Duty Disability Benefits - Passed

The disability benefits provided to law enforcement officers and fire fighters in LEOFF Plan 2 are actuarially-reduced for early retirement even if the disability occurs in the line of duty.

This bill passed by the Legislature only eliminates the early retirement actuarial reduction for members whose duty-related disability prevents them from engaging in any future employment as a law enforcement officer or fire fighter. The Office of the State Actuary estimates that this proposal would increase the LEOFF Plan 2 contribution rate 0.23% for members, 0.14% for employers, and 0.09% for the State.

STATUS: SSB 5615 passed and was signed by the Governor on May 13, effective May 13, 2005, Chapter 451, Laws of 2005.

Interruptive Military Service Credit - Passed

All the state-administered retirement plans, including LEOFF Plan 2, provides members who are called to active duty military service with the opportunity to purchase service credit in their retirement plan when they return to public employment.  Members who do not return to public employment due to death or disability incurred while on military service do not have the opportunity to purchase state retirement credit for their military service.

This bill provides a service credit purchase option to Washington public employees, including law enforcement officers and fire fighters, who are unable to return to public employment due to death or disability incurred during honorable active duty military service. This bill is also being recommended by the Select Committee on Pension Policy. The proposed bill will not have a cost sufficient to affect contribution rates.

STATUS: HB 1325 passed and was signed by the Governor on April 15, effective July 24, 2005, Chapter 64, Laws of 2005.

Post-LEOFF Plan 2 Employment - Passed

Members of LEOFF Plan 2 are not allowed to become members (stopped) in another Washington public retirement system if they have accrued fifteen or more years of service, or are eligible to retire. Retired members of LEOFF Plan 2 are barred from receiving their pension and becoming members in another Washington public retirement system if they become employed in an eligible public job after retirement.

This bill provides a member who is otherwise stopped from membership in another Washington public retirement system with the option to join membership in another Washington public retirement system. The bill also provides retirees who become employed in eligible non-LEOFF positions with a choice to either receive their LEOFF pension or enter into membership in another plan and suspend receipt of their LEOFF pension until their employment in the other system ends. The bill does not affect contribution

STATUS: HB 1270 passed and was signed by the Governor on May 10, effective July 24, 2005, Chapter 372, Laws of 2005.

Purchase of Service Credit - Passed

This bill provides LEOFF Plan 2 members the opportunity to purchase up to five years of additional service credit at the time of retirement. The cost of the additional service credit is the actuarial equivalent value of the resulting increase in the member's benefit. A member may pay all or part of the cost of the additional service credit with an eligible transfer from a qualified retirement plan. The bill does not affect contribution rates.

STATUS: HB 1269 passed and was signed by the Governor on April 12, effective July 1, 2006, Chapter 21, Laws of 2005.

Property Tax Exemption for Police and Fire Fighter Survivors

This bill provides the surviving spouse of a fallen emergency responders with an exemption from the state property tax levy. Under this bill the surviving spouse of a fallen emergency responder is exempt from any legal obligation to pay the state property tax levy on the surviving spouse's residence that is due and payable in the year following the year in which a claim is filed, and every year thereafter.

"Fallen emergency responder" is defined in the bill as a law enforcement officer or fire fighter who dies as a result of injuries sustained in the course of employment and was at the time of death, a member of the Law Enforcement Officers' and Fire Fighters' Retirement System (LEOFF) established in chapter 41.26 RCW or a commissioned employee of the Washington State Patrol belonging to the Washington State Patrol Retirement System (WSPRS) established in chapter 43.43 RCW.

STATUS: HB 1377 did not pass.

EMT into LEOFF - Passed

This bill allows any remaining Emergency Technical Technicians (not included in HB 1202 in 2003) of the Public Employees' Retirement System Plans 1 and 2 to become members of LEOFF Plan 2 and transfer previous EMT service from PERS to LEOFF.

STATUS: SHB 1936 passed and was signed by the Governor on May 13, effective July 24, Chapter 459, Laws of 2005.

LEOFF Plan 2 Retiree Medical Board

This bill establishes an eleven member medical board to oversee the funding and of post-retirement health insurance benefits for retired members of LEOFF Plan 2. The post-retirement health benefits are funded through contributions made by active members of LEOFF Plan 2 and premiums paid by retirees that enroll in the health benefit plans.

STATUS: HB 2162 did not pass.

Honoring Mark Noble - Passed

This Senate Resolution honors the spirit, devotion, and service of Mark Noble and extends the Senate's deepest condolences to his family. Mark Noble's death on January 15, 2005 was the first Line of Duty Death in the 146-year history of the Olympia Fire Department.

STATUS: SR 8658 was adopted by the Senate on April 8, 2005.