BILL REQ. #:  H-4528.1 

READ FIRST TIME 01/28/04.   

     AN ACT Relating to establishing a one thousand dollar minimum monthly benefit for public employees' retirement system plan 1 members and teachers' retirement system plan 1 members who have at least twenty-five years of service and who have been retired at least twenty years; and amending RCW 41.32.4851 and 41.40.1984.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 41.32.4851 and 1995 c 345 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) No one who becomes a beneficiary after June 30, 1995, shall receive a monthly retirement allowance of less than twenty-four dollars and twenty-two cents times the number of years of service creditable to the person whose service is the basis of such retirement allowance.
     (2) If the retirement allowance payable was adjusted at the time benefit payments to the beneficiary commenced, the minimum allowance provided in this section shall be adjusted in a manner consistent with that adjustment.
     (3) Beginning July 1, 1996, the minimum benefit set forth in subsection (1) of this section shall be adjusted annually by the annual increase.
     (4) Those receiving a temporary disability benefit under RCW 41.32.540 shall not be eligible for the benefit provided by this section.
     (5) Beginning July 1, 2004, the minimum benefit set forth in subsection (1) of this section, prior to adjustments set forth in subsection (2) of this section, for a beneficiary with at least twenty-five years of service and who has been retired at least twenty years shall be one thousand dollars per month. The minimum benefit in this subsection shall not be adjusted by the annual increase provided in subsection (3) of this section.

Sec. 2   RCW 41.40.1984 and 1995 c 345 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Except as provided in subsections (4) and (5) of this section, no one who becomes a beneficiary after June 30, 1995, shall receive a monthly retirement allowance of less than twenty-four dollars and twenty-two cents times the number of years of service creditable to the person whose service is the basis of such retirement allowance.
     (2) Where the retirement allowance payable was adjusted at the time benefit payments to the beneficiary commenced, the minimum allowance provided in this section shall be adjusted in a manner consistent with that adjustment.
     (3) Beginning July 1, 1996, the minimum benefit set forth in subsection (1) of this section shall be adjusted annually by the annual increase.
     (4) Those receiving a benefit under RCW 41.40.220(1) or under RCW 41.44.170 (3) and (5) shall not be eligible for the benefit provided by this section.
     (5) For persons who served as elected officials and whose accumulated employee contributions and credited interest was less than seven hundred fifty dollars at the time of retirement, the minimum benefit under subsection (1) of this section shall be ten dollars per month per each year of creditable service.
     (6) Beginning July 1, 2004, the minimum benefit set forth in subsection (1) of this section, prior to adjustments set forth in subsection (2) of this section, for a beneficiary with at least twenty-five years of service and who has been retired at least twenty years shall be one thousand dollars per month. The minimum benefit in this subsection shall not be adjusted by the annual increase provided in subsection (3) of this section.