CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
HOUSE BILL 2481
Chapter 185, Laws of 2024
68th Legislature
2024 Regular Session
PUBLIC EMPLOYEES' BENEFITS BOARD HEALTH BENEFIT PREMIUMS—MONTH OF
DEATH
EFFECTIVE DATE: June 6, 2024
Passed by the House February 13, 2024 CERTIFICATE
Yeas 97 Nays 0
I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the
House of Representatives of the
LAURIE JINKINS State of Washington, do hereby
Speaker of the House of certify that the attached is HOUSE
Representatives BILL 2481 as passed by the House of
Representatives and the Senate on
the dates hereon set forth.
Passed by the Senate February 28,
2024 BERNARD DEAN
Yeas 49 Nays 0 Chief Clerk
DENNY HECK
President of the Senate
Approved March 19, 2024 9:53 AM FILED
March 19, 2024
Secretary of State
JAY INSLEE State of Washington
Governor of the State of Washington
 HOUSE BILL 2481
Passed Legislature - 2024 Regular Session
State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session
By Representatives Volz, Bergquist, Robertson, and Macri
Read first time 01/25/24. Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
1 AN ACT Relating to waiving health benefit premiums in the public
2 employees' benefits board; and reenacting and amending RCW 41.05.080.
3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
4 Sec. 1. RCW 41.05.080 and 2023 c 312 s 1 and 2023 c 13 s 5 are
5 each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
6 (1) Under the qualifications, terms, conditions, and benefits set
7 by the public employees' benefits board:
8 (a)(i) Retired or disabled state employees, retired or disabled
9 school employees, or retired or disabled employees of employer groups
10 covered by this chapter may continue their participation in insurance
11 plans and contracts after retirement or disablement.
12 (ii) The retired or disabled employees of employer groups whose
13 contractual agreement with the authority terminates may continue
14 their participation in insurance plans and contracts after the
15 contractual agreement is terminated. The retired or disabled
16 employees of employer groups whose contractual agreement with the
17 authority terminates are not eligible for any subsidy provided under
18 RCW 41.05.085;
19 (b) Separated employees may continue their participation in
20 insurance plans and contracts if participation is selected
21 immediately upon separation from employment;
p. 1 HB 2481.SL
 1 (c) Surviving spouses, surviving state registered domestic
2 partners, and dependent children of emergency service personnel
3 killed in the line of duty may participate in insurance plans and
4 contracts.
5 (2) Rates charged surviving spouses and surviving state
6 registered domestic partners of emergency service personnel killed in
7 the line of duty, retired or disabled employees, separated employees,
8 spouses, or dependent children who are not eligible for parts A and B
9 of medicare shall be based on the experience of the community-rated
10 risk pool established under RCW 41.05.022.
11 (3) Rates charged to surviving spouses and surviving state
12 registered domestic partners of emergency service personnel killed in
13 the line of duty, retired or disabled employees, separated employees,
14 spouses, or children who are eligible for parts A and B of medicare
15 shall be calculated from a separate experience risk pool comprised
16 only of individuals eligible for parts A and B of medicare; however,
17 the premiums charged to medicare-eligible retirees and disabled
18 employees shall be reduced by the amount of the subsidy provided
19 under RCW 41.05.085, except as provided in subsection (1)(a)(ii) of
20 this section.
21 (4) Surviving spouses, surviving state registered domestic
22 partners, and dependent children of emergency service personnel
23 killed in the line of duty and retired or disabled and separated
24 employees shall be responsible for payment of premium rates developed
25 by the authority which shall include the cost to the authority of
26 providing insurance coverage including any amounts necessary for
27 reserves and administration in accordance with this chapter. These
28 self pay rates will be established based on a separate rate for the
29 employee, the spouse, state registered domestic partners, and the
30 children.
31 (5) When a person described in subsection (1)(a)(i), (b), or (c)
32 of this section dies, the authority shall waive the payment of the
33 decedent's premiums and any applicable premium surcharges for the
34 medical, dental, or vision plan for the month in which the death
35 occurred. The authority shall enroll any eligible surviving
36 dependents in the same medical, dental, or vision plan that they had
37 been enrolled in, which shall be made effective on the first day of
38 the month in which the death occurred, and the eligible surviving
39 dependent shall be responsible for the payment of premiums and any
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1 applicable premium surcharges for themselves and any other eligible
2 dependents.
3 (6) The term "retired state employees" for the purpose of this
4 section shall include but not be limited to members of the
5 legislature whether voluntarily or involuntarily leaving state
6 office.
Passed by the House February 13, 2024.
Passed by the Senate February 28, 2024.
Approved by the Governor March 19, 2024.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 19, 2024.
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