Updated: 02/25/2002  

HB 1050
SB 5144  

LEOFF Plan 1 retirees who get married after retirement are provided a new option of selecting an actuarially reduced retirement allowance that includes a survivor allowance for the post-retirement spouse.

House Appropriations

HB 1072
SB 5191

OPPOSE — Establish a risk assumption program whereby employers of LEOFF Plan 1 active and retired members of the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system voluntarily enter into membership in a risk pool for the purpose of sharing the noninsured medical costs of long-term care and major medical services for retired members of LEOFF Plan 1. 

Committee

HB 1172

Authorizes additional levies for Fire Districts.

Finance Committee

HB 1173

Changes the way sealed bid process Fire Districts must go through.

Governor signed
Ch. 79, RCW, Effective
July 22, 2001

HB 1215
SB 5142

The ex-spouse of a LEOFF Plan 1 retiree who is awarded a portion of the retiree's retirement allowance for the life of the ex-spouse may continue to receive the payment after the member's death, if specified in a court divorce order or property settlement agreement. The change applies only to court orders issued after July 1, 2002, and to divorces occurring before a member's separation from service.

House Appropriations

HB 1223

Change the definition of LEOFF Plan members “Basic Salary” as defined in RCW 41.26 (LEOFF Retirement) to include all employer contributions pursuant to section 457 (Deferred Compensation) of the United States Internal Revenue Code.

Appropriations

HB 1285

Include  publicly employed paramedics into the definition of fire fighter for retirement purposes.

Appropriations

HB 1477

Authorize a county to submit to the voters a sales and use tax which shall be used solely for the purpose of providing funds for costs associated with financing, design, acquisition, construction, equipping, operating, maintaining, remodeling, repairing, reequipping, and improvement of emergency communication systems and facilities.

Finance Committee

HB 1657
SB 5681

Provide flexibility for the department of transportation to adopt rules that will allow certain fire-fighting apparatuses to operate on state and local highways if they exceed existing gross weight limits currently established in statute.

Committee

HB 1783

Making communications between emergency service providers and trained peer supporters privileged.

Rules

HB 2021

Provides that all cities of the first class over one hundred fifty thousand population, that are located on the Interstate 5 corridor, that operate a council-manager form of government, shall operate, maintain, and permanently staff a fireboat twenty-four hours a day.

House Local Government & Housing Committee

HB 2169

Provides that the board of fire commissioners of a district that had an annual operating budget of under five million dollars in each of the preceding three years may upon agreement between the county auditor and the fire district commission, with approval of the fire district commission by resolution, adopt a policy to issue its own warrants for payment of claims or other obligations of the fire district.

House Local Government & Housing Committee

HB 2143

Authorize deputy state fire marshals to transfer into the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system.

Appropriations

HB 2185

Provides that the department of retirement systems, under direction of the state pension board, is to produce a summary level and consolidated annual financial report with the focus of presenting information about the status of the various retirement plans to active and retired members, policy makers, and other interested parties.

Appropriations

SB 5012

Authorize emergency vehicles to exceed the gross weight limitations contained in RCW 46.44.041 and 46.44.042 without a special permit or additional fees.

Not Heard

SB 5216
HB 1751

Relate to property tax levies and would reduce the maximum state levy by sixty cents from $3.60 to $3.00. The $5.90 per $1,000 of assessed valuation ceiling for taxing districts other than the state would increase by sixty cents to $6.50. This would shift monies collected to junior and senior taxing districts and allow those levies collected to increase to the maximum allowed threshold.

Not Heard

SB 5411
HB 1990

Extend the presumptive disease coverage to include heart problems, certain types of cancer and infectious diseases.

Senate Rules

SB 5650

Require the department to annually, by rule, establish the maximum rates that may be charged by an ambulance or aid service operating in the State of Washington. 

Senate Health & Long Term Care Committee

SB 6061

Require quarterly meetings for firemen’s pension boards, rather then the monthly meetings required in current statute.

Senate Rules

SB 6166

Restate the LEOFF Plan 1 Retirement System and provide enhanced benefits through a distribution of surplus funds. The Office of the State Actuary has determined that a large surplus exists within this closed system and the Legislatures intent to restate the plan would duplicate the current existing LEOFF 1 law within 41.26 RCW. The remaining assets, which are surplus to the actuarial needs of the defined benefit plan of the Restated LEOFF system, are distributed to three new funds: (1) LEOFF Defined Contribution Retirement Plan will fund self-directed individual retirement accounts for each member of the former LEOFF Plan 1 system.  The details and investment options for this defined contribution plan will be determined by a Council of Advisors consisting of LEOFF members, both active and retired. This plan receives 12 percent of the Plan 1 surplus assets, representing the members' proportionate share of contributions to LEOFF Plan 1. (2) LEOFF Medical Benefits Risk Pool assists local governments in providing medical benefits and long-term care for LEOFF 1 retirees.  It receives 12 percent of the surplus assets, reflecting the contribution level of local government LEOFF employers. (3) State Surplus Assets Reserve Fund consists of the remainder of the LEOFF Plan 1 assets, to be used to guarantee the actuarial soundness of the Restated LEOFF defined benefit plan (in case of any future adverse actuarial experience) and to provide a budget reserve fund for state government.

Local Government

SB 6167

Finds that the funding status of the state retirement systems has improved dramatically since 1989.  Because of the big reduction in unfunded pension liabilities, it is now prudent to adjust the long-term economic assumptions that are used in the actuarial studies conducted by the state actuary. Finds that it is reasonable to increase the salary growth assumption in light of Initiative Measure No. 732, to increase the investment return assumption in light of the asset allocation policies and historical returns of the state investment board, and to reestablish June 30, 2024, as the target date to achieve full funding of all liabilities in the public employees' retirement system plan 1 and the teachers' retirement system plan 1. Declares that the funding process established by chapter 41.45 RCW is intended to include the following goal:  To ensure the actuarial funding of the restated law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system defined benefit plan, and provide for additional state funding if unfunded liabilities accrue in the future. Although we understand the intent behind this proposal, it is our position that current funds that are surplus to the actuarial needs of the Retirement System should be used to enhance current benefits.

Local Government