HOUSE BILL REPORT

EHB 248

BYRepresentatives Patrick, Gallagher, D. Sommers, Zellinsky, Walk, C. Smith, Schmidt, Prince, B. Williams, Hankins, Haugen, Day, Kremen, L. Smith, Moyer and Miller

Increasing state patrol retirement allowances of certain surviving spouses.

House Committe on Transportation

Majority Report:     Do pass.  (27)

     Signed by Representatives Walk, Chair; Baugher, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Brough, Cantwell, Cooper, Day, Dellwo, Doty, Fisch, Fisher, Gallagher, Hankins, Heavey, Kremen, Meyers, Patrick, Prince, Schmidt, C. Smith, D. Sommers, Spanel, Vekich, J. Williams, K. Wilson, S. Wilson and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Larry Plummer (786-7321)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 13, 1987

BACKGROUND:

The current minimum retirement allowance under the Washington State Patrol Retirement System is $10 per month for each year of service credit.

There are 11 surviving spouses who began receiving State Patrol retirement allowances before January 1, 1970.  These persons range in age from 62 to 91 years, with an average age of 74.9 years.

Current monthly retirement allowances for these surviving spouses range from $235.78 to $516.97, with an average of $340.90 per month.

An increase in each of these persons' retirement allowances of $200.00 per month would cost a total of $52,800 for a biennium.

SUMMARY:

The minimum retirement allowance for beneficiaries under the Washington State Patrol Retirement System is increased from $10 to $13 per month for each year of service credit.

The minimum retirement benefit is increased to $23 per month for each year of service credit for those surviving spouses whose allowances commenced before January 1, 1970, and who are not receiving and are not eligible for federal old age, survivors, or disability benefits.  For surviving spouses of patrol members who died in service, the minimum service credit for benefit calculations is 20 years.

A maximum of $51,000 is appropriated from the Motor Vehicle Fund to pay for these cost-of-living adjustments in the 1987-89 biennium.

Fiscal Note:    Requested February 4, 1987.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     Captain Rick Jensen, Washington State Patrol.

House Committee - Testified Against: None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:     Not only do these surviving spouses receive no automatic cost of living increases in retirement benefits, they have no other sources of income.  At the time these spouses began receiving benefits, the Washington State Patrol had a firm prohibition against moonlighting; and Washington State Patrol employees have never had contributions made to the Social Security system.  Employees have, therefore, had no opportunity to develop other supplements to their surviving spouses income.

House Committee - Testimony Against: None Presented.