The bill amends Washington state law to enhance vacation leave accrual for state employees, establishing a minimum of eight hours of vacation leave per month and increasing the maximum limit for unused vacation leave from 240 hours to 280 hours. Employees of the Washington state ferries, under certain collective bargaining agreements, can maintain a higher accrual limit of 320 hours until their agreements are modified. Additionally, if an employee's vacation leave request is deferred for the employer's convenience, the maximum accrual limit will be extended for each month the leave is deferred. The bill also introduces a new method for accumulating vacation leave beyond the 280-hour limit, allowing employees to retain hours until their anniversary date, with any excess leave automatically extinguished if not used by that date.

In terms of retirement provisions, the bill clarifies definitions related to the public employees' retirement system and the Washington state patrol retirement system, updating the minimum years of membership service required for certain benefits to "10 years" and "70 years." It also revises the definition of "salary" for retirement system members, excluding overtime earnings and lump sum payments for unused leave, and ensures that reductions in compensation during specific fiscal biennia do not negatively impact the calculation of average final salary. Furthermore, the bill specifies that employees who have been employed for at least six continuous months and have accrued vacation leave will be compensated for up to 240 hours of that leave upon termination, while ensuring that accumulated vacation leave does not affect retirement benefit calculations.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 43.01.044, 41.40.010, 43.43.120, 43.01.041