DRS Policies

State rules, state laws and federal laws may apply. If any conflict exists between the information shown on this site and what is contained in rule or law, the rule or law governs.

This is a public domain website. Most of the information on this site is not copyrighted. You can use, share or copy the majority of information appearing on this site. You can also cite Washington State Department of Retirement Systems as the source for this information.

Our site also contains artwork, publications or other content that is copyrighted by others and is being used with the express permission of the copyright holder. Therefore, we recommend you contact DRS Communications (drs.communications@drs.wa.gov) for permission to use information from this site.

The Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) values diverse experiences and perspectives. We are committed to making this website and DRS applications accessible to everyone who uses them, and we will strive to ensure continued accessibility as new technologies and opportunities emerge.

DRS uses the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Level AA for guidance in meeting its IT accessibility commitments.

If you use assistive technology and have trouble accessing information on the DRS website, please contact the DRS Information Technology Accessibility Coordinator at drs.communications@drs.wa.gov. When requesting assistance via email, please write “Accessibility” on the subject line. If you are using TTY, please dial 711 for Washington Relay Service. (Other contact options are available in the Contact DRS section of this website.) Every reasonable attempt will be made to resolve your concern.

In order to respond in a manner most helpful to you, please include:

• A description of your accessibility concern
• The webpage address of the material or the application you are attempting to access
• The best way to contact you

DRS will continue to incorporate improvements to the website and IT applications, as appropriate, to better serve all users. We welcome your questions and suggestions on ways to improve accessibility.

Purpose And Justification

The purpose of this policy is to define the types of external websites that can be linked from the Department of Retirement Systems website.

DEFINITIONS: External website – means all websites other than the DRS website (www.drs.wa.gov).

Applicability, Usage And Agency Discretion This policy applies to the DRS website at www.drs.wa.gov and the content therein. The DRS website is not a public forum for communication and debate. Links to external websites from the DRS website are established, retained and removed at the sole discretion of DRS as directed by the agency Communications Director.

Permitted Links To External Websites Links to the following types of external websites may be included on the DRS website:

• Websites Maintained by Other Governmental Units – DRS may provide links to other governmental websites at the federal, state and local levels, including websites maintained by governmental educational institutions. 
• Websites Maintained by Non-governmental Entities – DRS may provide links to non-governmental entities only if such organizations have a contractual relationship with DRS or other governmental units to provide services or resources to DRS or its members. 
• Social Media – DRS may link to external content it manages on social media platforms. 
• Associations Representing DRS Retirees – DRS may provide links to membership associations representing Washington state’s public pension system retirees. 
• Mapping Applications – In limited circumstances, DRS may link to external websites that provide mapping applications to assist DRS customers and others in visiting department offices. 

In all instances, links to external websites referenced in this section shall be based on a review and determination by the DRS Communications Director that the content corresponds with the mission and purpose of DRS.

DRS Is Not Responsible For External Content Outside Its Control External websites identified in Section 3 of this policy are usually not controlled, maintained or regulated by DRS, and as such DRS is not responsible for the content of those websites. Unless otherwise specified, any information obtained from an external website linked to from DRS is not guaranteed by DRS.

Section A. Introduction

This document explains what we do with data collected as a result of your visit to this Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website, and describes several state and federal laws that apply to personally identifiable information that you might provide in the course of navigating this site.

Section B. Data collection and use

When you browse this website, it is possible that certain information about your visit will be gathered and stored. The following information about your visit is automatically collected and stored:

• The internet domain and network address you use to access this site
• The type of web browser and operating system you are using
• The date and time of your visit
• The pages you visit on this website
• Other web traffic statistics such as Google Analytics

Automatically collected information is saved and used by DRS to improve the content of web services and to help us understand how people are using these services.

If, during your visit to this website you participate in a survey, send us an email or perform some other transaction online, the following additional information might be collected:

• Your email address and contents of the email
• Information volunteered in response to a survey
• Information volunteered through an online form for any other purpose

The Washington State Archives requires us to limit the retention of information only for as long as it is needed, and then destroy it.

Section C. Personal information

Personally identifiable information (PII) is information that identifies a specific individual; for example, your name in combination with your date of birth or social security number.

We will not collect PII about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us by sending us email, or by completing an online form or survey. Choosing to opt out of these activities will not restrict or impair your ability to read, download or otherwise access any information provided on the site.

State law requires that state agencies provide procedures for correcting inaccurate information.

If you have questions about how we use your personally identifiable information, contact the Department of Retirement Systems.

Section D. Online Account Access

You may access Online Account Access to engage in account transactions with DRS over the internet. These services typically require a login process that includes use of a username, password, pin number, and/or other methods of authentication to access the system. Protections are built into these systems to ensure security for the User and to safeguard data, as well as to provide reasonable protection of private information in our possession. Sign In information, such as a username and password, is secure and will not be disclosed to the public. Information provided to DRS via Online Account Access is disclosable only to the extent allowed by law.

Section E. State laws on information privacy

All our information is governed by laws including, but not limited to, the Washington’s Public Records Act. Some information you voluntarily send us might be subject to public inspection and copying if not otherwise protected by federal or state law.

In the event of a conflict between this Privacy Statement and any federal or state law, rule, or court order, the latter will control.

Section F. Security

This agency safeguards the confidentiality and integrity of data it collects and manages, and provides protection of information in our possession.

Section G. Disclaimer

The DRS website contains links to other websites operated by other government agencies and non-government entities. When you follow a link to another site, this Privacy Statement will not apply. DRS reserves the right to revise and update this Privacy Statement at any time without notice by posting the revision on this site.