SCPP Legislative Agenda - 2009
Below is a summary of the SCPP recommendations to the Legislature for the 2009 session.  The SCPP recommended a total of fourteen proposals.  The summaries are listed alphabetically below.  Bill numbers will be added as they are assigned to proposals.  To see past recommendations, click here.
 
Recommended Legislation
 

$150,000 Death Benefit

HB 1547
SB 5312
Increase the amount of the death benefit from $150,000 to $175,000.    Recommended December 16, 2008.
 

Change Membership Default for PERS 2/3

HB 1722
SB 5307
Change the default retirement plan for new members of the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) who do not select a plan upon hire from Plan 3 to Plan 2. Recommended December 16, 2008.

 

Disability Benfits Study

HB 1549
SB 5306
Direct the Washington State Institute for Public Policy, with the assistance of the Office of the State Actuary, to study options for addressing the needs of PERS Plan 2/3, Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) Plan 2/3, and School Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) Plan 2/3 members for adequate disability benefit coverage. Recommended December 16, 2008.

 

DRS Technical Corrections

HB 1542
SB 5305
Repeal two obsolete sections of the TRS 1 statute. Recommended November 18, 2008.

 

Fish & Wildlife Service Credit Transfer

HB 1953
SB 5309
Allow enforcement officers for the Department of Fish & Wildlife to convert prior PERS Plan 2 or PERS Plan 3 service to LEOFF Plan 2. Recommended December 16, 2008.

 

HECB Proposal

HB 1545
SB 5308
Allow the Higher Education Coordinating Board to offer Higher Education Retirement Plans to employees not already retired from a state-administered retirement system. Recommended May 13, 2008.

 

Interruptive Military Service

HB 1548
SB 5313
Allow members of the open plans to receive up to five years of free service credit for interruptive military service during a period of war as defined in RCW 41.04.005, with refunds to members who have already made payments for such service.   Recommended December 16, 2008.

 

Lower the General Salary Increase Assumption

HB 1543
SB 5304
Lower the statutory general salary increase assumption from 4.50 percent to 4.25 percent for all plans except LEOFF Plan 2—consistent with the actions of the Pension Funding Council.  Recommended September 16, 2008.

Military Death Benefits

HB 1551
SB 5314
Provide an unreduced joint and survivor annuity to the survivor of a member who dies in war while serving in the National Guard or Military Reserves. Recommended July 15, 2008.

OSA Request Legislation

HB 1544
SB 5310
Clarify how the State Actuary studies salary growth, and codify current practices relating to recommendations of the State Actuary following an actuarial experience study. Recommended November 18, 2008.

 

PERS to SERS Auto-Transfer

HB 1546
SB 5303
End the conditional automatic transfer of membership from PERS to SERS and allow certain auto-transferred members to reverse the transfer. Recommended May 13, 2008.

 

Pre-LEOFF Survivor Benefits

HB 1506
SB 5311
Provide a new, member-paid survivor benefit option for spouses who are ineligible to receive a survivor benefit from the plan, and continue paying survivor benefits when a surviving spouse remarries.  Recommended December 16, 2008.

 

Past Part-Time Service Credit

HB 1541
SB 5302
Grant half-time service credit to certain Plan 2/3 members who worked at least half-time for an educational employer prior to 1987. Recommended November 18, 2008.

Survivors of PERS 1 Inactives

HB 1550
SB 5315
Provide the same pre-retirement survivor annuity for inactive members as for active members in PERS Plan 1. Recommended May 13, 2008.