2005 Legislative Session
The 2005 Legislative Session convened on Monday, January 10, 2005
and ended on Sunday, April 24, 2005. The LEOFF Plan 2 Retirement
Board recommended the legislation shown below.
For more information about a bill, you can click on the Bill Title to see a
summary, or click on the Bill Number to link to the Legislature's Bill
Information page.
Bills Recommended by the LEOFF Plan 2 Retirement Board:
Bill
Number
Bill
Number
Property Tax Exemption for Police and Fire Fighter Survivors
- LEOFF Plan 2 Retirement Board Bill Summaries -
Duty Disability Benefits (SSB 5615) ~ 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.
The Legislature passed Substitute Senate Bill 5615 and it was signed by the
Governor on May 13, 2005. Chapter 451, Laws of 2005. Effective May 13, 2005.
Interruptive Military Service Credit (HB 1325) ~ 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.
The Legislature passed House Bill 1325 and it was signed by the Governor
on April 15, 2005. Chapter 64, Laws of 2005. Effective July 24, 2005.
Post-LEOFF Plan 2 Employment (HB 1270) ~ PASSED
Members of LEOFF Plan 2 are not allowed to become members (“estopped”)
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 “estopped” 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 rates.
The Legislature passed House Bill 1270 and it was signed by the Governor
on May 10, 2005. Chapter 372, Laws of 2005. Effective July 24, 2005.
Purchase of Service Credit (HB 1269) ~ 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.
The Legislature passed House Bill 1269 and it was signed by the Governor
on April 12, 2005. Chapter 21, Laws of 2005. Effective July 1, 2006.
- Other Bill Summaries -
Property Tax Exemption for Police and Fire Fighter Survivors (HB 1377)
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 thesurviving 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.
The Legislature did not pass House Bill 1377.
EMT into LEOFF (SHB 1936) ~ 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.
The Legislature passed Substitute House Bill 1936 and it was signed by the
Governor's on May 13, 2005. Chapter 459, Laws of 2005. Effective July 24, 2005.
LEOFF Plan 2 Retiree Medical Board (HB 2162)
This bill establishes an eleven member medical board to oversee the funding and provisions
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.
The Legislature did not pass House Bill 2162.
Honoring Mark Noble (SR 8658) ~ Adopted
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.
The Senate adopted Senate Resolution 8658 on April 8, 2005.