H-2093.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2159

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By Representatives Murray, Wood, Cole, Ogden, Gombosky, Veloria, H. Sommers, Cooper, Romero, Dickerson, Blalock, Regala, O'Brien, Costa, Butler, Fisher, Cody and Mason

Read first time 02/24/97.  Referred to Committee on Government Administration.

Providing state employee benefits for domestic partners.

    AN ACT Relating to employee benefits for state employment; amending RCW 41.05.011, 41.05.065, 41.05.080, 41.05.085, 41.05.090, 41.06.150, 49.12.270, 49.78.020, 49.12.350, 49.12.360, 2.10.030, 2.10.140, 2.12.030, 28B.10.400, 28B.10.431, 28B.10.567, 41.26.048, 41.26.090, 41.26.160, 41.26.460, 41.26.470, 41.40.188, 41.40.190, 41.40.220, 41.40.235, 41.40.250, 41.40.270, 41.40.660, 41.40.670, 41.40.700, 41.54.010, 41.54.034, 43.43.120, 43.43.270, 43.43.280, and 43.43.285; reenacting and amending RCW 41.26.030, 41.26.510, 41.40.010, and 41.40.023; and adding a new section to chapter 41.05 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 41.05.011 and 1996 c 39 s 21 are each amended to read as follows:

    Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section shall apply throughout this chapter.

    (1) "Administrator" means the administrator of the authority.

    (2) "State purchased health care" or "health care" means medical and health care, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment purchased with state and federal funds by the department of social and health services, the department of health, the basic health plan, the state health care authority, the department of labor and industries, the department of corrections, the department of veterans affairs, and local school districts.

    (3) "Authority" means the Washington state health care authority.

    (4) "Insuring entity" means an insurer as defined in chapter 48.01 RCW, a health care service contractor as defined in chapter 48.44 RCW, or a health maintenance organization as defined in chapter 48.46 RCW.

    (5) "Flexible benefit plan" means a benefit plan that allows employees to choose the level of health care coverage provided and the amount of employee contributions from among a range of choices offered by the authority.

    (6) "Employee" includes all full-time and career seasonal employees of the state, whether or not covered by civil service; elected and appointed officials of the executive branch of government, including full-time members of boards, commissions, or committees; and includes any or all part-time and temporary employees under the terms and conditions established under this chapter by the authority; justices of the supreme court and judges of the court of appeals and the superior courts; and members of the state legislature or of the legislative authority of any county, city, or town who are elected to office after February 20, 1970.  "Employee" also includes:  (a) Employees of a county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state if the legislative authority of the county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state seeks and receives the approval of the authority to provide any of its insurance programs by contract with the authority, as provided in RCW 41.04.205; (b) employees of employee organizations representing state civil service employees, at the option of each such employee organization, and, effective October 1, 1995, employees of employee organizations currently pooled with employees of school districts for the purpose of purchasing insurance benefits, at the option of each such employee organization; and (c) employees of a school district if the authority agrees to provide any of the school districts' insurance programs by contract with the authority as provided in RCW 28A.400.350.

    (7) "Dependent" means the spouse of the employee, the dependent child and dependent parent of the employee or of the employee's spouse and, in addition, with respect to state employees, includes a state employee's domestic partner and domestic partner's dependent child or dependent parent.

(8) "Domestic partner" means the person designated by a state employee in an affidavit filed under section 2 of this act.

(9) "Board" means the public employees' benefits board established under RCW 41.05.055.

    (((8))) (10) "Retired or disabled school employee" means:

    (a) Persons who separated from employment with a school district or educational service district and are receiving a retirement allowance under chapter 41.32 or 41.40 RCW as of September 30, 1993;

    (b) Persons who separate from employment with a school district or educational service district on or after October 1, 1993, and immediately upon separation receive a retirement allowance under chapter 41.32 or 41.40 RCW;

    (c) Persons who separate from employment with a school district or educational service district due to a total and permanent disability, and are eligible to receive a deferred retirement allowance under chapter 41.32 or 41.40 RCW.

    (((9))) (11) "Benefits contribution plan" means a premium only contribution plan, a medical flexible spending arrangement, or a cafeteria plan whereby state and public employees may agree to a contribution to benefit costs which will allow the employee to participate in benefits offered pursuant to 26 U.S.C. Sec. 125 or other sections of the internal revenue code.

    (((10))) (12) "Salary" means a state employee's monthly salary or wages.

    (((11))) (13) "Participant" means an individual who fulfills the eligibility and enrollment requirements under the benefits contribution plan.

    (((12))) (14) "Plan year" means the time period established by the authority.

    (((13))) (15) "Separated employees" means persons who separate from employment with an employer as defined in RCW 41.32.010(11) on or after July 1, 1996, and who are at least age fifty-five and have at least ten years of service under the teachers' retirement system plan III as defined in RCW 41.32.010(40).

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 41.05 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) A state employee may designate a person as a domestic partner by providing an affidavit in a form prescribed by the administrator in which the employee attests that:

    (a) The employee is participating in a domestic partnership;

    (b) The employee and the domestic partner:

    (i) Share the same regular and permanent residence;

    (ii) Have a close personal relationship;

    (iii) Have agreed to be jointly responsible for basic living expenses incurred during the domestic partnership;

    (iv) Are not married to anyone;

    (v) Are each eighteen years of age or older;

    (vi)  Are not related to each other by blood closer than would bar marriage in this state;

    (vii) Were mentally competent to consent to contract when their domestic partnership began; and

    (viii) Are each other's sole domestic partner and are responsible for each other's common welfare; and

    (c)  Any prior domestic partnership in which the employee or his or her domestic partner participated with a third party was terminated not less than ninety days prior to the date of the affidavit, or by the death of that third party, whichever was earlier.

    (2)  The administrator may require by rule that the affidavit include other information deemed necessary to establishing a domestic partnership.

    (3)  The state employee must agree to notify the administrator if there is a change in the circumstances attested to in the affidavit.

    (4)  A domestic partnership ends when one or more of the conditions attested to in the affidavit are no longer met or upon the death of a domestic partner.

    Sec. 3.  RCW 41.05.065 and 1996 c 140 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) The board shall study all matters connected with the provision of health care coverage, life insurance, liability insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and disability income insurance or any of, or a combination of, the enumerated types of insurance for employees and their dependents on the best basis possible with relation both to the welfare of the employees and to the state.  However, liability insurance shall not be made available to dependents.

    (2) The board shall develop employee benefit plans that include comprehensive health care benefits for all employees.  In developing these plans, the board shall consider the following elements:

    (a) Methods of maximizing cost containment while ensuring access to quality health care;

    (b) Development of provider arrangements that encourage cost containment and ensure access to quality care, including but not limited to prepaid delivery systems and prospective payment methods;

    (c) Wellness incentives that focus on proven strategies, such as smoking cessation, injury and accident prevention, reduction of alcohol misuse, appropriate weight reduction, exercise, automobile and motorcycle safety, blood cholesterol reduction, and nutrition education;

    (d) Utilization review procedures including, but not limited to a cost-efficient method for prior authorization of services, hospital inpatient length of stay review, requirements for use of outpatient surgeries and second opinions for surgeries, review of invoices or claims submitted by service providers, and performance audit of providers;

    (e) Effective coordination of benefits;

    (f) Minimum standards for insuring entities; and

    (g) Minimum scope and content of public employee benefit plans to be offered to enrollees participating in the employee health benefit plans.  To maintain the comprehensive nature of employee health care benefits, employee eligibility criteria related to the number of hours worked and the benefits provided to employees shall be substantially equivalent to the state employees' health benefits plan and eligibility criteria in effect on January 1, 1993.  Nothing in this subsection (2)(g) shall prohibit changes or increases in employee point-of-service payments or employee premium payments for benefits.

    (3) The board shall design benefits and determine the terms and conditions of employee participation and coverage, including establishment of eligibility criteria.

    (4) The board may authorize premium contributions for an employee and the employee's dependents in a manner that encourages the use of cost-efficient managed health care systems.

    (5) Employees shall choose participation in one of the health care benefit plans developed by the board and may be permitted to waive coverage under terms and conditions established by the board.

    (6) The board shall review plans proposed by insuring entities that desire to offer property insurance and/or accident and casualty insurance to state employees through payroll deduction.  The board may approve any such plan for payroll deduction by insuring entities holding a valid certificate of authority in the state of Washington and which the board determines to be in the best interests of employees and the state.  The board shall promulgate rules setting forth criteria by which it shall evaluate the plans.

    (7) Before January 1, 1998, the public employees' benefits board shall make available one or more fully insured long-term care insurance plans that comply with the requirements of chapter 48.84 RCW.  Such programs shall be made available to eligible employees, retired employees, and retired school employees as well as eligible dependents which, for the purpose of this section, includes the parents of the employee or retiree and the parents of the spouse or domestic partner of the employee or retiree.  Employees of local governments and employees of political subdivisions not otherwise enrolled in the public employees' benefits board sponsored medical programs may enroll under terms and conditions established by the administrator, if it does not jeopardize the financial viability of the public employees' benefits board's long-term care offering.

    (a) Participation of eligible employees or retired employees and retired school employees in any long-term care insurance plan made available by the public employees' benefits board is voluntary and shall not be subject to binding arbitration under chapter 41.56 RCW.  Participation is subject to reasonable underwriting guidelines and eligibility rules established by the public employees' benefits board and the health care authority.

    (b) The employee, retired employee, and retired school employee are solely responsible for the payment of the premium rates developed by the health care authority.  The health care authority is authorized to charge a reasonable administrative fee in addition to the premium charged by the long-term care insurer, which shall include the health care authority's cost of administration, marketing, and consumer education materials prepared by the health care authority and the office of the insurance commissioner.

    (c) To the extent administratively possible, the state shall establish an automatic payroll or pension deduction system for the payment of the long-term care insurance premiums.

    (d) The public employees' benefits board and the health care authority shall establish a technical advisory committee to provide advice in the development of the benefit design and establishment of underwriting guidelines and eligibility rules.  The committee shall also advise the board and authority on effective and cost-effective ways to market and distribute the long-term care product.  The technical advisory committee shall be comprised, at a minimum, of representatives of the office of the insurance commissioner, providers of long-term care services, licensed insurance agents with expertise in long-term care insurance, employees, retired employees, retired school employees, and other interested parties determined to be appropriate by the board.

    (e) The health care authority shall offer employees, retired employees, and retired school employees the option of purchasing long-term care insurance through licensed agents or brokers appointed by the long-term care insurer.  The authority, in consultation with the public employees' benefits board, shall establish marketing procedures and may consider all premium components as a part of the contract negotiations with the long-term care insurer.

    (f) In developing the long-term care insurance benefit designs, the public employees' benefits board shall include an alternative plan of care benefit, including adult day services, as approved by the office of the insurance commissioner.

    (g) The health care authority, with the cooperation of the office of the insurance commissioner, shall develop a consumer education program for the eligible employees, retired employees, and retired school employees designed to provide education on the potential need for long-term care, methods of financing long-term care, and the availability of long-term care insurance products including the products offered by the board.

    (h) By December 1998, the health care authority, in consultation with the public employees' benefits board, shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of the legislature, including an analysis of the marketing and distribution of the long-term care insurance provided under this section.

    Sec. 4.  RCW 41.05.080 and 1996 c 39 s 22 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Under the qualifications, terms, conditions, and benefits set by the board:

    (a) Retired or disabled state employees, retired or disabled school employees, or employees of county, municipal, or other political subdivisions covered by this chapter who are retired may continue their participation in insurance plans and contracts after retirement or disablement;

    (b) Separated employees may continue their participation in insurance plans and contracts if participation is selected immediately upon separation from employment.

    (2) Rates charged to retired or disabled employees, separated employees, spouses or domestic partners, or dependent children who are not eligible for parts A and B of medicare shall be based on the experience of the community rated risk pool established under RCW 41.05.022.

    (3) Rates charged to retired or disabled employees, separated employees, spouses or domestic partners, or children who are eligible for parts A and B of medicare shall be calculated from a separate experience risk pool comprised only of individuals eligible for parts A and B of medicare; however, the premiums charged to medicare-eligible retirees and disabled employees shall be reduced by the amount of the subsidy provided under RCW 41.05.085.

    (4) Retired or disabled and separated employees shall be responsible for payment of premium rates developed by the authority which shall include the cost to the authority of providing insurance coverage including any amounts necessary for reserves and administration in accordance with this chapter.  These self pay rates will be established based on a separate rate for the employee, the spouse or domestic partner, and the children.

    (5) The term "retired state employees" for the purpose of this section shall include but not be limited to members of the legislature whether voluntarily or involuntarily leaving state office.

    Sec. 5.  RCW 41.05.085 and 1994 c 153 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    Beginning with the appropriations act for the 1995-1997 biennium, the legislature shall establish as part of both the state employees' and the school and educational service district employees' insurance benefit allocation the portion of the allocation to be used to provide a subsidy to reduce the health care insurance premiums charged to retired or disabled school district and educational service district employees, or retired state employees, who are eligible for parts A and B of medicare.  The amount of any premium reduction shall be established by the board, but shall not result in a premium reduction of more than fifty percent.  The board may also determine the amount of any subsidy to be available to spouses or domestic partners and dependents.

    Sec. 6.  RCW 41.05.090 and 1990 c 222 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) When an employee, spouse or domestic partner, or covered dependent becomes ineligible under the state plan and wishes to continue coverage on an individual basis with the same provider under the state plan, such employee, spouse or domestic partner, or covered dependent shall be entitled to immediately transfer and shall not be required to undergo any waiting period before obtaining individual coverage.

    (2) Entitlement to a conversion contract under the terms of this section shall not apply to any employee, spouse or domestic partner, or covered dependent who is:

    (a) Eligible for federal medicare coverage; or

    (b) Covered under another group plan, policy, contract, or agreement providing benefits for hospital or medical care.

    (3) Entitlement to conversion under the terms of this section shall not apply to any employee terminated for misconduct, except that conversion shall be offered to the spouse or domestic partner and covered dependents of the terminated employee.

