General

2012 Legislative Session

Click on the bill number for more detailed information about the legislation

* Signed by the Governor

Pension Bills Passed During 2012 Session

House Bill Number Title
*SB 6134 Allowing Department of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Officers to Transfer Service Credit.
This bill would change the deadline to transfer service credit under RCW 41.26.435 from June 30, 2014 to any date after June 30, 2012 if the bill to transfer the service credit has been paid in full, but no later than June 30, 2014.
*ESB 5159 CVEOS and Communication Officers Time into WSPRS
SCPP Request Bill for 2011 Legislature. This bill would allow current Washington State Patrol Retirement System (WSPRS) members who have service credit within Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) Plan 2 to transfer their PERS credit earned as commercial vehicle enforcement officers or as communications officers into the WSPRS. The member would pay the full actuarial cost of the transfer
*EHB 2771 Employee/Employer Relationships in the Retirement Systems
This bill would amend the retirement statutes to clarify that governmental contractors are not employers under the system, unless otherwise qualifying, and that the determination of whether an employee/employer relationship has been established shall be based solely on the relationship between the contracted employee and the governmental employer.
*SB 6239 Civil Marriage and Domestic Partnerships
This bill allows same-gender couples to marry, and automatically converts certain domestic partnerships to marriages unless the couple marries or dissolves the partnership before June 30, 2014. Under the provisions of this bill, survivor benefits may be available to certain members of the state’s retirement systems sooner than under current law.
*SB 6378 Benefits and contributions for new members of PERS, SERS and TRS
 This bill would make the following changes:
  • All new employees first hired into eligible positions in PERS, TRS and SERS on or after 5/1/2013 would be provided an option to retire early by accepting a reduction of five percent for each year of retirement before age 65. This option would be available only to those who are age 55 or older and have at least 30 years of service.
  • It requires that the state’s assumption for the rate of long-term investment returns be gradually lowered by 1/10th of one percent for the next three biennia (from the current rate of eight percent to 7.7 percent) for all pension systems except LEOFF 2. It also requires the State Actuary to study the financial condition of the systems after these changes are made and present the findings to the Pension Funding Council.
  • It requires the Select Committee on Pension Policy to study job classes that, due to physical or psychological risks, may need earlier retirement options than those provided in the bill.

 

Bills not passed by the Legislature

Click on the bill number for more detailed information about the legislation

House Bill Number Senate Bill Number Title
HB 2825
Eliminating Early Retirement Factors (ERFs)

This bill ends eligibility for the 2008 ERFs that were adopted with the repeal of gain-sharing for members who first become employed in an eligible position on or after July 1, 2012 in plans 2/3 of PERS, TRS, and SERS.

HB 1201 SB 5147
Eliminate the Mandatory Retirement Age for Judges

This bill would eliminate the mandatory retirement age of 75 for Judges covered under the retirement provisions of RCW 2.10, the Judicial Retirement System, and for District Court Judges. This bill would take effect only if voters approve an amendment to the State Constitution on the above provisions.
HB 2300 NA
Modify the Mandatory Retirement Age for District Court Judges

This bill would change the mandatory retirement age for District Court Judges from the end of the calendar year in which they reach age 75 to the end of their term of office in which they reach age 75.
HB 2350 SB 6563
Merging the Trust Funds of LEOFF Plan 1 and LEOFF Plan 2

This bill consolidates the trust funds for both Plan 1 and Plan 2 of the LEOFF Retirement System into a new fund for all LEOFF members and retirees. This bill also modifies the authority and duties of the LEOFF Plan 2 Retirement Board to include functions related to the new combined fund, establishes LEOFF Plan 2 contribution rates for the current biennium, establishes a funding policy for the new fund, and provides that member retirement benefits are not diminished due to the merger.

HB 2441 NA
Modifying the Excess Compensation Provisions

This bill would amend the definition of excess compensation in RCW 41.50.150 to include the portion of total reportable compensation used in the calculation of the employee's retirement allowance that exceeds one and one-half times the employee's reportable compensation over the calculation period, excluding reportable compensation from overtime, bonuses, cash outs of any form of leave, or lump-sum payments.
HB 2467 SB 6219
Changing the Member Contribution Rate in the WSPRS

This bill would provide that beginning July 1, 2012, the member contribution rate in the Washington State Patrol Retirement System shall be 7 percent plus 50% of the contribution rate increase caused by any benefit improvements effective on or after July 1, 2012.
HB 2738 NA
Modifying SCPP Membership

This bill would require that one of the four employer representatives on the Committee represent Higher Education Retirement Plan sponsors.
NA SB 5323
Modifying Retirement Provisions for Judges

This bill would modify the mandatory retirement age of 75 for Judges covered under the retirement provisions of RCW 2.10, the Judicial Retirement System. This would allow Judges to retire either at the end of the calendar year in which they turn 75 or at the end of their term in office after attaining age 75.
NA SB 6025
Eliminating the Mandatory Retirement Provisions for District Court Judges

This bill would change the mandatory retirement age for District Court Judges from the end of the calendar year in which they reach age 75 to the end of their term of office in which they reach age 75.
NA SB 6543
Using OT When Calculating Pensions

This bill would do the following:

  • No Overtime could be reported to DRS for pension calculations for new employees hired after 7/1/2012 for PERS, TRS, PSERS, LEOFF, and WSPRS.
  • Removes the allocating of overtime as a subject of collective bargaining.
  • Beginning 1/2015, the Office of the State Actuary would provide and DRS would collect an additional or supplemental employer contribution rate on overtime earnings for employees hired before 7/1/2012.

    • Members of TRS and SERS employed by a state agency or institution
    • All members of PERS

Legislation