BILL REQ. #:  Z-0295.1 

Read first time 01/21/2003.   Referred to Committee on Appropriations.

     AN ACT Relating to determining which fire fighters or law enforcement officers may elect or be elected to certain pension and disability boards; and amending RCW 41.16.010, 41.16.020, and 41.26.110.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 41.16.010 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 154 s 61 are each amended to read as follows:
     For the purpose of this chapter, unless clearly indicated by the context, words and phrases shall have the following meaning:
     (1) "Beneficiary" shall mean any person or persons designated by a fireman in a writing filed with the board, and who shall be entitled to receive any benefits of a deceased fireman under this chapter.
     (2) "Board" shall mean the municipal firemen's pension board.
     (3) "Child or children" shall mean a child or children unmarried and under eighteen years of age.
     (4) "Contributions" shall mean and include all sums deducted from the salary of firemen and paid into the fund as hereinafter provided.
     (5) "Disability" shall mean and include injuries or sickness sustained as a result of the performance of duty.
     (6) "Fireman" or "fire fighter" shall mean any person regularly or temporarily, or as a substitute, employed and paid as a member of a fire department, who has passed a civil service examination for fireman and who is actively employed as a fireman; and shall include any "prior fireman".
     (7) "Fire department" shall mean the regularly organized, full time, paid, and employed force of firemen of the municipality.
     (8) "Fund" shall mean the firemen's pension fund created herein.
     (9) "Municipality" shall mean every city and town having a regularly organized full time, paid, fire department employing firemen.
     (10) "Performance of duty" shall mean the performance of work and labor regularly required of firemen and shall include services of an emergency nature rendered while off regular duty, but shall not include time spent in traveling to work before answering roll call or traveling from work after dismissal at roll call.
     (11) "Prior fireman" shall mean a fireman who was actively employed as a fireman of a fire department prior to the first day of January, 1947, and who continues such employment thereafter.
     (12) "Retired fireman" shall mean and include a person employed as a fireman and retired under the provisions of chapter 50, Laws of 1909, as amended.
     (13) "Widow or widower" means the surviving wife or husband of a retired fireman who was retired on account of length of service and who was lawfully married to such fireman; and whenever that term is used with reference to the wife or former wife or husband or former husband of a retired fireman who was retired because of disability, it shall mean his or her lawfully married wife or husband on the date he or she sustained the injury or contracted the illness that resulted in his or her disability. Said term shall not mean or include a surviving wife or husband who by process of law within one year prior to the retired fireman's death, collected or attempted to collect from him or her funds for the support of herself or himself or for his or her children.

Sec. 2   RCW 41.16.020 and 1988 c 164 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     There is hereby created in each city and town a municipal firemen's pension board to consist of the following five members, ex officio, the mayor, or in a city of the first class, the mayor or ((his)) a designated representative who shall be an elected official of the city, who shall be chairman of the board, the city comptroller or clerk, the chairman of finance of the city council, or if there is no chairman of finance, the city treasurer, and in addition, two regularly employed or retired ((firemen)) fire fighters elected by secret ballot of ((the)) those employed and retired ((firemen. Retired members who are subject to the jurisdiction of the pension board have both the right to elect and the right to be elected under this section)) fire fighters who are subject to the jurisdiction of the board. The members to be elected by the ((firemen)) fire fighters shall be elected annually for a two year term. The two ((firemen)) fire fighters elected as members shall, in turn, select a third eligible member who shall serve as an alternate in the event of an absence of one of the regularly elected members. In case a vacancy occurs in the membership of the ((firemen)) fire fighters or retired members, the members shall in the same manner elect a successor to serve ((his)) the unexpired term. The board may select and appoint a secretary who may, but need not be a member of the board. In case of absence or inability of the chairman to act, the board may select a chairman pro tempore who shall during such absence or inability perform the duties and exercise the powers of the chairman. A majority of the members of ((said)) the board shall constitute a quorum and have power to transact business.

Sec. 3   RCW 41.26.110 and 2000 c 234 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) All claims for disability shall be acted upon and either approved or disapproved by either type of disability board ((hereafter)) authorized to be created in this section.
     (a) Each city having a population of twenty thousand or more shall establish a disability board having jurisdiction over all members employed by ((said)) those cities and composed of the following five members: Two members of the city legislative body to be appointed by the mayor((,)); one active or retired fire fighter employed by or retired from the city to be elected by the fire fighters employed by or retired from the city((,)) who are subject to the jurisdiction of the board; one active or retired law enforcement officer employed by or retired from the city to be elected by the law enforcement officers employed by or retired from the city who are subject to the jurisdiction of the board; and one member from the public at large who resides within the city to be appointed by the other four members ((heretofore)) designated in this subsection. ((Retired members who are subject to the jurisdiction of the board have both the right to elect and the right to be elected under this section.)) Only those active or retired fire fighters and law enforcement officers who are subject to the jurisdiction of the board have the right to elect under this section. All fire fighters and law enforcement officers employed by or retired from the city are eligible for election. Each of the elected members shall serve a two year term. The members appointed pursuant to this subsection shall serve for two year terms: PROVIDED, That cities of the first class only, shall retain existing firemen's pension boards established pursuant to RCW 41.16.020 and existing boards of trustees of the relief and pension fund of the police department as established pursuant to RCW 41.20.010 which such boards shall have authority to act upon and approve or disapprove claims for disability by fire fighters or law enforcement officers as provided under the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system act.
     (b) Each county shall establish a disability board having jurisdiction over all members residing in the county and not employed by a city in which a disability board is established. The county disability board so created shall be composed of five members to be chosen as follows: One member of the legislative body of the county to be appointed by the county legislative body((,)); one member of a city or town legislative body located within the county which does not contain a city disability board established pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section to be chosen by a majority of the mayors of such cities and towns within the county which does not contain a city disability board((,)); one active fire fighter or retired fire fighter employed by or retired from the county to be elected by the fire fighters employed or retired in the county who are not employed by or retired from a city in which a disability board is established((,)) and who are subject to the jurisdiction of the board; one law enforcement officer or retired law enforcement officer employed by or retired from the county to be elected by the law enforcement officers employed in or retired from the county who are not employed by or retired from a city in which a disability board is established((,)) and who are subject to the jurisdiction of the board; and one member from the public at large who resides within the county but does not reside within a city in which a city disability board is established, to be appointed by the other four members ((heretofore)) designated in this subsection. However, in counties with a population less than sixty thousand, the member of the disability board appointed by a majority of the mayors of the cities and towns within the county that do not contain a city disability board must be a resident of one of the cities and towns but need not be a member of a city or town legislative body. ((Retired members who are subject to the jurisdiction of the board have both the right to elect and the right to be elected under this section.)) Only those active or retired fire fighters and law enforcement officers who are subject to the jurisdiction of the board have the right to elect under this section. All fire fighters and law enforcement officers employed by or retired from the county are eligible for election. All members appointed or elected pursuant to this subsection shall serve for two year terms.
     (2) The members of both the county and city disability boards shall not receive compensation for their service upon the boards but ((said)) the members shall be reimbursed by their respective county or city for all expenses incidental to such service as to the amount authorized by law.
     (3) The disability boards authorized for establishment by this section shall perform all functions, exercise all powers, and make all such determinations as specified in this chapter.