HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1798
As Reported by House Committee On:
Local Government
Title: An act relating to enabling county auditors and county treasurers to have designees appointed to firefighters' pension boards.
Brief Description: Enabling county auditors and county treasurers to have designees appointed to firefighters' pension boards.
Sponsors: Representatives Volz, Chase and Eslick.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Local Government: 2/11/25, 2/14/25 [DP].
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Allows a county auditor and county treasurer to send designees to sit on the Prior Act's firefighters' pension boards.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by 7 members:Representatives Duerr, Chair; Parshley, Vice Chair; Klicker, Ranking Minority Member; Stuebe, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Griffey, Hunt and Zahn.
Staff: Elizabeth Allison (786-7129).
Background:

The Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System (LEOFF) Plan 1 provides retirement and disability benefits to law enforcement officers and firefighters who entered eligible employment between 1969 and 1977.  Since 1977 eligible law enforcement officers and firefighters have entered LEOFF Plan 2.  Before the implementation of LEOFF Plan 1 in 1970, law enforcement and firefighter pensions, referred to as Prior Act systems, were administered by local pension boards.

 

The Prior Act's firefighters' pension boards for qualifying fire protection districts consist of five members, which include:

  • the chairperson of the fire commissioners for the fire protection district;
  • the county auditor;
  • the county treasurer; and
  • two regularly employed or retired firefighters elected through secret ballot.
Summary of Bill:

The county auditor and county treasurer are authorized to send a designee to sit on the Prior Act's firefighters' pension boards.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This is very simple.  Retirement plans for firefighters were changed years ago.  Retirement plans used to be within a larger pension committee.  No new members are going into this program.  The statute has been interpreted to mean that both the treasurer and the auditor have to physically attend board hearings.  This bill allows them to send designees, which aligns with other laws that allow them to send designees.

 

(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying:

Representative Mike Volz, prime sponsor.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.