“A camel is a horse designed by a committee.”
Alec Issigonis
The deadline for bills to pass their house of origin has passed. Committee agendas are now full of hearings on bills from the opposing house.
Listed below are bills that appear still ‘alive’ remembering that NTIB bills are always in the background and may come forward at any time.
Retirement Related Proposals
As a repeat of a repeat: Previous reports have covered the bills related to addressing the lack of a Cost-Of-
Living increase (COLA) for members in TRS/PERS Plans 1 and requesting a COLA for members of those plans. They are: ESHB 1057/SB 5350, HB 1201/ESSB 5294, and HB 1459.
There are three basic bills currently moving that deal with pensions. These address the request for a one-time 3% COLA, employer rates, and how to deal with the $800 million the legislature set aside last session to lower the unfunded liability within TRS Plan 1.
SB 5350 would grant a one-time, capped 3% COLA for TRS1/PERS1 plan members. It also directs the Select Committee on Pension Policy (SCPP) to recommend a path to regain a permanent COLA for these retirees.
The Senate passed the bill 48/0, and it is scheduled for a public hearing 3/9 before House Appropriations.
ESSB 5294 was amended. Reduces the minimum contribution rates for the Plan 1 Unfunded Actuarial Accrued Liability (UAAL) in the Public Employees’ and Teachers’ Retirement System Plans 1 (PERS 1 and TRS 1) to 0.5 percent. • Sets UAAL rates for PERS 1 and TRS 1 for fiscal years 2024 through 2027. • Reduces the scheduled payment of $800 million into the TRS 1 fund to $250 million.
The Senate passed the bill 48/0, and it is scheduled for a public hearing 3/9 before House Appropriations.
ESHB 1057 would grant a one-time, capped 3% COLA for TRS1/PERS1 plan members. It also directed the SCPP to recommend a path to regain a permanent COLA for these retirees. Unlike its companion, an adopted amendment froze current rates until 2027.
The bill passed the House 96/0 and is scheduled for Executive Session 3/21 before Senate Ways and Means.
SHB 1007: Concerning interruptive military service credit for members of the state retirement systems.
Comment: Retirement credit can be awarded if, in any armed conflicts, the participant was awarded the respective campaign or expeditionary badge or medal…. the ‘expeditionary badge qualifier was added.
SHB 1007 passed the House 97/0 and has moved to Executive Session 3/13 before Senate Ways and Means.
HB 1008:Â Concerning participating in insurance plans and contracts by separated Plan 2 members of certain retirement systems.
Comment: This bill would simply make retiree insurance provisions uniform and equitable for Plan 2 and 3 members.
HB 1008 passed the House 93/0 and has been moved to Executive Session 3/13 before Senate Ways and Means.
SHB 1056:Â Repealing some post-retirement employment restrictions.
Comment:Changes the postretirement employment restrictions on benefits eligibility for Public Employees’ Retirement System, Teachers Retirement System, and School Employees Retirement System Plans 2 and 3 members that retired under the 2008 Early Retirement Factors (ERFs). • Permits 2008 ERF members to work in retirement system–covered employment for up to 867 hours per year without suspension of retirement benefits. • Adjusts benefits for individuals that chose the 3 percent per year early retirement reduction to the level of reduction in the 2008 ERFs for future benefit payments. Effective 1/1/2024.
SHB 1056 passed the House 93/0 and has moved to Executive Session 3/13 before Senate Ways and Means.
SSB 5121:Â Extending the expiration date of the joint select committee on health care oversight.
Comment: Extends the expiration date of the Joint Select Committee on Health Care Oversight from December 31, 2022, until December 31, 2026, and renames it the Joint Select Committee on Health Care and Behavioral Health Oversight.
Passed Senate 48/0. Executive Session before the House Health Care and Wellness Committee is scheduled 3/10.
SSB 5490: Concerning health care coverage for retired or disabled employees denied coverage for failure to timely notify the authority of their intent to defer coverage.
Comment: Allows certain retired public employees who were denied retiree health care coverage by the Public Employees Benefits Board another limited opportunity to enroll. • Only retired or disabled employees who were denied coverage for failure to notify the Health Care Authority of their deferral of coverage, and appealed the denial before December 31, 2022, are provided the new opportunity to enroll.
This bill passed the Senate 48/0 and was sent to House Appropriations for a public hearing 3/9 and Executive Session 3/15.
Other Areas of Potential Fiscal Impact (and often unfunded) to Districts
SHB 1068:Â Concerning injured workers’ rights during compelled medical examinations.
Comment: Allows an injured worker to make an audio and video recording of an independent medical examination and to have one person of the worker’s choosing present during the examination.
This bill passed the House 65/33 and will have a public hearing 3/14 before the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee.
SHB 1105: Requiring public agencies to provide notice for public comment that includes the last date by which such public comment must be submitted.
Comment: Mandates a public agency that is required to solicit public comment for a statutorily specified period of time, and to provide notice that it is soliciting public comment to include in the notice the last day by which written public comment may be submitted. • Makes an agency that violates the requirement to include in a notice for public comment the last day by which written comment may be submitted subject to a civil penalty of $500 for the first violation and $1000 for any subsequent violation.
Passed the House 95/0 and has been moved to Senate State Government awaiting scheduling.
SHB 1106:Â Concerning qualifications for unemployment insurance when an individual voluntarily leaves work.</stron
