one year from the date you become employed by a PERS, TRS, SERS, or WSPRS employer in an eligible position.
(2) If you transfer your service credit under this section:
(a) You will forfeit (lose) all rights to benefits as a LEOFF Plan 1 member and will be permanently excluded from membership.
(b) Your transferred service will
not apply to the eligibility requirements for military service credit as defined in RCW
41.40.170(3) for PERS Plan 1 or in RCW
43.43.260(3) for WSPRS Plan 1.
(3) When you transfer your service credit under this section to your current retirement system and plan, DRS will transfer:
(a) All of your accumulated LEOFF Plan 1 contributions;
(b) An amount sufficient to ensure that the employer contribution rate in your current system and plan will not increase because of the transfer; and
(c) All applicable months of LEOFF Plan 1 service credit, as defined in RCW
41.26.030.
(4) If you previously withdrew contributions from LEOFF Plan 1, you:
(a) May restore the contributions, together with interest as determined by the director, and recover the service represented by the contributions for the sole purpose of transferring service under this section;
(b) Must restore the contributions before the transfer can occur; and
(c) Must complete the restoration within the time limitations specified in subsection (1) of this section.
(5) If you do not meet the time limitations of subsection (1) of this section, you may restore any withdrawn contributions and transfer service under this section by paying the amount required under subsection (3)(b) of this section less any employee contributions transferred.
(6) Terms used:
LEOFF - Law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system.
PERS - Public employees' retirement system.
SERS - School employees' retirement system.
TRS - Teachers' retirement system.
WSPRS - Washington state patrol retirement system.
[Statutory Authority: RCW
41.50.050. WSR 21-16-020, § 415-02-200, filed 7/23/21, effective 8/23/21. Statutory Authority: RCW
41.50.050(5),
41.26.195. WSR 04-04-038, § 415-02-200, filed 1/29/04, effective 3/1/04.]