SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5468
As Reported by Senate Committee On:
Ways & Means, February 24, 2023
Title: An act relating to ensuring that firefighters who accept promotional firefighter positions within a fire department remain members of the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system.
Brief Description: Ensuring that firefighters who accept promotional firefighter positions within a fire department remain members of the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system.
Sponsors: Senators Van De Wege, Holy, Conway, Lovick, Nguyen, Randall and Valdez.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Ways & Means: 1/31/23, 2/24/23 [DP].
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Expands the definition of firefighter, for inclusion in the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System to include any person who is serving in a position that requires an experienced firefighter.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS
Majority Report: Do pass.
Signed by Senators Rolfes, Chair; Robinson, Vice Chair, Operating & Revenue; Mullet, Vice Chair, Capital; Wilson, L., Ranking Member, Operating; Gildon, Assistant Ranking Member, Operating; Schoesler, Ranking Member, Capital; Rivers, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Warnick, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Billig, Boehnke, Braun, Conway, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Muzzall, Nguyen, Pedersen, Saldaña, Torres, Van De Wege, Wagoner and Wellman.
Staff: Amanda Cecil (786-7460)
Background:

The Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System (LEOFF) provides retirement benefits to full-time, fully-compensated law enforcement officers and fire fighters employed by the state, cities, counties, and special districts.   

 
In addition to being full-time and fully compensated in order to be covered by LEOFF as a firefighter, the person must also be actively employed as a firefighter, employed in a supervisory firefighter position, or be employed by a fire department as an emergency medical technician.  
Summary of Bill:

The definition of firefighter, for inclusion in LEOFF, is expanded to include any person who is serving in a position that requires an experienced firefighter.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

PRO: The Department of Retirement Systems has threatened to take people in admin work and put them into a different pension system. This bill would ensure that they do not. There is an assumption that experienced firefighters who move into a position that does not respond to calls would be moved to a new pension system. This assumption is problematic as it creates a huge disadvantage to candidates applying to those positions. Firefighters need to be able to move freely between positions to ensure a stable workforce in all positions, without concerns over pension systems.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Senator Kevin Van De Wege, Prime Sponsor; Bud Sizemore, WSCFF.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.