    Sec. 7.  RCW 41.06.150 and 1996 c 319 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    The board shall adopt rules, consistent with the purposes and provisions of this chapter, as now or hereafter amended, and with the best standards of personnel administration, regarding the basis and procedures to be followed for:

    (1) The reduction, dismissal, suspension, or demotion of an employee;

    (2) Certification of names for vacancies, including departmental promotions, with the number of names equal to six more names than there are vacancies to be filled, such names representing applicants rated highest on eligibility lists:  PROVIDED, That when other applicants have scores equal to the lowest score among the names certified, their names shall also be certified;

    (3) Examinations for all positions in the competitive and noncompetitive service;

    (4) Appointments;

    (5) Training and career development;

    (6) Probationary periods of six to twelve months and rejections of probationary employees, depending on the job requirements of the class, except that entry level state park rangers shall serve a probationary period of twelve months;

    (7) Transfers;

    (8) Sick leaves and vacations.  The rules shall include the same provisions with respect to employee domestic partners as defined in RCW 41.05.011 and the children or other family members of employee domestic partners as is provided with respect to employee spouses and the children or other family members of employee spouses;

    (9) Hours of work;

    (10) Layoffs when necessary and subsequent reemployment, both according to seniority;

    (11) Determination of appropriate bargaining units within any agency:  PROVIDED, That in making such determination the board shall consider the duties, skills, and working conditions of the employees, the history of collective bargaining by the employees and their bargaining representatives, the extent of organization among the employees, and the desires of the employees;

    (12) Certification and decertification of exclusive bargaining representatives:  PROVIDED, That after certification of an exclusive bargaining representative and upon the representative's request, the director shall hold an election among employees in a bargaining unit to determine by a majority whether to require as a condition of employment membership in the certified exclusive bargaining representative on or after the thirtieth day following the beginning of employment or the date of such election, whichever is the later, and the failure of an employee to comply with such a condition of employment constitutes cause for dismissal:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That no more often than once in each twelve-month period after expiration of twelve months following the date of the original election in a bargaining unit and upon petition of thirty percent of the members of a bargaining unit the director shall hold an election to determine whether a majority wish to rescind such condition of employment:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That for purposes of this clause, membership in the certified exclusive bargaining representative is satisfied by the payment of monthly or other periodic dues and does not require payment of initiation, reinstatement, or any other fees or fines and includes full and complete membership rights:  AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That in order to safeguard the right of nonassociation of public employees, based on bona fide religious tenets or teachings of a church or religious body of which such public employee is a member, such public employee shall pay to the union, for purposes within the program of the union as designated by such employee that would be in harmony with his or her individual conscience, an amount of money equivalent to regular union dues minus any included monthly premiums for union-sponsored insurance programs, and such employee shall not be a member of the union but is entitled to all the representation rights of a union member;

    (13) Agreements between agencies and certified exclusive bargaining representatives providing for grievance procedures and collective negotiations on all personnel matters over which the appointing authority of the appropriate bargaining unit of such agency may lawfully exercise discretion;

    (14) Written agreements may contain provisions for payroll deductions of employee organization dues upon authorization by the employee member and for the cancellation of such payroll deduction by the filing of a proper prior notice by the employee with the appointing authority and the employee organization:  PROVIDED, That nothing contained herein permits or grants to any employee the right to strike or refuse to perform his or her official duties;

    (15) Adoption and revision of a comprehensive classification plan for all positions in the classified service, based on investigation and analysis of the duties and responsibilities of each such position.

    (a) The board shall not adopt job classification revisions or class studies unless implementation of the proposed revision or study will result in net cost savings, increased efficiencies, or improved management of personnel or services, and the proposed revision or study has been approved by the director of financial management in accordance with chapter 43.88 RCW.

    (b) Beginning July 1, 1995, through June 30, 1997, in addition to the requirements of (a) of this subsection:

    (i) The board may approve the implementation of salary increases resulting from adjustments to the classification plan during the 1995-97 fiscal biennium only if:

    (A) The implementation will not result in additional net costs and the proposed implementation has been approved by the director of financial management in accordance with chapter 43.88 RCW;

    (B) The implementation will take effect on July 1, 1996, and the total net cost of all such actions approved by the board for implementation during the 1995-97 fiscal biennium does not exceed the amounts specified by the legislature specifically for this purpose; or

    (C) The implementation is a result of emergent conditions.  Emergent conditions are defined as emergency situations requiring the establishment of positions necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, which do not exceed $250,000 of the moneys identified in section 718(2), chapter 18, Laws of 1995 2nd sp. sess.

    (ii) The board shall approve only those salary increases resulting from adjustments to the classification plan if they are due to documented recruitment and retention difficulties, salary compression or inversion, increased duties and responsibilities, or inequities.  For these purposes, inequities are defined as similar work assigned to different job classes with a salary disparity greater than 7.5 percent.

    (iii) Adjustments made to the higher education hospital special pay plan are exempt from (b)(i) through (ii) of this subsection.

    (c) Reclassifications, class studies, and salary adjustments to be implemented during the 1997-99 and subsequent fiscal biennia are governed by (a) of this subsection and RCW 41.06.152;

    (16) Allocation and reallocation of positions within the classification plan;

    (17) Adoption and revision of a state salary schedule to reflect the prevailing rates in Washington state private industries and other governmental units but the rates in the salary schedules or plans shall be increased if necessary to attain comparable worth under an implementation plan under RCW 41.06.155 and that, for institutions of higher education and related boards, shall be competitive for positions of a similar nature in the state or the locality in which an institution of higher education or related board is located, such adoption and revision subject to approval by the director of financial management in accordance with the provisions of chapter 43.88 RCW;

    (18) Increment increases within the series of steps for each pay grade based on length of service for all employees whose standards of performance are such as to permit them to retain job status in the classified service;

    (19) Providing for veteran's preference as required by existing statutes, with recognition of preference in regard to layoffs and subsequent reemployment for veterans and their surviving spouses by giving such eligible veterans and their surviving spouses additional credit in computing their seniority by adding to their unbroken state service, as defined by the board, the veteran's service in the military not to exceed five years.  For the purposes of this section, "veteran" means any person who has one or more years of active military service in any branch of the armed forces of the United States or who has less than one year's service and is discharged with a disability incurred in the line of duty or is discharged at the convenience of the government and who, upon termination of such service has received an honorable discharge, a discharge for physical reasons with an honorable record, or a release from active military service with evidence of service other than that for which an undesirable, bad conduct, or dishonorable discharge shall be given:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That the surviving spouse of a veteran is entitled to the benefits of this section regardless of the veteran's length of active military service:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That for the purposes of this section "veteran" does not include any person who has voluntarily retired with twenty or more years of active military service and whose military retirement pay is in excess of five hundred dollars per month;

    (20) Permitting agency heads to delegate the authority to appoint, reduce, dismiss, suspend, or demote employees within their agencies if such agency heads do not have specific statutory authority to so delegate:  PROVIDED, That the board may not authorize such delegation to any position lower than the head of a major subdivision of the agency;

    (21) Assuring persons who are or have been employed in classified positions before July 1, 1993, will be eligible for employment, reemployment, transfer, and promotion in respect to classified positions covered by this chapter;

    (22) Affirmative action in appointment, promotion, transfer, recruitment, training, and career development; development and implementation of affirmative action goals and timetables; and monitoring of progress against those goals and timetables.

    The board shall consult with the human rights commission in the development of rules pertaining to affirmative action.  The department of personnel shall transmit a report annually to the human rights commission which states the progress each state agency has made in meeting affirmative action goals and timetables.

    Sec. 8.  RCW 49.12.270 and 1988 c 236 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) An employer shall allow an employee to use the employee's accrued sick leave to care for a child of the employee under the age of eighteen with a health condition that requires treatment or supervision.  Use of leave other than accrued sick leave to care for a child under the circumstances described in this section shall be governed by the terms of the appropriate collective bargaining agreement or employer policy, as applicable.

(2) "Child of the employee" means the biological or adopted child of the employee or employee's spouse, or a child under the legal guardianship, legal custody, or foster care of the employee and, with respect to state employees, includes the biological or adopted child of the employee's domestic partner as defined in RCW 41.05.011.

    Sec. 9.  RCW 49.78.020 and 1996 c 178 s 14 are each amended to read as follows:

    Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

    (1) "Child" means a biological or adopted child, or a stepchild, living with the employee, including, with respect to state employees, the biological or adopted child of a domestic partner as defined in RCW 41.05.011.

    (2) "Department" means the department of labor and industries.

    (3) "Employee" means a person other than an independent contractor employed by an employer on a continuous basis for the previous fifty-two weeks for at least thirty-five hours per week.

    (4) "Employer" means:  (a) Any person, firm, corporation, partnership, business trust, legal representative, or other business entity which engages in any business, industry, profession, or activity in this state and includes any unit of local government including, but not limited to, a county, city, town, municipal corporation, quasi-municipal corporation, or political subdivision, which (i) employed a daily average of one hundred or more employees during the last calendar quarter at the place where the employee requesting leave reports for work, or (ii) employed a daily average of one hundred or more employees during the last calendar quarter within a twenty mile radius of the place where the employee requesting leave reports for work, where the employer maintains a central hiring location and customarily transfers employees among workplaces; and (b) the state, state institutions, and state agencies.

    (5) "Family leave" means leave from employment to care for a newborn or newly adopted child under the age of six or a child under eighteen years old with a terminal health condition, as provided in RCW 49.78.030.

    (6) "Health care provider" means a person licensed as a physician under chapter 18.71 RCW or an osteopathic physician and surgeon under chapter 18.57 RCW.

    (7) "Parent" means a biological or adoptive parent, or a stepparent.

    (8) "Reduced leave schedule" means leave scheduled for fewer than an employee's usual number of hours or days per workweek.

    (9) "Terminal health condition" means a condition caused by injury, disease, or illness, that, within reasonable medical judgment, is incurable and will produce death within the period of leave to which the employee is entitled.

    Sec. 10.  RCW 49.12.350 and 1989 1st ex.s. c 11 s 22 are each amended to read as follows:

    The legislature finds that employers often distinguish between biological parents, and adoptive parents and stepparents, including the domestic partner of the biological parent, in their employee leave policies.  Many employers who grant leave to their employees to care for a newborn child either have no policy or establish a more restrictive policy regarding whether an adoptive parent or stepparent can take similar leave.  The legislature further finds that many employers establish different leave policies for men and women regarding the care of a newborn or newly placed child.  The legislature recognizes that the bonding that occurs between a parent and child is important to the nurturing of that child, regardless of whether the parent is the child's biological parent and regardless of the gender of the parent.  For these reasons, the legislature declares that it is the public policy of this state to require that employers who grant leave to their employees to care for a newborn child make the same leave available upon the same terms for adoptive parents and stepparents, men and women.

    Sec. 11.  RCW 49.12.360 and 1989 1st ex.s. c 11 s 23 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1)(a) An employer must grant an adoptive parent or a stepparent, at the time of birth or initial placement for adoption of a child under the age of six, the same leave under the same terms as the employer grants to biological parents.

(b) An employer who is a state agency as defined in RCW 41.06.020(1), in addition to complying with (a) of this subsection, must grant a state employee who is a domestic partner, at the time of birth or initial placement for adoption of a child, the same leave under the same terms as the employer grants to biological parents.

(c) As a term of leave under this section, an employer may restrict leave to those living with the child at the time of birth or initial placement.

    (2) An employer must grant the same leave upon the same terms for men as it does for women.

    (3) The department shall administer and investigate violations of this section.  Notices of infraction, penalties, and appeals shall be administered in the same manner as violations under RCW 49.12.285.

    (4) For purposes of this section((,)):

(a) "Employer" includes all private and public employers listed in RCW 49.12.005(3).

    (((5) For purposes of this section,)) (b) "Leave" means any leave from employment granted to care for a newborn or a newly adopted child at the time of placement for adoption.

(c) "Domestic partner" means a state employee in a domestic partnership complying with section 2 of this act.

    (((6))) (5) Nothing in this section requires an employer to:

    (a) Grant leave equivalent to maternity disability leave; or

    (b) Establish a leave policy to care for a newborn or newly placed child if no such leave policy is in place for any of its employees.

    Sec. 12.  RCW 2.10.030 and 1988 c 109 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) "Retirement system" means the "Washington judicial retirement system" provided herein.

    (2) "Judge" means a person elected or appointed to serve as judge of a court of record as provided in chapters 2.04, 2.06, and 2.08 RCW.  Said word shall not include a person serving as a judge pro tempore.

    (3) "Retirement board" means the "Washington judicial retirement board" established herein.

    (4) "Surviving spouse" means the surviving widow or widower of a judge.  The word shall not include the divorced spouse of a judge.

    (5) "Retirement fund" means the "Washington judicial retirement fund" established herein.

    (6) "Beneficiary" means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance, disability allowance or any other benefit described herein.

    (7) "Monthly salary" means the monthly salary of the position held by the judge.

    (8) "Service" means all periods of time served as a judge, as herein defined.  Any calendar month at the beginning or end of a term in which ten or more days are served shall be counted as a full month of service:  PROVIDED, That no more than one month's service may be granted for any one calendar month.  Only months of service will be counted in the computation of any retirement allowance or other benefit provided for in this chapter.  Years of service shall be determined by dividing the total months of service by twelve.  Any fraction of a year of service as so determined shall be taken into account in the computation of such retirement allowance or benefit.

    (9) "Final average salary" means (a) for a judge in service in the same court for a minimum of twelve consecutive months preceding the date of retirement, the salary attached to the position held by the judge immediately prior to retirement; (b) for any other judge, the average monthly salary paid over the highest twenty-four month period in the last ten years of service.

    (10) "Retirement allowance" for the purpose of applying cost of living increases or decreases shall include retirement allowances, disability allowances and survivorship benefit.

    (11) "Index" shall mean for any calendar year, that year's annual average consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers, all items (1957-1959 equal one hundred) ‑- compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor.

