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.