HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2891

As Passed House:

February 18, 2002

Title:  An act relating to determining which fire fighters or law enforcement officers may elect or be elected to certain pension and disability boards.

Brief Description:  Determining which fire fighters or law enforcement officers may elect or be elected to certain pension and disability boards.

Sponsors:  By Representatives Sommers, Sullivan, Simpson, Cooper, O'Brien, Chase, Conway, Santos, Ogden, Casada and Morell.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Appropriations:  2/6/02, 2/7/02 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 2/18/02, 97-0.

Brief Summary of Bill

$Allows Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Plan 2 members to continue to serve on Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Plan 1 disability boards, but they must be elected by the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Plan 1 members who are subject to the jurisdiction of that board.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass. Signed by 22 members: Representatives Sommers, Chair; Doumit, 1st Vice Chair; Fromhold, 2nd Vice Chair; Sehlin, Ranking Minority Member; Alexander, Buck, Clements, Cox, Dunshee, Grant, Kagi, Kenney, Kessler, Linville, Lisk, Mastin, McIntire, Pearson, Pflug, Ruderman, Schual‑Berke and Talcott.

Staff:  Andrea Hardy (786‑7349).

Background:

The statutes creating the retirement system Plan 1 (LEOFF 1) provide for the creation of city and county disability boards.  These boards rule on claims for disability retirement for LEOFF 1 members, designate which medical services are available to LEOFF 1 retirees, and may require a LEOFF 1 retiree who seeks payment for medical services to submit to a medical exam.

Each city with a population of 20,000 or more has a LEOFF 1 disability board.  Each county has a disability board with five members.  The county board has jurisdiction over LEOFF 1 members who are not employed by a city that has its own disability board.  Under current law, one of the members of the county board must be a member of the legislative body of a city or town that does not have its own board.  This member must be chosen by a majority of the mayors of the affected cities or towns within the county.

Representatives on the disability boards are not required to be LEOFF 1 members.  Given the growing proportion of the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Plan 2 (LEOFF 2) members, the membership of many LEOFF 1 disability boards has become increasingly dominated by LEOFF 2 members.

Summary of Bill:

LEOFF Plan 2 members may continue to serve on LEOFF 1 disability boards,  but they must be elected by the LEOFF 1 members who are subject to the jurisdiction of that board.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  None.