    (12) "Accumulated contributions" means the total amount deducted from the judge's monthly salary pursuant to RCW 2.10.090, together with the regular interest thereon from July 1, 1988, as determined by the director of the department of retirement systems.

(13) "Domestic partner" means the person designated by a judge in an affidavit filed under section 2 of this act.

    Sec. 13.  RCW 2.10.140 and 1988 c 109 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A surviving spouse or domestic partner of any judge holding such office, or if he dies after having retired and who, at the time of his death, has served ten or more years in the aggregate, shall receive a monthly allowance equal to fifty percent of the retirement allowance the retired judge was receiving, or fifty percent of the retirement allowance the active judge would have received had he been retired on the date of his death, but in no event less than twenty-five percent of the final average salary that the deceased judge was receiving:  PROVIDED, That said surviving spouse had been married to the judge for a minimum of two years at time of death, or  the domestic partner had been designated as a domestic partner for a minimum of two years at the time of death.

    (2) A judge holding office on July 1, 1988,  may make an irrevocable choice to relinquish the survivor benefits provided by this section in exchange for the survivor benefits provided by RCW 2.10.144 and 2.10.146 by indicating the choice in a written declaration submitted to the department of retirement systems by December 31, 1988.

    (3) The surviving spouse or domestic partner of any judge who died in office after January 1, 1986, but before July 1, 1988, may elect to receive the survivor benefit provided in RCW 2.10.144(1).

    Sec. 14.  RCW 2.12.030 and 1973 1st ex.s. c 154 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    Supreme court, court of appeals, or superior court judges of the state who retire from office under the provisions of this chapter other than as provided in RCW 2.12.012 shall be entitled to receive monthly during the period of their natural life, out of the fund hereinafter created, an amount equal to one-half of the monthly salary they were receiving as a judge at the time of their retirement, or at the end of the term immediately prior to their retirement if their retirement is made after expiration of their term.  The surviving spouse or domestic partner of any judge who shall have heretofore retired or may hereafter retire, or of a judge who was heretofore or may hereafter be eligible for retirement at the time of death, if the surviving spouse had been married to the judge for three years or domestic partner designated for three years, if the surviving spouse had been married to the judge prior to retirement or the domestic partner designated prior to retirement, shall be paid an amount equal to one-half of the retirement pay of the judge, as long as such surviving spouse remains unmarried and is not a domestic partner or domestic partner remains unmarried and is not a domestic partner.  The retirement pay shall be paid monthly by the state treasurer on or before the tenth day of each month.  The provisions of this section shall apply to the surviving spouse or domestic partner of any judge who dies while holding such office or dies after having retired under the provisions of this chapter and who at the time of death had served ten or more years in the aggregate as a judge of the supreme court, court of appeals, or superior court or any of such courts, or had served an aggregate of twelve years in the supreme court, court of appeals, or superior court if such pension rights are based upon RCW 2.12.012.

    Sec. 15.  RCW 28B.10.400 and 1979 ex.s. c 259 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    The boards of regents of the state universities, the boards of trustees of the regional universities and of The Evergreen State College, and the state board for community and technical colleges ((education)) are authorized and empowered:

    (1) To assist the faculties and such other employees as any such board may designate in the purchase of old age annuities or retirement income plans under such rules and regulations as any such board may prescribe.  County agricultural agents, home demonstration agents, 4-H club agents, and assistant county agricultural agents paid jointly by the Washington State University and the several counties shall be deemed to be full time employees of the Washington State University for the purposes hereof;

    (2) To provide, under such rules and regulations as any such board may prescribe for the faculty members or other employees under its supervision, for the retirement of any such faculty member or other employee on account of age or condition of health, retirement on account of age to be not earlier than the sixty-fifth birthday:  PROVIDED, That such faculty member or such other employee may elect to retire at the earliest age specified for retirement by federal social security law:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That any supplemental payment authorized by subsection (3) of this section and paid as a result of retirement earlier than age sixty-five shall be at an actuarially reduced rate;

    (3) To pay to any such retired person or to his designated beneficiary(s), each year after his retirement, a supplemental amount which, when added to the amount of such annuity or retirement income plan, or retirement income benefit pursuant to RCW 28B.10.415, received by him or his designated beneficiary(s) in such year, will not exceed fifty percent of the average annual salary paid to such retired person for his highest two consecutive years of full time service under an annuity or retirement income plan established pursuant to subsection (1) of this section at an institution of higher education:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That if such retired person prior to his retirement elected a supplemental payment survivors option, any such supplemental payments to such retired person or his designated beneficiary(s) shall be at actuarially reduced rates:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That if a faculty member or other employee of an institution of higher education who is a participant in a retirement plan authorized by this section dies, or has died before retirement but after becoming eligible for retirement on account of age, the designated beneficiary(s) shall be entitled to receive the supplemental payment authorized by this subsection (3) of this section to which such designated beneficiary(s) would have been entitled had said deceased faculty member or other employee retired on the date of death after electing a supplemental payment survivors option:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That for the purpose of this subsection, the designated beneficiary(s) shall be (a) the surviving spouse or domestic partner of the retiree; or, (b) with the written consent of such spouse, if any, such other person or persons as shall have an insurable interest in the retiree's life and shall have been nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the retiree's institution of higher education.  As used in this section and RCW 28B.10.431, "domestic partner" means the person designated by the retiree in an affidavit filed under section 2 of this act.

    Sec. 16.  RCW 28B.10.431 and 1983 1st ex.s. c 56 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, effective July 1, 1983, the monthly benefit of each person who either is receiving a benefit pursuant to a program established under RCW 28B.10.400 for their service as of July 1, 1978, or commenced receiving a monthly benefit as a surviving spouse or domestic partner or written designated beneficiary with an insurable interest in the retiree as of a date no later than December 31, 1982, shall be permanently increased by a post-retirement adjustment of $.74 per month for each year of creditable service the faculty member or employee established with the annuity or retirement income plan.  Any fraction of a year of service shall be counted in the computation of the post-retirement adjustment.

    Sec. 17.  RCW 28B.10.567 and 1987 c 185 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    The boards of regents of the state universities and board of trustees of the regional universities and the board of trustees of The Evergreen State College are authorized and empowered, under such rules and regulations as any such board may prescribe for the duly sworn police officers employed by any such board as members of a police force established pursuant to RCW 28B.10.550, to provide for the payment of death or disability benefits or medical expense reimbursement for death, disability, or injury of any such duly sworn police officer who, in the line of duty, loses his life or becomes disabled or is injured, and for the payment of such benefits to be made to any such duly sworn police officer or his surviving spouse or domestic partner or the legal guardian of his child or children, as defined in RCW 41.26.030(7), or his estate:  PROVIDED, That the duty-related benefits authorized by this section shall in no event be greater than the benefits authorized on June 25, 1976 for duty-related death, disability, or injury of a law enforcement officer under chapter 41.26 RCW:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That the duty-related benefits authorized by this section shall be reduced to the extent of any amounts received or eligible to be received on account of the duty-related death, disability, or injury to any such duly sworn police officer, his surviving spouse or domestic partner, the legal guardian of his child or children, or his estate, under workers' compensation, social security including the changes incorporated under Public Law 89-97 as now or hereafter amended, or disability income insurance and health care plans under chapter 41.05 RCW.  As used in this section, "domestic partner" means the person designated by the police officer in an affidavit filed under section 2 of this act.

    Sec. 18.  RCW 41.26.030 and 1996 c 178 s 11 and 1996 c 38 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

    As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:

    (1) "Retirement system" means the "Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system" provided herein.

    (2)(a) "Employer" for plan I members, means the legislative authority of any city, town, county, or district or the elected officials of any municipal corporation that employs any law enforcement officer and/or fire fighter, any authorized association of such municipalities, and, except for the purposes of RCW 41.26.150, any labor guild, association, or organization, which represents the fire fighters or law enforcement officers of at least seven cities of over 20,000 population and the membership of each local lodge or division of which is composed of at least sixty percent law enforcement officers or fire fighters as defined in this chapter.

    (b) "Employer" for plan II members, means the following entities to the extent that the entity employs any law enforcement officer and/or fire fighter:

    (i) The legislative authority of any city, town, county, or district;

    (ii) The elected officials of any municipal corporation;

    (iii) The governing body of any other general authority law enforcement agency; or

    (iv) A four-year institution of higher education having a fully operational fire department as of January 1, 1996.

    (3) "Law enforcement officer" beginning January 1, 1994, means any person who is commissioned and employed by an employer on a full time, fully compensated basis to enforce the criminal laws of the state of Washington generally, with the following qualifications:

    (a) No person who is serving in a position that is basically clerical or secretarial in nature, and who is not commissioned shall be considered a law enforcement officer;

    (b) Only those deputy sheriffs, including those serving under a different title pursuant to county charter, who have successfully completed a civil service examination for deputy sheriff or the equivalent position, where a different title is used, and those persons serving in unclassified positions authorized by RCW 41.14.070 except a private secretary will be considered law enforcement officers;

    (c) Only such full time commissioned law enforcement personnel as have been appointed to offices, positions, or ranks in the police department which have been specifically created or otherwise expressly provided for and designated by city charter provision or by ordinance enacted by the legislative body of the city shall be considered city police officers;

    (d) The term "law enforcement officer" also includes the executive secretary of a labor guild, association or organization (which is an employer under RCW 41.26.030(2)) if that individual has five years previous membership in the retirement system established in chapter 41.20 RCW.  The provisions of this subsection (3)(d) shall not apply to plan II members; and

    (e) The term "law enforcement officer" also includes a person employed on or after January 1, 1993, as a public safety officer or director of public safety, so long as the job duties substantially involve only either police or fire duties, or both, and no other duties in a city or town with a population of less than ten thousand.  The provisions of this subsection (3)(e) shall not apply to any public safety officer or director of public safety who is receiving a retirement allowance under this chapter as of May 12, 1993.

    (4) "Fire fighter" means:

    (a) Any person who is serving on a full time, fully compensated basis as a member of a fire department of an employer and who is serving in a position which requires passing a civil service examination for fire fighter, and who is actively employed as such;

    (b) Anyone who is actively employed as a full time fire fighter where the fire department does not have a civil service examination;

    (c) Supervisory fire fighter personnel;

    (d) Any full time executive secretary of an association of fire protection districts authorized under RCW 52.12.031.  The provisions of this subsection (4)(d) shall not apply to plan II members;

    (e) The executive secretary of a labor guild, association or organization (which is an employer under RCW 41.26.030(2) as now or hereafter amended), if such individual has five years previous membership in a retirement system established in chapter 41.16 or 41.18 RCW.  The provisions of this subsection (4)(e) shall not apply to plan II members;

    (f) Any person who is serving on a full time, fully compensated basis for an employer, as a fire dispatcher, in a department in which, on March 1, 1970, a dispatcher was required to have passed a civil service examination for fire fighter; and

    (g) Any person who on March 1, 1970, was employed on a full time, fully compensated basis by an employer, and who on May 21, 1971, was making retirement contributions under the provisions of chapter 41.16 or 41.18 RCW.

    (5) "Department" means the department of retirement systems created in chapter 41.50 RCW.

    (6) "Surviving spouse" means the surviving widow or widower of a member.  "Surviving spouse" shall not include the divorced spouse of a member except as provided in RCW 41.26.162.

    (7)(a) "Child" or "children" means an unmarried person who is under the age of eighteen or mentally or physically handicapped as determined by the department, except a handicapped person in the full time care of a state institution, who is:

    (i) A natural born child;

    (ii) A stepchild where that relationship was in existence prior to the date benefits are payable under this chapter;

    (iii) A posthumous child;

    (iv) A child legally adopted or made a legal ward of a member prior to the date benefits are payable under this chapter; or

    (v) An illegitimate child legitimized prior to the date any benefits are payable under this chapter.

    (b) A person shall also be deemed to be a child up to and including the age of twenty years and eleven months while attending any high school, college, or vocational or other educational institution accredited, licensed, or approved by the state, in which it is located, including the summer vacation months and all other normal and regular vacation periods at the particular educational institution after which the child returns to school.

    (8) "Member" means any fire fighter, law enforcement officer, or other person as would apply under subsections (3) or (4) of this section whose membership is transferred to the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system on or after March 1, 1970, and every law enforcement officer and fire fighter who is employed in that capacity on or after such date.

    (9) "Retirement fund" means the "Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system fund" as provided for herein.

    (10) "Employee" means any law enforcement officer or fire fighter as defined in subsections (3) and (4) of this section.

    (11)(a) "Beneficiary" for plan I members, means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance, disability allowance, death benefit, or any other benefit described herein.

    (b) "Beneficiary" for plan II members, means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by this chapter resulting from service rendered to an employer by another person.

    (12)(a) "Final average salary" for plan I members, means (i) for a member holding the same position or rank for a minimum of twelve months preceding the date of retirement, the basic salary attached to such same position or rank at time of retirement; (ii) for any other member, including a civil service member who has not served a minimum of twelve months in the same position or rank preceding the date of retirement, the average of the greatest basic salaries payable to such member during any consecutive twenty-four month period within such member's last ten years of service for which service credit is allowed, computed by dividing the total basic salaries payable to such member during the selected twenty-four month period by twenty-four; (iii) in the case of disability of any member, the basic salary payable to such member at the time of disability retirement; (iv) in the case of a member who hereafter vests pursuant to RCW 41.26.090, the basic salary payable to such member at the time of vesting.

    (b) "Final average salary" for plan II members, means the monthly average of the member's basic salary for the highest consecutive sixty service credit months of service prior to such member's retirement, termination, or death.  Periods constituting authorized unpaid leaves of absence may not be used in the calculation of final average salary.

    (13)(a) "Basic salary" for plan I members, means the basic monthly rate of salary or wages, including longevity pay but not including overtime earnings or special salary or wages, upon which pension or retirement benefits will be computed and upon which employer contributions and salary deductions will be based.

