CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

SENATE BILL 6218

Chapter 97, Laws of 2020

66TH LEGISLATURE

2020 REGULAR SESSION

WASHINGTON STATE PATROL RETIREMENT SYSTEM--SALARY DEFINITION

EFFECTIVE DATE: June 11, 2020

SENATE BILL 6218

BySenators Schoesler and Conway; by request of Select Committee on Pension Policy

AN ACT Relating to the definition of salary for the Washington state patrol retirement system; amending RCW 43.43.120; and creating a new section.

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

(2) The legislature intends to allow state patrol troopers who were commissioned between July 1, 2001, and December 31, 2002, to include unused vacation, annual leave, and holiday pay in their salary average at retirement.

Sec. 2. RCW 43.43.120 and 2017 c 181 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

As used in this section and RCW 43.43.130 through 43.43.320, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:

(1) "Actuarial equivalent" shall mean a benefit of equal value when computed upon the basis of such mortality table as may be adopted and such interest rate as may be determined by the director.

(2) "Annual increase" means as of July 1, 1999, seventy-seven cents per month per year of service which amount shall be increased each subsequent July 1st by three percent, rounded to the nearest cent.

(3)(a) "Average final salary," for members commissioned prior to January 1, 2003, shall mean the average monthly salary received by a member during the member's last two years of service or any consecutive two-year period of service, whichever is the greater, as an employee of the Washington state patrol; or if the member has less than two years of service, then the average monthly salary received by the member during the member's total years of service.

(b) "Average final salary," for members commissioned on or after January 1, 2003, shall mean the average monthly salary received by a member for the highest consecutive sixty service credit months; or if the member has less than sixty months of service, then the average monthly salary received by the member during the member's total months of service.

(c) In calculating average final salary under (a) or (b) of this subsection, the department of retirement systems shall include:

(i) Any compensation forgone by the member during the 2009-2011 fiscal biennium as a result of reduced work hours, mandatory or voluntary leave without pay, temporary reduction in pay implemented prior to December 11, 2010, or temporary layoffs if the reduced compensation is an integral part of the employer's expenditure reduction efforts, as certified by the chief; and

(ii) Any compensation forgone by a member during the 2011-2013 fiscal biennium as a result of reduced work hours, mandatory leave without pay, temporary layoffs, or reductions to current pay if the reduced compensation is an integral part of the employer's expenditure reduction efforts, as certified by the chief. Reductions to current pay shall not include elimination of previously agreed upon future salary reductions.

(4) "Beneficiary" means any person in receipt of retirement allowance or any other benefit allowed by this chapter.

(5)(a) "Cadet," for a person who became a member of the retirement system after June 12, 1980, is a person who has passed the Washington state patrol's entry-level oral, written, physical performance, and background examinations and is, thereby, appointed by the chief as a candidate to be a commissioned officer of the Washington state patrol.

(b) "Cadet," for a person who became a member of the retirement system before June 12, 1980, is a trooper cadet, patrol cadet, or employee of like classification, employed for the express purpose of receiving the on-the-job training required for attendance at the state patrol academy and for becoming a commissioned trooper. "Like classification" includes: Radio operators or dispatchers; persons providing security for the governor or legislature; patrol officers; drivers' license examiners; weighmasters; vehicle safety inspectors; central wireless operators; and warehouse workers.

(6) "Contributions" means the deduction from the compensation of each member in accordance with the contribution rates established under chapter 41.45 RCW.

(7) "Current service" shall mean all service as a member rendered on or after August 1, 1947.

(8) "Department" means the department of retirement systems created in chapter 41.50 RCW.

(9) "Director" means the director of the department of retirement systems.

(10) "Domestic partners" means two adults who have registered as domestic partners under RCW 26.60.040.

(11) "Employee" means any commissioned employee of the Washington state patrol.

(12) "Insurance commissioner" means the insurance commissioner of the state of Washington.

(13) "Lieutenant governor" means the lieutenant governor of the state of Washington.

(14) "Member" means any person included in the membership of the retirement fund.

(15) "Plan 2" means the Washington state patrol retirement system plan 2, providing the benefits and funding provisions covering commissioned employees who first become members of the system on or after January 1, 2003.

(16) "Prior service" shall mean all services rendered by a member to the state of Washington, or any of its political subdivisions prior to August 1, 1947, unless such service has been credited in another public retirement or pension system operating in the state of Washington.

(17) "Regular interest" means interest compounded annually at such rates as may be determined by the director.

(18) "Retirement board" means the board provided for in this chapter.

(19) "Retirement fund" means the Washington state patrol retirement fund.

(20) "Retirement system" means the Washington state patrol retirement system.

(21)(a) "Salary," for members commissioned prior to July 1, 2001, shall exclude any overtime earnings related to RCW 47.46.040, or any voluntary overtime, earned on or after July 1, 2001, and prior to July 1, 2017. On or after July 1, 2017, salary shall exclude overtime earnings in excess of seventy hours per year in total related to either RCW 47.46.040 or any voluntary overtime.

(b) "Salary," for members commissioned ((on or after))from July 1, 2001, to December 31, 2002, shall exclude any overtime earnings related to RCW 47.46.040 or any voluntary overtime, earned prior to July 1, 2017, lump sum payments for deferred annual sick leave, ((unused accumulated vacation, unused accumulated annual leave, holiday pay,)) or any form of severance pay. On or after July 1, 2017, salary shall exclude overtime earnings in excess of seventy hours per year in total related to either RCW 47.46.040 or any voluntary overtime.

(c) "Salary," for members commissioned on or after January 1, 2003, shall exclude any overtime earnings related to RCW 47.46.040 or any voluntary overtime, earned prior to July 1, 2017, lump sum payments for deferred annual sick leave, unused accumulated vacation, unused accumulated annual leave, holiday pay, or any form of severance pay. On or after July 1, 2017, salary shall exclude overtime earnings in excess of seventy hours per year in total related to either RCW 47.46.040 or any voluntary overtime.

(d) The addition of overtime earnings related to RCW 47.46.040 or any voluntary overtime earned on or after July 1, 2017, in chapter 181, Laws of 2017 is a benefit improvement that increases the member maximum contribution rate under RCW 41.45.0631(1) by 1.10 percent.

(22) "Service" shall mean services rendered to the state of Washington or any political subdivisions thereof for which compensation has been paid. Full time employment for seventy or more hours in any given calendar month shall constitute one month of service. An employee who is reinstated in accordance with RCW 43.43.110 shall suffer no loss of service for the period reinstated subject to the contribution requirements of this chapter. Only months of service shall be counted in the computation of any retirement allowance or other benefit provided for herein. Years of service shall be determined by dividing the total number of months of service by twelve. Any fraction of a year of service as so determined shall be taken into account in the computation of such retirement allowance or benefit.

(23) "State actuary" or "actuary" means the person appointed pursuant to RCW 44.44.010(2).

(24) "State treasurer" means the treasurer of the state of Washington.

Unless the context expressly indicates otherwise, words importing the masculine gender shall be extended to include the feminine gender and words importing the feminine gender shall be extended to include the masculine gender.

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