    (b) "Basic salary" for plan II members, means salaries or wages earned by a member during a payroll period for personal services, including overtime payments, and shall include wages and salaries deferred under provisions established pursuant to sections 403(b), 414(h), and 457 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, but shall exclude lump sum payments for deferred annual sick leave, unused accumulated vacation, unused accumulated annual leave, or any form of severance pay.  In any year in which a member serves in the legislature the member shall have the option of having such member's basic salary be the greater of:

    (i) The basic salary the member would have received had such member not served in the legislature; or

    (ii) Such member's actual basic salary received for nonlegislative public employment and legislative service combined.  Any additional contributions to the retirement system required because basic salary under (b)(i) of this subsection is greater than basic salary under (b)(ii) of this subsection shall be paid by the member for both member and employer contributions.

    (14)(a) "Service" for plan I members, means all periods of employment for an employer as a fire fighter or law enforcement officer, for which compensation is paid, together with periods of suspension not exceeding thirty days in duration.  For the purposes of this chapter service shall also include service in the armed forces of the United States as provided in RCW 41.26.190.  Credit shall be allowed for all service credit months of service rendered by a member from and after the member's initial commencement of employment as a fire fighter or law enforcement officer, during which the member worked for seventy or more hours, or was on disability leave or disability retirement.  Only service credit months of service shall be counted in the computation of any retirement allowance or other benefit provided for in this chapter.

    (i) For members retiring after May 21, 1971 who were employed under the coverage of a prior pension act before March 1, 1970, "service" shall also include (A) such military service not exceeding five years as was creditable to the member as of March 1, 1970, under the member's particular prior pension act, and (B) such other periods of service as were then creditable to a particular member under the provisions of RCW 41.18.165, 41.20.160 or 41.20.170.  However, in no event shall credit be allowed for any service rendered prior to March 1, 1970, where the member at the time of rendition of such service was employed in a position covered by a prior pension act, unless such service, at the time credit is claimed therefor, is also creditable under the provisions of such prior act.

    (ii) A member who is employed by two employers at the same time shall only be credited with service to one such employer for any month during which the member rendered such dual service.

    (b) "Service" for plan II members, means periods of employment by a member for one or more employers for which basic salary is earned for ninety or more hours per calendar month which shall constitute a service credit month.  Periods of employment by a member for one or more employers for which basic salary is earned for at least seventy hours but less than ninety hours per calendar month shall constitute one-half service credit month.  Periods of employment by a member for one or more employers for which basic salary is earned for less than seventy hours shall constitute a one-quarter service credit month.

    Members of the retirement system who are elected or appointed to a state elective position may elect to continue to be members of this retirement system.

    Service credit years of service shall be determined by dividing the total number of service credit months of service by twelve.  Any fraction of a service credit year of service as so determined shall be taken into account in the computation of such retirement allowance or benefits.

    If a member receives basic salary from two or more employers during any calendar month, the individual shall receive one service credit month's service credit during any calendar month in which multiple service for ninety or more hours is rendered; or one-half service credit month's service credit during any calendar month in which multiple service for at least seventy hours but less than ninety hours is rendered; or one-quarter service credit month during any calendar month in which multiple service for less than seventy hours is rendered.

    (15) "Accumulated contributions" means the employee's contributions made by a member, including any amount paid under RCW 41.50.165(2), plus accrued interest credited thereon.

    (16) "Actuarial reserve" means a method of financing a pension or retirement plan wherein reserves are accumulated as the liabilities for benefit payments are incurred in order that sufficient funds will be available on the date of retirement of each member to pay the member's future benefits during the period of retirement.

    (17) "Actuarial valuation" means a mathematical determination of the financial condition of a retirement plan.  It includes the computation of the present monetary value of benefits payable to present members, and the present monetary value of future employer and employee contributions, giving effect to mortality among active and retired members and also to the rates of disability, retirement, withdrawal from service, salary and interest earned on investments.

    (18) "Disability board" for plan I members means either the county disability board or the city disability board established in RCW 41.26.110.

    (19) "Disability leave" means the period of six months or any portion thereof during which a member is on leave at an allowance equal to the member's full salary prior to the commencement of disability retirement.  The definition contained in this subsection shall apply only to plan I members.

    (20) "Disability retirement" for plan I members, means the period following termination of a member's disability leave, during which the member is in receipt of a disability retirement allowance.

    (21) "Position" means the employment held at any particular time, which may or may not be the same as civil service rank.

    (22) "Medical services" for plan I members, shall include the following as minimum services to be provided.  Reasonable charges for these services shall be paid in accordance with RCW 41.26.150.

    (a) Hospital expenses:  These are the charges made by a hospital, in its own behalf, for

    (i) Board and room not to exceed semiprivate room rate unless private room is required by the attending physician due to the condition of the patient.

    (ii) Necessary hospital services, other than board and room, furnished by the hospital.

    (b) Other medical expenses:  The following charges are considered "other medical expenses", provided that they have not been considered as "hospital expenses".

    (i) The fees of the following:

    (A) A physician or surgeon licensed under the provisions of chapter 18.71 RCW;

    (B) An osteopathic physician and surgeon licensed under the provisions of chapter 18.57 RCW;

    (C) A chiropractor licensed under the provisions of chapter 18.25 RCW.

    (ii) The charges of a registered graduate nurse other than a nurse who ordinarily resides in the member's home, or is a member of the family of either the member or the member's spouse or domestic partner.

    (iii) The charges for the following medical services and supplies:

    (A) Drugs and medicines upon a physician's prescription;

    (B) Diagnostic x-ray and laboratory examinations;

    (C) X-ray, radium, and radioactive isotopes therapy;

    (D) Anesthesia and oxygen;

    (E) Rental of iron lung and other durable medical and surgical equipment;

    (F) Artificial limbs and eyes, and casts, splints, and trusses;

    (G) Professional ambulance service when used to transport the member to or from a hospital when injured by an accident or stricken by a disease;

    (H) Dental charges incurred by a member who sustains an accidental injury to his or her teeth and who commences treatment by a legally licensed dentist within ninety days after the accident;

    (I) Nursing home confinement or hospital extended care facility;

    (J) Physical therapy by a registered physical therapist;

    (K) Blood transfusions, including the cost of blood and blood plasma not replaced by voluntary donors;

    (L) An optometrist licensed under the provisions of chapter 18.53 RCW.

    (23) "Regular interest" means such rate as the director may determine.

    (24) "Retiree" for persons who establish membership in the retirement system on or after October 1, 1977, means any member in receipt of a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by this chapter resulting from service rendered to an employer by such member.

    (25) "Director" means the director of the department.

    (26) "State actuary" or "actuary" means the person appointed pursuant to RCW 44.44.010(2).

    (27) "State elective position" means any position held by any person elected or appointed to state-wide office or elected or appointed as a member of the legislature.

    (28) "Plan I" means the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system, plan I providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first became members of the system prior to October 1, 1977.

    (29) "Plan II" means the law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system, plan II providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first became members of the system on and after October 1, 1977.

    (30) "Service credit year" means an accumulation of months of service credit which is equal to one when divided by twelve.

    (31) "Service credit month" means a full service credit month or an accumulation of partial service credit months that are equal to one.

    (32) "General authority law enforcement agency" means any agency, department, or division of a municipal corporation, political subdivision, or other unit of local government of this state, and any agency, department, or division of state government, having as its primary function the detection and apprehension of persons committing infractions or violating the traffic or criminal laws in general, but not including the Washington state patrol.  Such an agency, department, or division is distinguished from a limited authority law enforcement agency having as one of its functions the apprehension or detection of persons committing infractions or violating the traffic or criminal laws relating to limited subject areas, including but not limited to, the state departments of natural resources, fish and wildlife, and social and health services, the state gambling commission, the state lottery commission, the state parks and recreation commission, the state utilities and transportation commission, the state liquor control board, and the state department of corrections.

(33) "Domestic partner" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 41.05.011.

    Sec. 19.  RCW 41.26.048 and 1996 c 226 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A one hundred fifty thousand dollar death benefit shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust or organization as the member shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department.  If there be no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the member's death, such member's death benefit shall be paid to the member's surviving spouse or domestic partner as if in fact such spouse or domestic partner had been nominated by written designation, or if there be no such surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to such member's legal representatives.

    (2) The benefit under this section shall be paid only where death occurs as a result of injuries sustained in the course of employment.  The determination of eligibility for the benefit shall be made consistent with Title 51 RCW by the department of labor and industries.  The department of labor and industries shall notify the department of retirement systems by order under RCW 51.52.050.

    Sec. 20.  RCW 41.26.090 and 1991 sp.s. c 11 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

    Retirement of a member for service shall be made by the department as follows:

    (1) Any member having five or more service credit years of service and having attained the age of fifty years shall be eligible for a service retirement allowance and shall be retired upon the member's written request effective the first day following the date upon which the member is separated from service.

    (2) Any member having five or more service credit years of service, who terminates his or her employment with any employer, may leave his or her contributions in the fund.  Any employee who so elects, upon attaining age fifty, shall be eligible to apply for and receive a service retirement allowance based on his or her years of service, commencing on the first day following his or her attainment of age fifty.

    (3) Any member selecting optional vesting under subsection (2) of this section with less than twenty service credit years of service shall not be covered by the provisions of RCW 41.26.150, and the member's survivors shall not be entitled to the benefits of RCW 41.26.160 unless his or her death occurs after he or she has attained the age of fifty years.  Those members selecting this optional vesting with twenty or more years service shall not be covered by the provisions of RCW 41.26.150 until the attainment of the age of fifty years.  A member selecting this optional vesting, with less than twenty service credit years of service credit, who dies prior to attaining the age of fifty years, shall have paid from the Washington law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement fund, to such member's surviving spouse or domestic partner, if any, otherwise to such beneficiary as the member shall have designated in writing, or if no such designation has been made, to the personal representative of his or her estate, a lump sum which is equal to the amount of such member's accumulated contributions plus accrued interest.  If the vested member has twenty or more service credit years of service credit the surviving spouse or domestic partner or children shall then become eligible for the benefits of RCW 41.26.160 regardless of the member's age at the time of his or her death, to the exclusion of the lump sum amount provided by this subsection.

    (4) Any member who has attained the age of sixty years shall be retired on the first day of the calendar month next succeeding that in which said member shall have attained the age of sixty and may not thereafter be employed as a law enforcement officer or fire fighter:  PROVIDED, That for any member who is elected or appointed to the office of sheriff, chief of police, or fire chief, his or her election or appointment shall be considered as a waiver of the age sixty provision for retirement and nonemployment for whatever number of years remain in his or her present term of office and any succeeding periods for which he or she may be so elected or appointed.  The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any member who is employed as a law enforcement officer or fire fighter on March 1, 1970.

    Sec. 21.  RCW 41.26.160 and 1991 sp.s. c 11 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) In the event of the death of any member who is in active service, or who has vested under the provisions of RCW 41.26.090 with twenty or more service credit years of service, or who is on disability leave or retired, whether for disability or service, the surviving spouse or domestic partner shall become entitled to receive a monthly allowance equal to fifty percent of the final average salary at the date of death if active, or the amount of retirement allowance the vested member would have received at age fifty, or the amount of the retirement allowance such retired member was receiving at the time of death if retired for service or disability.  The amount of this allowance will be increased five percent of final average salary for each child as defined in RCW 41.26.030(7), as now or hereafter amended, subject to a maximum combined allowance of sixty percent of final average salary:  PROVIDED, That if the child or children is or are in the care of a legal guardian, payment of the increase attributable to each child will be made to the child's legal guardian or, in the absence of a legal guardian and if the member has created a trust for the benefit of the child or children, payment of the increase attributable to each child will be made to the trust.

    (2) If at the time of the death of a vested member with twenty or more service credit years of service as provided in subsection (1) of this section or a member retired for service or disability, the surviving spouse has not been lawfully married to such member for one year prior to retirement or separation from service if a vested member or, if a domestic partner, has not been designated as a domestic partner for one year prior to retirement or separation from service, the surviving spouse or domestic partner shall not be eligible to receive the benefits under this section:  PROVIDED, That if a member dies as a result of a disability incurred in the line of duty, then if he or she was married or in a domestic partnership at the time he or she was disabled, the surviving spouse or domestic partner shall be eligible to receive the benefits under this section.

    (3) If there be no surviving spouse or domestic partner eligible to receive benefits at the time of such member's death, then the child or children of such member shall receive a monthly allowance equal to thirty percent of final average salary for one child and an additional ten percent for each additional child subject to a maximum combined payment, under this subsection, of sixty percent of final average salary.  When there cease to be any eligible children as defined in RCW 41.26.030(7), as now or hereafter amended, there shall be paid to the legal heirs of said member the excess, if any, of accumulated contributions of said member at the time of death over all payments made to survivors on his or her behalf under this chapter:  PROVIDED, That payments under this subsection to children shall be prorated equally among the children, if more than one.  If the member has created a trust for the benefit of the child or children, the payment shall be made to the trust.

    (4) In the event that there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner eligible to receive benefits under this section, and that there be no child or children eligible to receive benefits under this section, then the accumulated contributions shall be paid to the estate of said member.

    (5) If a surviving spouse or domestic partner receiving benefits under the provisions of this section thereafter dies and there are children as defined in RCW 41.26.030(7), as now or hereafter amended, payment to the spouse or domestic partner shall cease and the child or children shall receive the benefits as provided in subsection (3) of this section.

    (6) The payment provided by this section shall become due the day following the date of death and payments shall be retroactive to that date.

    Sec. 22.  RCW 41.26.460 and 1996 c 175 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Upon retirement for service as prescribed in RCW 41.26.430 or disability retirement under RCW 41.26.470, a member shall elect to have the retirement allowance paid pursuant to the following options, calculated so as to be actuarially equivalent to each other.

    (a) Standard allowance.  A member electing this option shall receive a retirement allowance payable throughout such member's life.  However, if the retiree dies before the total of the retirement allowance paid to such retiree equals the amount of such retiree's accumulated contributions at the time of retirement, then the balance shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust, or organization as the retiree shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department; or if there be no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the retiree's death, then to the surviving spouse or domestic partner; or if there be neither such designated person or persons still living at the time of death nor a surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to the retiree's legal representative.

    (b) The department shall adopt rules that allow a member to select a retirement option that pays the member a reduced retirement allowance and upon death, such portion of the member's reduced retirement allowance as the department by rule designates shall be continued throughout the life of and paid to a designated person.  Such person shall be nominated by the member by written designation duly executed and filed with the department at the time of retirement.  The options adopted by the department shall include, but are not limited to, a joint and one hundred percent survivor option and a joint and fifty percent survivor option.

    (2)(a) A member, if married, must provide the written consent of his or her spouse to the option selected under this section, except as provided in (b) of this subsection.  If a member is married and both the member and member's spouse do not give written consent to an option under this section, the department will pay the member a joint and fifty percent survivor benefit and record the member's spouse as the beneficiary.  Such benefit shall be calculated to be actuarially equivalent to the benefit options available under subsection (1) of this section unless spousal consent is not required as provided in (b) of this subsection.

    (b) If a copy of a dissolution order designating a survivor beneficiary under RCW 41.50.790 has been filed with the department at least thirty days prior to a member's retirement:

    (i) The department shall honor the designation as if made by the member under subsection (1) of this section; and

    (ii) The spousal consent provisions of (a) of this subsection do not apply.

    Sec. 23.  RCW 41.26.470 and 1995 c 144 s 18 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A member of the retirement system who becomes totally incapacitated for continued employment by an employer as determined by the director shall be eligible to receive an allowance under the provisions of RCW 41.26.410 through 41.26.550.  Such member shall receive a monthly disability allowance computed as provided for in RCW 41.26.420 and shall have such allowance actuarially reduced to reflect the difference in the number of years between age at disability and the attainment of age fifty-five.

    (2) Any member who receives an allowance under the provisions of this section shall be subject to such comprehensive medical examinations as required by the department.  If such medical examinations reveal that such a member has recovered from the incapacitating disability and the member is no longer entitled to benefits under Title 51 RCW, the retirement allowance shall be canceled and the member shall be restored to duty in the same civil service rank, if any, held by the member at the time of retirement or, if unable to perform the duties of the rank, then, at the member's request, in such other like or lesser rank as may be or become open and available, the duties of which the member is then able to perform.  In no event shall a member previously drawing a disability allowance be returned or be restored to duty at a salary or rate of pay less than the current salary attached to the rank or position held by the member at the date of the retirement for disability.  If the department determines that the member is able to return to service, the member is entitled to notice and a hearing.  Both the notice and the hearing shall comply with the requirements of chapter 34.05 RCW, the Administrative Procedure Act.

    (3) Those members subject to this chapter who became disabled in the line of duty on or after July 23, 1989, and who receive benefits under RCW 41.04.500 through 41.04.530 or similar benefits under RCW 41.04.535 shall receive or continue to receive service credit subject to the following:

    (a) No member may receive more than one month's service credit in a calendar month.

    (b) No service credit under this section may be allowed after a member separates or is separated without leave of absence.

    (c) Employer contributions shall be paid by the employer at the rate in effect for the period of the service credited.

    (d) Employee contributions shall be collected by the employer and paid to the department at the rate in effect for the period of service credited.

    (e) State contributions shall be as provided in RCW 41.26.450.

    (f) Contributions shall be based on the regular compensation which the member would have received had the disability not occurred.

    (g) The service and compensation credit under this section shall be granted for a period not to exceed six consecutive months.

    (h) Should the legislature revoke the service credit authorized under this section or repeal this section, no affected employee is entitled to receive the credit as a matter of contractual right.

    (4)(a) If the recipient of a monthly retirement allowance under this section dies before the total of the retirement allowance paid to the recipient equals the amount of the accumulated contributions at the date of retirement, then the balance shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust, or organization as the recipient has nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the director, or, if there is no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the recipient's death, then to the surviving spouse or domestic partner, or, if there is neither such designated person or persons still living at the time of his or her death nor a surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to his or her legal representative.

    (b) If a recipient of a monthly retirement allowance under this section died before April 27, 1989, and before the total of the retirement allowance paid to the recipient equaled the amount of his or her accumulated contributions at the date of retirement, then the department shall pay the balance of the accumulated contributions to the member's surviving spouse or domestic partner or, if there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner, then in equal shares to the member's children.  If there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner, or children, the department shall retain the contributions.

    Sec. 24.  RCW 41.26.510 and 1995 c 245 s 1 and 1995 c 144 s 19 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

    (1) Except as provided in RCW 11.07.010, if a member or a vested member who has not completed at least ten years of service dies, the amount of the accumulated contributions standing to such member's credit in the retirement system at the time of such member's death, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust, or organization as the member shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department.  If there be no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the member's death, such member's accumulated contributions standing to such member's credit in the retirement system, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, shall be paid to the member's surviving spouse or domestic partner as if in fact such spouse or domestic partner had been nominated by written designation, or if there be no such surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to such member's legal representatives.

    (2) If a member who is eligible for retirement or a member who has completed at least ten years of service dies, the surviving spouse or domestic partner or eligible child or children shall elect to receive either:

    (a) A retirement allowance computed as provided for in RCW 41.26.430(1), actuarially reduced by the amount of any lump sum benefit identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670 and actuarially adjusted to reflect a joint and one hundred percent survivor option under RCW 41.26.460 and if the member was not eligible for normal retirement at the date of death a further reduction as described in RCW 41.26.430(2); if a surviving spouse or domestic partner who is receiving a retirement allowance dies leaving a child or children of the member under the age of majority, then such child or children shall continue to receive an allowance in an amount equal to that which was being received by the surviving spouse or domestic partner, share and share alike, until such child or children reach the age of majority; if there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner eligible to receive an allowance at the time of the member's death, such member's child or children under the age of majority shall receive an allowance share and share alike calculated as herein provided making the assumption that the ages of the spouse or domestic partner and member were equal at the time of the member's death; or

    (b)(i) The member's accumulated contributions, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670; or

    (ii) If the member dies on or after July 25, 1993, one hundred fifty percent of the member's accumulated contributions, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670.  Any accumulated contributions attributable to restorations made under RCW 41.50.165(2) shall be refunded at one hundred percent.

    (3) If a member who is eligible for retirement or a member who has completed at least ten years of service dies after October 1, 1977, and is not survived by a spouse or domestic partner, or an eligible child, then the accumulated contributions standing to the member's credit, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, shall be paid:

    (a) To an estate, a person or persons, trust, or organization as the member shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department; or

    (b) If there is no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the member's death, then to the member's legal representatives.

    Sec. 25.  RCW 41.40.010 and 1995 c 345 s 10, 1995 c 286 s 1, and 1995 c 244 s 3 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

    As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:

    (1) "Retirement system" means the public employees' retirement system provided for in this chapter.

    (2) "Department" means the department of retirement systems created in chapter 41.50 RCW.

    (3) "State treasurer" means the treasurer of the state of Washington.

    (4)(a) "Employer" for plan I members, means every branch, department, agency, commission, board, and office of the state, any political subdivision or association of political subdivisions of the state admitted into the retirement system, and legal entities authorized by RCW 35.63.070 and 36.70.060 or chapter 39.34 RCW; and the term shall also include any labor guild, association, or organization the membership of a local lodge or division of which is comprised of at least forty percent employees of an employer (other than such labor guild, association, or organization) within this chapter.  The term may also include any city of the first class that has its own retirement system.

    (b) "Employer" for plan II members, means every branch, department, agency, commission, board, and office of the state, and any political subdivision and municipal corporation of the state admitted into the retirement system, including public agencies created pursuant to RCW 35.63.070, 36.70.060, and 39.34.030.

    (5) "Member" means any employee included in the membership of the retirement system, as provided for in RCW 41.40.023.  RCW 41.26.045 does not prohibit a person otherwise eligible for membership in the retirement system from establishing such membership effective when he or she first entered an eligible position.

    (6) "Original member" of this retirement system means:

    (a) Any person who became a member of the system prior to April 1, 1949;

    (b) Any person who becomes a member through the admission of an employer into the retirement system on and after April 1, 1949, and prior to April 1, 1951;

    (c) Any person who first becomes a member by securing employment with an employer prior to April 1, 1951, provided the member has rendered at least one or more years of service to any employer prior to October 1, 1947;

    (d) Any person who first becomes a member through the admission of an employer into the retirement system on or after April 1, 1951, provided, such person has been in the regular employ of the employer for at least six months of the twelve-month period preceding the said admission date;

    (e) Any member who has restored all contributions that may have been withdrawn as provided by RCW 41.40.150 and who on the effective date of the individual's retirement becomes entitled to be credited with ten years or more of membership service except that the provisions relating to the minimum amount of retirement allowance for the member upon retirement at age seventy as found in RCW 41.40.190(4) shall not apply to the member;

    (f) Any member who has been a contributor under the system for two or more years and who has restored all contributions that may have been withdrawn as provided by RCW 41.40.150 and who on the effective date of the individual's retirement has rendered five or more years of service for the state or any political subdivision prior to the time of the admission of the employer into the system; except that the provisions relating to the minimum amount of retirement allowance for the member upon retirement at age seventy as found in RCW 41.40.190(4) shall not apply to the member.

    (7) "New member" means a person who becomes a member on or after April 1, 1949, except as otherwise provided in this section.

    (8)(a) "Compensation earnable" for plan I members, means salaries or wages earned during a payroll period for personal services and where the compensation is not all paid in money, maintenance compensation shall be included upon the basis of the schedules established by the member's employer.

    (i) "Compensation earnable" for plan I members also includes the following actual or imputed payments, which are not paid for personal services:

    (A) Retroactive payments to an individual by an employer on reinstatement of the employee in a position, or payments by an employer to an individual in lieu of reinstatement in a position which are awarded or granted as the equivalent of the salary or wage which the individual would have earned during a payroll period shall be considered compensation earnable and the individual shall receive the equivalent service credit;

    (B) If a leave of absence is taken by an individual for the purpose of serving in the state legislature, the salary which would have been received for the position from which the leave of absence was taken, shall be considered as compensation earnable if the employee's contribution is paid by the employee and the employer's contribution is paid by the employer or employee;

    (C) Assault pay only as authorized by RCW 27.04.100, 72.01.045, and 72.09.240;

    (D) Compensation that a member would have received but for a disability occurring in the line of duty only as authorized by RCW 41.40.038;

    (E) Compensation that a member receives due to participation in the leave sharing program only as authorized by RCW 41.04.650 through 41.04.670; and

    (F) Compensation that a member receives for being in standby status.  For the purposes of this section, a member is in standby status when not being paid for time actually worked and the employer requires the member to be prepared to report immediately for work, if the need arises, although the need may not arise.  Standby compensation is regular salary for the purposes of RCW 41.50.150(2).

    (ii) "Compensation earnable" does not include:

    (A) Remuneration for unused sick leave authorized under RCW 41.04.340, 28A.400.210, or 28A.310.490;

    (B) Remuneration for unused annual leave in excess of thirty days as authorized by RCW 43.01.044 and 43.01.041.

    (b) "Compensation earnable" for plan II members, means salaries or wages earned by a member during a payroll period for personal services, including overtime payments, and shall include wages and salaries deferred under provisions established pursuant to sections 403(b), 414(h), and 457 of the United States Internal Revenue Code, but shall exclude nonmoney maintenance compensation and lump sum or other payments for deferred annual sick leave, unused accumulated vacation, unused accumulated annual leave, or any form of severance pay.

    "Compensation earnable" for plan II members also includes the following actual or imputed payments, which are not paid for personal services:

    (i) Retroactive payments to an individual by an employer on reinstatement of the employee in a position, or payments by an employer to an individual in lieu of reinstatement in a position which are awarded or granted as the equivalent of the salary or wage which the individual would have earned during a payroll period shall be considered compensation earnable to the extent provided above, and the individual shall receive the equivalent service credit;

    (ii) In any year in which a member serves in the legislature, the member shall have the option of having such member's compensation earnable be the greater of:

    (A) The compensation earnable the member would have received had such member not served in the legislature; or

    (B) Such member's actual compensation earnable received for nonlegislative public employment and legislative service combined.  Any additional contributions to the retirement system required because compensation earnable under (b)(ii)(((B))) (A) of this subsection is greater than compensation earnable under (b)(ii)(((A))) (B) of this subsection shall be paid by the member for both member and employer contributions;

    (iii) Assault pay only as authorized by RCW 27.04.100, 72.01.045, and 72.09.240;

    (iv) Compensation that a member would have received but for a disability occurring in the line of duty only as authorized by RCW 41.40.038;

    (v) Compensation that a member receives due to participation in the leave sharing program only as authorized by RCW 41.04.650 through 41.04.670; and

    (vi) Compensation that a member receives for being in standby status.  For the purposes of this section, a member is in standby status when not being paid for time actually worked and the employer requires the member to be prepared to report immediately for work, if the need arises, although the need may not arise.  Standby compensation is regular salary for the purposes of RCW 41.50.150(2).

    (9)(a) "Service" for plan I members, except as provided in RCW 41.40.088, means periods of employment in an eligible position or positions for one or more employers rendered to any employer for which compensation is paid, and includes time spent in office as an elected or appointed official of an employer.  Compensation earnable earned in full time work for seventy hours or more in any given calendar month shall constitute one service credit month except as provided in RCW 41.40.088.  Compensation earnable earned for less than seventy hours in any calendar month shall constitute one-quarter service credit month of service except as provided in RCW 41.40.088.  Only service credit months and one-quarter service credit months shall be counted in the computation of any retirement allowance or other benefit provided for in this chapter.  Any fraction of a year of service shall be taken into account in the computation of such retirement allowance or benefits.  Time spent in standby status, whether compensated or not, is not service.

    (i) Service by a state employee officially assigned by the state on a temporary basis to assist another public agency, shall be considered as service as a state employee:  PROVIDED, That service to any other public agency shall not be considered service as a state employee if such service has been used to establish benefits in any other public retirement system.

    (ii) An individual shall receive no more than a total of twelve service credit months of service during any calendar year.  If an individual is employed in an eligible position by one or more employers the individual shall receive no more than one service credit month during any calendar month in which multiple service for seventy or more hours is rendered.

    (iii) A school district employee may count up to forty-five days of sick leave as creditable service solely for the purpose of determining eligibility to retire under RCW 41.40.180 as authorized by RCW 28A.400.300.  For purposes of plan I "forty-five days" as used in RCW 28A.400.300 is equal to two service credit months.  Use of less than forty-five days of sick leave is creditable as allowed under this subsection as follows:

    (A) Less than twenty-two days equals one-quarter service credit month;

    (B) Twenty-two days equals one service credit month;

    (C) More than twenty-two days but less than forty-five days equals one and one-quarter service credit month.

    (b) "Service" for plan II members, means periods of employment by a member in an eligible position or positions for one or more employers for which compensation earnable is paid.  Compensation earnable earned for ninety or more hours in any calendar month shall constitute one service credit month except as provided in RCW 41.40.088.  Compensation earnable earned for at least seventy hours but less than ninety hours in any calendar month shall constitute one-half service credit month of service.  Compensation earnable earned for less than seventy hours in any calendar month shall constitute one-quarter service credit month of service.  Time spent in standby status, whether compensated or not, is not service.

    Any fraction of a year of service shall be taken into account in the computation of such retirement allowance or benefits.

    (i) Service in any state elective position shall be deemed to be full time service, except that persons serving in state elective positions who are members of the teachers' retirement system or law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system at the time of election or appointment to such position may elect to continue membership in the teachers' retirement system or law enforcement officers' and fire fighters' retirement system.

    (ii) A member shall receive a total of not more than twelve service credit months of service for such calendar year.  If an individual is employed in an eligible position by one or more employers the individual shall receive no more than one service credit month during any calendar month in which multiple service for ninety or more hours is rendered.

    (iii) Up to forty-five days of sick leave may be creditable as service solely for the purpose of determining eligibility to retire under RCW 41.40.180 as authorized by RCW 28A.400.300.  For purposes of plan II "forty-five days" as used in RCW 28A.400.300 is equal to two service credit months.  Use of less than forty-five days of sick leave is creditable as allowed under this subsection as follows:

    (A) Less than eleven days equals one-quarter service credit month;

    (B) Eleven or more days but less than twenty-two days equals one-half service credit month;

    (C) Twenty-two days equals one service credit month;

    (D) More than twenty-two days but less than thirty-three days equals one and one-quarter service credit month;

    (E) Thirty-three or more days but less than forty-five days equals one and one-half service credit month.

    (10) "Service credit year" means an accumulation of months of service credit which is equal to one when divided by twelve.

    (11) "Service credit month" means a month or an accumulation of months of service credit which is equal to one.

    (12) "Prior service" means all service of an original member rendered to any employer prior to October 1, 1947.

    (13) "Membership service" means:

    (a) All service rendered, as a member, after October 1, 1947;

    (b) All service after October 1, 1947, to any employer prior to the time of its admission into the retirement system for which member and employer contributions, plus interest as required by RCW 41.50.125, have been paid under RCW 41.40.056 or 41.40.057;

    (c) Service not to exceed six consecutive months of probationary service rendered after April 1, 1949, and prior to becoming a member, in the case of any member, upon payment in full by such member of the total amount of the employer's contribution to the retirement fund which would have been required under the law in effect when such probationary service was rendered if the member had been a member during such period, except that the amount of the employer's contribution shall be calculated by the director based on the first month's compensation earnable as a member;

    (d) Service not to exceed six consecutive months of probationary service, rendered after October 1, 1947, and before April 1, 1949, and prior to becoming a member, in the case of any member, upon payment in full by such member of five percent of such member's salary during said period of probationary service, except that the amount of the employer's contribution shall be calculated by the director based on the first month's compensation earnable as a member.

    (14)(a) "Beneficiary" for plan I members, means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance, pension or other benefit provided by this chapter.

    (b) "Beneficiary" for plan II members, means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by this chapter resulting from service rendered to an employer by another person.

    (15) "Regular interest" means such rate as the director may determine.

    (16) "Accumulated contributions" means the sum of all contributions standing to the credit of a member in the member's individual account, including any amount paid under RCW 41.50.165(2), together with the regular interest thereon.

    (17)(a) "Average final compensation" for plan I members, means the annual average of the greatest compensation earnable by a member during any consecutive two year period of service credit months for which service credit is allowed; or if the member has less than two years of service credit months then the annual average compensation earnable during the total years of service for which service credit is allowed.

    (b) "Average final compensation" for plan II members, means the member's average compensation earnable of the highest consecutive sixty months of service credit months prior to such member's retirement, termination, or death.  Periods constituting authorized leaves of absence may not be used in the calculation of average final compensation except under RCW 41.40.710(2).

    (18) "Final compensation" means the annual rate of compensation earnable by a member at the time of termination of employment.

    (19) "Annuity" means payments for life derived from accumulated contributions of a member.  All annuities shall be paid in monthly installments.

    (20) "Pension" means payments for life derived from contributions made by the employer.  All pensions shall be paid in monthly installments.

    (21) "Retirement allowance" means the sum of the annuity and the pension.

    (22) "Employee" means any person who may become eligible for membership under this chapter, as set forth in RCW 41.40.023.

    (23) "Actuarial equivalent" means a benefit of equal value when computed upon the basis of such mortality and other tables as may be adopted by the director.

    (24) "Retirement" means withdrawal from active service with a retirement allowance as provided by this chapter.

    (25) "Eligible position" means:

    (a) Any position that, as defined by the employer, normally requires five or more months of service a year for which regular compensation for at least seventy hours is earned by the occupant thereof.  For purposes of this chapter an employer shall not define "position" in such a manner that an employee's monthly work for that employer is divided into more than one position;

    (b) Any position occupied by an elected official or person appointed directly by the governor for which compensation is paid.

    (26) "Ineligible position" means any position which does not conform with the requirements set forth in subsection (25) of this section.

    (27) "Leave of absence" means the period of time a member is authorized by the employer to be absent from service without being separated from membership.

    (28) "Totally incapacitated for duty" means total inability to perform the duties of a member's employment or office or any other work for which the member is qualified by training or experience.

    (29) "Retiree" means any person in receipt of a retirement allowance or other benefit provided by this chapter resulting from service rendered to an employer while a member.  A person is in receipt of a retirement allowance as defined in subsection (21) of this section or other benefit as provided by this chapter when the department mails, causes to be mailed, or otherwise transmits the retirement allowance warrant.

    (30) "Director" means the director of the department.

    (31) "State elective position" means any position held by any person elected or appointed to state-wide office or elected or appointed as a member of the legislature.

    (32) "State actuary" or "actuary" means the person appointed pursuant to RCW 44.44.010(2).

    (33) "Plan I" means the public employees' retirement system, plan I providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first became members of the system prior to October 1, 1977.

    (34) "Plan II" means the public employees' retirement system, plan II providing the benefits and funding provisions covering persons who first became members of the system on and after October 1, 1977.

    (35) "Index" means, for any calendar year, that year's annual average consumer price index, Seattle, Washington area, for urban wage earners and clerical workers, all items, compiled by the bureau of labor statistics, United States department of labor.

    (36) "Index A" means the index for the year prior to the determination of a postretirement adjustment.

    (37) "Index B" means the index for the year prior to index A.

    (38) "Index year" means the earliest calendar year in which the index is more than sixty percent of index A.

    (39) "Adjustment ratio" means the value of index A divided by index B.

    (40) "Annual increase" means, initially, fifty-nine cents per month per year of service which amount shall be increased each July 1st by three percent, rounded to the nearest cent.

(41) "Domestic partner" has the same meaning as provided in RCW 41.05.011.

    Sec. 26.  RCW 41.40.023 and 1994 c 298 s 8 and 194 c 1 197 s 24 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

    Membership in the retirement system shall consist of all regularly compensated employees and appointive and elective officials of employers, as defined in this chapter, with the following exceptions:

    (1) Persons in ineligible positions;

    (2) Employees of the legislature except the officers thereof elected by the members of the senate and the house and legislative committees, unless membership of such employees be authorized by the said committee;

    (3)(a) Persons holding elective offices or persons appointed directly by the governor:  PROVIDED, That such persons shall have the option of applying for membership during such periods of employment:  AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That any persons holding or who have held elective offices or persons appointed by the governor who are members in the retirement system and who have, prior to becoming such members, previously held an elective office, and did not at the start of such initial or successive terms of office exercise their option to become members, may apply for membership to be effective during such term or terms of office, and shall be allowed to establish the service credit applicable to such term or terms of office upon payment of the employee contributions therefor by the employee with interest as determined by the director and employer contributions therefor by the employer or employee with interest as determined by the director:  AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That all contributions with interest submitted by the employee under this subsection shall be placed in the employee's individual account in the employee's savings fund and be treated as any other contribution made by the employee, with the exception that any contributions submitted by the employee in payment of the employer's obligation, together with the interest the director may apply to the employer's contribution, shall not be considered part of the member's annuity for any purpose except withdrawal of contributions;

    (b) A member holding elective office who has elected to apply for membership pursuant to (a) of this subsection and who later wishes to be eligible for a retirement allowance shall have the option of ending his or her membership in the retirement system.  A member wishing to end his or her membership under this subsection must file, on a form supplied by the department, a statement indicating that the member agrees to irrevocably abandon any claim for service for future periods served as an elected official.  A member who receives more than fifteen thousand dollars per year in compensation for his or her elective service, adjusted annually for inflation by the director, is not eligible for the option provided by this subsection (3)(b);

    (4) Employees holding membership in, or receiving pension benefits under, any retirement plan operated wholly or in part by an agency of the state or political subdivision thereof, or who are by reason of their current employment contributing to or otherwise establishing the right to receive benefits from any such retirement plan:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, In any case where the retirement system has in existence an agreement with another retirement system in connection with exchange of service credit or an agreement whereby members can retain service credit in more than one system, such an employee shall be allowed membership rights should the agreement so provide:  AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That an employee shall be allowed membership if otherwise eligible while receiving survivor's benefits:  AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That an employee shall not either before or after June 7, 1984, be excluded from membership or denied service credit pursuant to this subsection solely on account of:  (a) Membership in the plan created under chapter 2.14 RCW; or (b) enrollment under the relief and compensation provisions or the pension provisions of the volunteer fire fighters' relief and pension fund under chapter 41.24 RCW;

    (5) Patient and inmate help in state charitable, penal, and correctional institutions;

    (6) "Members" of a state veterans' home or state soldiers' home;

    (7) Persons employed by an institution of higher learning or community college, primarily as an incident to and in furtherance of their education or training, or the education or training of a spouse or domestic partner;

    (8) Employees of an institution of higher learning or community college during the period of service necessary to establish eligibility for membership in the retirement plans operated by such institutions;

    (9) Persons rendering professional services to an employer on a fee, retainer, or contract basis or when the income from these services is less than fifty percent of the gross income received from the person's practice of a profession;

    (10) Persons appointed after April 1, 1963, by the liquor control board as agency vendors;

    (11) Employees of a labor guild, association, or organization:  PROVIDED, That elective officials and employees of a labor guild, association, or organization which qualifies as an employer within this chapter shall have the option of applying for membership;

    (12) Plan I retirees employed in eligible positions on a temporary basis for a period not to exceed five months in a calendar year:  PROVIDED, That if such employees are employed for more than five months in a calendar year in an eligible position they shall become members of the system prospectively;

    (13) Persons employed by or appointed or elected as an official of a first class city that has its own retirement system:  PROVIDED, That any member elected or appointed to an elective office on or after April 1, 1971, shall have the option of continuing as a member of this system in lieu of becoming a member of the city system.  A member who elects to continue as a member of this system shall pay the appropriate member contributions and the city shall pay the employer contributions at the rates prescribed by this chapter.  The city shall also transfer to this system all of such member's accumulated contributions together with such further amounts as necessary to equal all employee and employer contributions which would have been paid into this system on account of such service with the city and thereupon the member shall be granted credit for all such service.  Any city that becomes an employer as defined in RCW 41.40.010(4) as the result of an individual's election under this subsection shall not be required to have all employees covered for retirement under the provisions of this chapter.  Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a city of the first class with its own retirement system from:  (a) Transferring all of its current employees to the retirement system established under this chapter, or (b) allowing newly hired employees the option of continuing coverage under the retirement system established by this chapter.

    Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, persons transferring from employment with a first class city of over four hundred thousand population that has its own retirement system to employment with the state department of agriculture may elect to remain within the retirement system of such city and the state shall pay the employer contributions for such persons at like rates as prescribed for employers of other members of such system;

    (14) Employees who (a) are not citizens of the United States, (b) do not reside in the United States, and (c) perform duties outside of the United States;

    (15) Employees who (a) are not citizens of the United States, (b) are not covered by chapter 41.48 RCW, (c) are not excluded from membership under this chapter or chapter 41.04 RCW, (d) are residents of this state, and (e) make an irrevocable election to be excluded from membership, in writing, which is submitted to the director within thirty days after employment in an eligible position;

    (16) Employees who are citizens of the United States and who reside and perform duties for an employer outside of the United States:  PROVIDED, That unless otherwise excluded under this chapter or chapter 41.04 RCW, the employee may apply for membership (a) within thirty days after employment in an eligible position and membership service credit shall be granted from the first day of membership service, and (b) after this thirty-day period, but membership service credit shall be granted only if payment is made for the noncredited membership service under RCW 41.50.165(2), otherwise service shall be from the date of application;

    (17) The city manager or chief administrative officer of a city or town who serves at the pleasure of an appointing authority:  PROVIDED, That such persons shall have the option of applying for membership within thirty days from date of their appointment to such positions.  Persons serving in such positions as of April 4, 1986, shall continue to be members in the retirement system unless they notify the director in writing prior to December 31, 1986, of their desire to withdraw from membership in the retirement system.  A member who withdraws from membership in the system under this section shall receive a refund of the member's accumulated contributions.

    Persons serving in such positions who have not opted for membership within the specified thirty days, may do so by paying the amount required under RCW 41.50.165(2) for the period from the date of their appointment to the date of acceptance into membership;

    (18) Persons enrolled in state-approved apprenticeship programs, authorized under chapter 49.04 RCW, and who are employed by local governments to earn hours to complete such apprenticeship programs, if the employee is a member of a union-sponsored retirement plan and is making contributions to such a retirement plan or if the employee is a member of a Taft-Hartley retirement plan.

    Sec. 27.  RCW 41.40.188 and 1996 c 175 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Upon retirement for service as prescribed in RCW 41.40.180 or retirement for disability under RCW 41.40.210 or 41.40.230, a member shall elect to have the retirement allowance paid pursuant to one of the following options calculated so as to be actuarially equivalent to each other.

    (a) Standard allowance.  A member electing this option shall receive a retirement allowance payable throughout such member's life.  However, if the retiree dies before the total of the retirement allowance paid to such retiree equals the amount of such retiree's accumulated contributions at the time of retirement, then the balance shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust, or organization as the retiree shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department; or if there be no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the retiree's death, then to the surviving spouse or domestic partner; or if there be neither such designated person or persons still living at the time of death nor a surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to the retiree's legal representative.

    (b) The department shall adopt rules that allow a member to select a retirement option that pays the member a reduced retirement allowance and upon death, such portion of the member's reduced retirement allowance as the department by rule designates shall be continued throughout the life of and paid to a person nominated by the member by written designation duly executed and filed with the department at the time of retirement.  The options adopted by the department shall include, but are not limited to, a joint and one hundred percent survivor option and a joint and fifty percent survivor option.

    (c) A member may elect to include the benefit provided under RCW 41.40.640 along with the retirement options available under this section.  This retirement allowance option shall be calculated so as to be actuarially equivalent to the options offered under this subsection.

    (2)(a) A member, if married, must provide the written consent of his or her spouse to the option selected under this section, except as provided in (b) of this subsection.  If a member is married and both the member and the member's spouse do not give written consent to an option under this section, the department shall pay a joint and fifty percent survivor benefit calculated to be actuarially equivalent to the benefit options available under subsection (1) of this section unless spousal consent is not required as provided in (b) of this subsection.

    (b) If a copy of a dissolution order designating a survivor beneficiary under RCW 41.50.790 has been filed with the department at least thirty days prior to a member's retirement:

    (i) The department shall honor the designation as if made by the member under subsection (1) of this section; and

    (ii) The spousal consent provisions of (a) of this subsection do not apply.

    Sec. 28.  RCW 41.40.190 and 1990 c 249 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    In lieu of the retirement allowance provided in RCW 41.40.185, an individual employed on or before April 25, 1973 may, after complying with RCW 41.40.180 or 41.40.210, make an irrevocable election to receive the retirement allowance provided by this section which shall consist of:

    (1) An annuity which shall be the actuarial equivalent of his or her accumulated contributions at the time of his or her retirement; and

    (2) A basic service pension of one hundred dollars per annum; and

    (3) A membership service pension, subject to the provisions of subdivision (4) of this section, which shall be equal to one one-hundredth of his or her average final compensation for each year or fraction of a year of membership service credited to his or her service account; and

    (4) A prior service pension which shall be equal to one-seventieth of his or her average final compensation for each year or fraction of a year of prior service not to exceed thirty years credited to his or her service accounts.  In no event shall any original member upon retirement at age seventy with ten or more years of service credit receive less than nine hundred dollars per annum as a retirement allowance, nor shall any member upon retirement at any age receive a retirement allowance of less than nine hundred dollars per annum if such member has twelve or more years of service credit, or less than one thousand and two hundred dollars per annum if such member has sixteen or more years of service credit, or less than one thousand five hundred and sixty dollars per annum if such member has twenty or more years of service credit.  In the event that the retirement allowance as to such member provided by subdivisions (1), (2), (3), and (4) hereof shall amount to less than the aforesaid minimum retirement allowance, the basic service pension of the member shall be increased from one hundred dollars to a sum sufficient to make a retirement allowance of the applicable minimum amount.

    (5) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (1) through (4) of this section, the retirement allowance payable for service where a member was elected or appointed pursuant to Articles II or III of the Constitution of the state of Washington or RCW 48.02.010 and the implementing statutes shall be a combined pension and annuity.  Said retirement allowance shall be equal to three percent of the average final compensation for each year of such service.  Any member covered by this subsection who upon retirement has served ten or more years shall receive a retirement allowance of at least one thousand two hundred dollars per annum; such member who has served fifteen or more years shall receive a retirement allowance of at least one thousand eight hundred dollars per annum; and such member who has served twenty or more years shall receive a retirement allowance of at least two thousand four hundred dollars per annum:  PROVIDED, That the initial retirement allowance of a member retiring only under the provisions of this subsection shall not exceed the average final compensation upon which the retirement allowance is based.  The minimum benefits provided in this subsection shall apply to all retired members or to the surviving spouse or domestic partner of deceased members who were elected under the provisions of Article II of the Washington state Constitution.

    (6) Unless payment shall be made under RCW 41.40.270, a joint and one hundred percent survivor benefit under RCW 41.40.188 shall automatically be given effect as if selected for the benefit of the surviving spouse or domestic partner upon the death in service, or while on authorized leave of absence for a period not to exceed one hundred and twenty days from the date of payroll separation, of any member who is qualified for a service retirement allowance or has completed ten years of service at the time of death, except that if the member is not then qualified for a service retirement allowance, such option II benefit shall be based upon the actuarial equivalent of the sum necessary to pay the accrued regular retirement allowance commencing when the deceased member would have first qualified for a service retirement allowance.

    Sec. 29.  RCW 41.40.220 and 1995 c 144 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    Upon retirement for disability, as provided in RCW 41.40.200, a member who has not attained age sixty shall receive the following benefits, subject to the provisions of RCW 41.40.310 and 41.40.320:

    (1) A disability retirement pension of two-thirds of his or her average final compensation to his or her attainment of age sixty, subject to the provisions of RCW 41.40.310.  The disability retirement pension provided by the employer shall not exceed forty-two hundred dollars per annum, and

    (2) Upon attainment of age sixty, the disabled member shall receive a service retirement allowance as provided in RCW 41.40.210.  The department shall grant the disabled member membership service for the period of time prior to age sixty he or she was out of such service due to disability.

    (3) During the period a disabled member is receiving a disability pension, as provided for in subsection (1) of this section, his or her contributions to the employees' savings fund shall be suspended and his or her balance in the employees' savings fund, standing to his or her credit as of the date his or her disability pension is to begin, shall remain in the employees' savings fund.  If the disabled member should die before attaining age sixty, while a disability beneficiary, upon receipt by the department of proper proof of death, the member's accumulated contributions standing to his or her credit in the employees' savings fund, shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust, or organization as he or she shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department.  If there is no designated person or persons still living at the time of the member's death, the accumulated contributions standing to the member's credit in the employees' savings fund shall be paid to his or her surviving spouse or domestic partner, or if there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to the member's legal representative.

    Sec. 30.  RCW 41.40.235 and 1995 c 144 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Upon retirement, a member shall receive a nonduty disability retirement allowance equal to two percent of average final compensation for each service credit year of service:  PROVIDED, That this allowance shall be reduced by two percent of itself for each year or fraction thereof that his or her age is less than fifty-five years:  PROVIDED FURTHER, That in no case may the allowance provided by this section exceed sixty percent of average final compensation.

    (2) If the recipient of a retirement allowance under this section dies before the total of the retirement allowance paid to the recipient equals the amount of the accumulated contributions at the date of retirement, then the balance shall be paid to the member's estate, or the person or persons, trust, or organization as the recipient has nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the director or, if there is no designated person or persons still living at the time of the recipient's death, then to the surviving spouse or domestic partner or, if there is neither a designated person or persons still living at the time of his or her death nor a surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to his or her legal representative.

    Sec. 31.  RCW 41.40.250 and 1995 c 144 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

    An individual who was a member on February 25, 1972, may upon qualifying pursuant to RCW 41.40.230, make an irrevocable election to receive the nonduty disability retirement allowance provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section subject to the provisions of RCW 41.40.310 and 41.40.320.  Upon attaining or becoming disabled after age sixty the member shall receive a service retirement allowance as provided for in RCW 41.40.190 except that the annuity portion thereof shall consist of a continuation of the cash refund annuity previously provided to him or her.  The disability retirement allowance prior to age sixty shall consist of:

    (1) A cash refund annuity which shall be the actuarial equivalent of the member's accumulated contributions at the time of his or her retirement; and

    (2) A pension, in addition to the annuity, equal to one one-hundredth of the member's average final compensation for each year of service.  If the recipient of a retirement allowance under this section dies before the total of the annuity portions of the retirement allowance paid to him or her equals the amount of his or her accumulated contributions at the date of retirement, then the balance shall be paid to the member's estate, or the person or persons, trust, or organization as he or she shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department, or if there is no designated person or persons, still living at the time of his or her death, then to his or her surviving spouse or domestic partner, or if there is no designated person or persons still living at the time of his or her death nor a surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to his or her legal representatives.

    Sec. 32.  RCW 41.40.270 and 1996 c 227 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Should a member die before the date of retirement the amount of the accumulated contributions standing to the member's credit in the employees' savings fund, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, at the time of death:

    (a) Shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust, or organization as the member shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department; or

    (b) If there be no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the member's death, or if a member fails to file a new beneficiary designation subsequent to marriage, remarriage, dissolution of marriage, divorce, or reestablishment of membership following termination by withdrawal or retirement, such accumulated contributions, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, shall be paid to the surviving spouse or domestic partner as if in fact such spouse or domestic partner had been nominated by written designation as aforesaid, or if there be no such surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to the member's legal representatives.

    (2) Upon the death in service, or while on authorized leave of absence for a period not to exceed one hundred and twenty days from the date of payroll separation, of any member who is qualified but has not applied for a service retirement allowance or has completed ten years of service at the time of death, the designated beneficiary, or the surviving spouse or domestic partner as provided in subsection (1) of this section, may elect to waive the payment provided by subsection (1) of this section.  Upon such an election, a joint and one hundred percent survivor option under RCW 41.40.188, calculated under the retirement allowance described in RCW 41.40.185 or 41.40.190, whichever is greater, actuarially reduced by the amount of any lump sum benefit identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670 shall automatically be given effect as if selected for the benefit of the designated beneficiary.  If the member is not then qualified for a service retirement allowance, such benefit shall be based upon the actuarial equivalent of the sum necessary to pay the accrued regular retirement allowance commencing when the deceased member would have first qualified for a service retirement allowance.

    (3) Subsection (1) of this section, unless elected, shall not apply to any member who has applied for service retirement in RCW 41.40.180, as now or hereafter amended, and thereafter dies between the date of separation from service and the member's effective retirement date, where the member has selected a survivorship option under RCW 41.40.188.  In those cases the beneficiary named in the member's final application for service retirement may elect to receive either a cash refund, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, or monthly payments according to the option selected by the member.

    (4) For deaths occurring between July 1, 1995, and June 30, 1997, if a member who:  (a) Has applied for nonduty disability under RCW 41.40.230; (b) has submitted adequate evidence to support a disability determination; and (c) has selected a retirement under RCW 41.40.188, dies before receiving the first retirement payment, the beneficiary named in the member's final application for disability retirement may elect to receive either a cash refund, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, or monthly payments according to the option selected by the member.

    Sec. 33.  RCW 41.40.660 and 1996 c 175 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Upon retirement for service as prescribed in RCW 41.40.630 or retirement for disability under RCW 41.40.670, a member shall elect to have the retirement allowance paid pursuant to one of the following options, calculated so as to be actuarially equivalent to each other.

    (a) Standard allowance.  A member electing this option shall receive a retirement allowance payable throughout such member's life.  However, if the retiree dies before the total of the retirement allowance paid to such retiree equals the amount of such retiree's accumulated contributions at the time of retirement, then the balance shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust, or organization as the retiree shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department; or if there be no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the retiree's death, then to the surviving spouse or domestic partner; or if there be neither such designated person or persons still living at the time of death nor a surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to the retiree's legal representative.

    (b) The department shall adopt rules that allow a member to select a retirement option that pays the member a reduced retirement allowance and upon death, such portion of the member's reduced retirement allowance as the department by rule designates shall be continued throughout the life of and paid to a person nominated by the member by written designation duly executed and filed with the department at the time of retirement.  The options adopted by the department shall include, but are not limited to, a joint and one hundred percent survivor option and a joint and fifty percent survivor option.

    (2)(a) A member, if married, must provide the written consent of his or her spouse to the option selected under this section, except as provided in (b) of this subsection.  If a member is married and both the member and the member's spouse do not give written consent to an option under this section, the department shall pay a joint and fifty percent survivor benefit calculated to be actuarially equivalent to the benefit options available under subsection (1) of this section unless spousal consent is not required as provided in (b) of this subsection.

    (b) If a copy of a dissolution order designating a survivor beneficiary under RCW 41.50.790 has been filed with the department at least thirty days prior to a member's retirement:

    (i) The department shall honor the designation as if made by the member under subsection (1) of this section; and

    (ii) The spousal consent provisions of (a) of this subsection do not apply.

    Sec. 34.  RCW 41.40.670 and 1995 c 144 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A member of the retirement system who becomes totally incapacitated for continued employment by an employer as determined by the department upon recommendation of the department shall be eligible to receive an allowance under the provisions of RCW 41.40.610 through 41.40.740.  The member shall receive a monthly disability allowance computed as provided for in RCW 41.40.620 and shall have this allowance actuarially reduced to reflect the difference in the number of years between age at disability and the attainment of age sixty-five.

    Any member who receives an allowance under the provisions of this section shall be subject to comprehensive medical examinations as required by the department.  If these medical examinations reveal that a member has recovered from the incapacitating disability and the member is offered reemployment by an employer at a comparable compensation, the member shall cease to be eligible for the allowance.

    (2) The retirement for disability of a judge, who is a member of the retirement system, by the supreme court under Article IV, section 31 of the Constitution of the state of Washington (Amendment 71), with the concurrence of the department, shall be considered a retirement under subsection (1) of this section.

    (3)(a) If the recipient of a monthly retirement allowance under this section dies before the total of the retirement allowance paid to the recipient equals the amount of the accumulated contributions at the date of retirement, then the balance shall be paid to the member's estate, or the person or persons, trust, or organization as the recipient has nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the director, or, if there is no designated person or persons still living at the time of the recipient's death, then to the surviving spouse or domestic partner, or, if there is no designated person or persons still living at the time of his or her death nor a surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to his or her legal representative.

    (b) If a recipient of a monthly retirement allowance under this section died before April 27, 1989, and before the total of the retirement allowance paid to the recipient equaled the amount of his or her accumulated contributions at the date of retirement, then the department shall pay the balance of the accumulated contributions to the member's surviving spouse or domestic partner or, if there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner, then in equal shares to the member's children.  If there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner, or children, the department shall retain the contributions.

    Sec. 35.  RCW 41.40.700 and 1995 c 144 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) Except as provided in RCW 11.07.010, if a member or a vested member who has not completed at least ten years of service dies, the amount of the accumulated contributions standing to such member's credit in the retirement system at the time of such member's death, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust, or organization as the member shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department.  If there be no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the member's death, such member's accumulated contributions standing to such member's credit in the retirement system, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, shall be paid to the member's surviving spouse or domestic partner as if in fact such spouse or domestic partner had been nominated by written designation, or if there be no such surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to such member's legal representatives.

    (2) If a member who is eligible for retirement or a member who has completed at least ten years of service dies, the surviving spouse or domestic partner, or eligible child or children, shall elect to receive either:

    (a) A retirement allowance computed as provided for in RCW 41.40.630(1), actuarially reduced by the amount of any lump sum benefit identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670 and actuarially adjusted to reflect a joint and one hundred percent survivor option under RCW 41.40.660 and if the member was not eligible for normal retirement at the date of death a further reduction as described in RCW 41.40.630(2); if a surviving spouse or domestic partner who is receiving a retirement allowance dies leaving a child or children of the member under the age of majority, then such child or children shall continue to receive an allowance in an amount equal to that which was being received by the surviving spouse or domestic partner, share and share alike, until such child or children reach the age of majority; if there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner eligible to receive an allowance at the time of the member's death, such member's child or children under the age of majority shall receive an allowance share and share alike calculated as herein provided making the assumption that the ages of the spouse or domestic partner and member were equal at the time of the member's death; or

    (b) The member's accumulated contributions, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670.

    (3) If a member who is eligible for retirement or a member who has completed at least ten years of service dies after October 1, 1977, and is not survived by a spouse or domestic partner, or an eligible child, then the accumulated contributions standing to the member's credit, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, shall be paid:

    (a) To a person or persons, estate, trust, or organization as the member shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department; or

    (b) If there is no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the member's death, then to the member's legal representatives.

    Sec. 36.  RCW 41.54.010 and 1993 c 517 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

    The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

    (1) "Base salary" means salaries or wages earned by a member of a system during a payroll period for personal services and includes wages and salaries deferred under provisions of the United States internal revenue code, but shall exclude overtime payments, nonmoney maintenance compensation, and lump sum payments for deferred annual sick leave, unused accumulated vacation, unused accumulated annual leave, any form of severance pay, any bonus for voluntary retirement, any other form of leave, or any similar lump sum payment.

    (2) "Department" means the department of retirement systems.

    (3) "Director" means the director of the department of retirement systems.

    (4) "Dual member" means a person who (a) is or becomes a member of a system on or after July 1, 1988, (b) has been a member of one or more other systems, and (c) has never been retired for service from a retirement system and is not receiving a disability retirement or disability leave benefit from any retirement system listed in RCW 41.50.030 or subsection (6) of this section.

    (5) "Service" means the same as it may be defined in each respective system.  For the purposes of RCW 41.54.030, military service granted under RCW 41.40.170(3) or 43.43.260 may only be based on service accrued under chapter 41.40 or 43.43 RCW, respectively.

    (6) "System" means the retirement systems established under chapters 41.32, 41.40, 41.44, and 43.43 RCW; plan II of the system established under chapter 41.26 RCW; and the city employee retirement systems for Seattle, Tacoma, and Spokane.  The inclusion of an individual first class city system is subject to the procedure set forth in RCW 41.54.061.

(7) "Domestic partner" means the person designated by a state employee in an affidavit filed under section 2 of this act.

    Sec. 37.  RCW 41.54.034 and 1996 c 55 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) If a dual member dies in service in any system, the member's service in all systems may be combined for the sole purpose of determining the surviving spouse's or domestic partner's eligibility to receive a death benefit from each of the member's current and prior systems.

    (2) Each system shall use its own criteria to:

    (a) Determine the surviving spouse's or domestic partner's eligibility for a death benefit; and

    (b) Calculate the death benefit based on service actually established in that system.

    (3) The surviving spouse or domestic partner shall receive the same benefit from each system that would have been received if the member were active in the system at the time of death.  The spouse or domestic partner shall be allowed to substitute the member's base salary from any system as the compensation used in calculating the allowance.

    (4) This section shall not apply to the Washington state patrol retirement system established under chapter 43.43 RCW.

    Sec. 38.  RCW 43.43.120 and 1983 c 81 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    As used in the following sections, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:

    (1) "Retirement system" means the Washington state patrol retirement system.

    (2) "Retirement fund" means the Washington state patrol retirement fund.

    (3) "State treasurer" means the treasurer of the state of Washington.

    (4) "Member" means any person included in the membership of the retirement fund.

    (5) "Employee" means any commissioned employee of the Washington state patrol.

    (6)(a) "Cadet," for a person who became a member of the retirement system after June 12, 1980, is a person who has passed the Washington state patrol's entry-level oral, written, physical performance, and background examinations and is, thereby, appointed by the chief as a candidate to be a commissioned officer of the Washington state patrol.

    (b) "Cadet," for a person who became a member of the retirement system before June 12, 1980, is a trooper cadet, patrol cadet, or employee of like classification, employed for the express purpose of receiving the on-the-job training required for attendance at the state patrol academy and for becoming a commissioned trooper.  "Like classification" includes:  Radio operators or dispatchers; persons providing security for the governor or legislature; patrolmen; drivers' license examiners; weighmasters; vehicle safety inspectors; central wireless operators; and warehousemen.

    (7) "Beneficiary" means any person in receipt of retirement allowance or any other benefit allowed by this chapter.

    (8) "Regular interest" means interest compounded annually at such rates as may be determined by the director.

    (9) "Retirement board" means the board provided for in this chapter.

    (10) "Insurance commissioner" means the insurance commissioner of the state of Washington.

    (11) "Lieutenant governor" means the lieutenant governor of the state of Washington.

    (12) "Service" shall mean services rendered to the state of Washington or any political subdivisions thereof for which compensation has been paid.  Full time employment for seventy or more hours in any given calendar month shall constitute one month of service.  An employee who is reinstated in accordance with RCW 43.43.110 shall suffer no loss of service for the period reinstated subject to the contribution requirements of this chapter.  Only months of service shall be counted in the computation of any retirement allowance or other benefit provided for herein.  Years of service shall be determined by dividing the total number of months of service by twelve.  Any fraction of a year of service as so determined shall be taken into account in the computation of such retirement allowance or benefit.

    (13) "Prior service" shall mean all services rendered by a member to the state of Washington, or any of its political subdivisions prior to August 1, 1947, unless such service has been credited in another public retirement or pension system operating in the state of Washington.

    (14) "Current service" shall mean all service as a member rendered on or after August 1, 1947.

    (15) "Average final salary" shall mean the average monthly salary received by a member during the member's last two years of service or any consecutive two-year period of service, whichever is the greater, as an employee of the Washington state patrol; or if the member has less than two years of service, then the average monthly salary received by the member during the member's total years of service.

    (16) "Actuarial equivalent" shall mean a benefit of equal value when computed upon the basis of such mortality table as may be adopted and such interest rate as may be determined by the director.

    (17) Unless the context expressly indicates otherwise, words importing the masculine gender shall be extended to include the feminine gender and words importing the feminine gender shall be extended to include the masculine gender.

    (18) "Director" means the director of the department of retirement systems.

    (19) "Department" means the department of retirement systems created in chapter 41.50 RCW.

    (20) "State actuary" or "actuary" means the person appointed pursuant to RCW 44.44.010(2).

    (21) "Contributions" means the deduction from the compensation of each member in accordance with the contribution rates established under RCW 43.43.300.

(22) "Domestic partner" means the person designated by a member in an affidavit filed under section 2 of this act.

    Sec. 39.  RCW 43.43.270 and 1989 c 108 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) The normal form of retirement allowance shall be an allowance which shall continue as long as the member lives.

    (2) If a member should die while in service the member's lawful spouse or domestic partner shall be paid an allowance which shall be equal to fifty percent of the average final salary of the member.  If the member should die after retirement the member's lawful spouse or domestic partner shall be paid an allowance which shall be equal to the retirement allowance then payable to the member or fifty percent of the final average salary used in computing the member's retirement allowance, whichever is less.  The allowance paid to the lawful spouse or domestic partner shall continue as long as the spouse or domestic partner lives:  PROVIDED, That if a surviving spouse or domestic partner who is receiving benefits under this subsection marries or becomes a domestic partner of another member of this retirement system who subsequently predeceases such spouse or domestic partner, the spouse or domestic partner shall then be entitled to receive the higher of the two survivors' allowances for which eligibility requirements were met, but a surviving spouse or domestic partner shall not receive more than one survivor's allowance from this system at the same time under this subsection.  To be eligible for an allowance the lawful surviving spouse or domestic partner of a retired member shall have been married to or been a domestic partner of the member prior to the member's retirement and continuously thereafter until the date of the member's death or shall have been married to or been a domestic partner of the retired member at least two years prior to the member's death.

    (3) If a member should die, either while in service or after retirement, the member's surviving unmarried children under the age of eighteen years shall be provided for in the following manner:

    (a) If there is a surviving spouse or domestic partner, each child shall be entitled to a benefit equal to five percent of the final average salary of the member or retired member.  The combined benefits to the surviving spouse or domestic partner and all children shall not exceed sixty percent of the final average salary of the member or retired member; and

    (b) If there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner, or the spouse or domestic partner should die, the child or children shall be entitled to a benefit equal to thirty percent of the final average salary of the member or retired member for one child and an additional ten percent for each additional child.  The combined benefits to the children under this subsection shall not exceed sixty percent of the final average salary of the member or retired member.  Payments under this subsection shall be prorated equally among the children, if more than one.

    (4) If a member should die in the line of duty while employed by the Washington state patrol, the member's surviving children under the age of twenty years and eleven months if attending any high school, college, university, or vocational or other educational institution accredited or approved by the state of Washington shall be provided for in the following manner:

    (a) If there is a surviving spouse or domestic partner, each child shall be entitled to a benefit equal to five percent of the final average salary of the member.  The combined benefits to the surviving spouse or domestic partner and all children shall not exceed sixty percent of the final average salary of the member;

    (b) If there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner, or the spouse or domestic partner should die, the unmarried child or children shall be entitled to receive a benefit equal to thirty percent of the final average salary of the member or retired member for one child and an additional ten percent for each additional child.  The combined benefits to the children under this subsection shall not exceed sixty percent of the final average salary.  Payments under this subsection shall be prorated equally among the children, if more than one; and

    (c) If a beneficiary under this subsection reaches the age of twenty-one years during the middle of a term of enrollment the benefit shall continue until the end of that term.

    (5) The provisions of this section shall apply to members who have been retired on disability as provided in RCW 43.43.040 if the officer was a member of the Washington state patrol retirement system at the time of such disability retirement.

    Sec. 40.  RCW 43.43.280 and 1994 c 197 s 35 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) If a member dies before retirement, and has no surviving spouse or domestic partner, or children under the age of eighteen years, all contributions made by the member, including any amount paid under RCW 41.50.165(2), with interest as determined by the director, less any amount identified as owing to an obligee upon withdrawal of accumulated contributions pursuant to a court order filed under RCW 41.50.670, shall be paid to such person or persons as the member shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department, or if there be no such designated person or persons, then to the member's legal representative.

    (2) If a member should cease to be an employee before attaining age sixty for reasons other than the member's death, or retirement, the individual shall thereupon cease to be a member except as provided under RCW 43.43.130 (2) ((and)), (3), and (4) and, the individual may withdraw the member's contributions to the retirement fund, including any amount paid under RCW 41.50.165(2), with interest as determined by the director, by making application therefor to the department, except that:  A member who ceases to be an employee after having completed at least five years of service shall remain a member during the period of the member's absence from employment for the exclusive purpose only of receiving a retirement allowance to begin at attainment of age sixty, however such a member may upon written notice to the department elect to receive a reduced retirement allowance on or after age fifty-five which allowance shall be the actuarial equivalent of the sum necessary to pay regular retirement benefits as of age sixty:  PROVIDED, That if such member should withdraw all or part of the member's accumulated contributions, the individual shall thereupon cease to be a member and this subsection shall not apply.

    Sec. 41.  RCW 43.43.285 and 1996 c 226 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A one hundred fifty thousand dollar death benefit shall be paid to the member's estate, or such person or persons, trust or organization as the member shall have nominated by written designation duly executed and filed with the department.  If there be no such designated person or persons still living at the time of the member's death, such member's death benefit shall be paid to the member's surviving spouse or domestic partner as if in fact such spouse or domestic partner had been nominated by written designation, or if there be no such surviving spouse or domestic partner, then to such member's legal representatives.

    (2) The benefit under this section shall be paid only where death occurs as a result of injuries sustained in the course of employment.  The determination of eligibility for the benefit shall be made consistent with Title 51 RCW by the department of labor and industries.  The department of labor and industries shall notify the department of retirement systems by order under RCW 51.52.050.

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