The bill aims to clarify the eligibility of port workers for membership in the public employees' retirement system (PERS) in Washington State, particularly for those who participate in federal railroad retirement plans or Taft-Hartley defined benefit retirement plans. It addresses a previous oversight where certain port employees were mistakenly included in the definition of eligible employees for PERS membership. The legislation explicitly states that employees participating in any federal retirement system are not eligible for PERS during the same period of service, thereby preventing dual coverage and contributions to multiple retirement plans for the same employee.

Additionally, the bill amends RCW 41.40.023 to include specific provisions that exempt port district employees who are participants in federal railroad retirement plans and Taft-Hartley defined benefit retirement plans from PERS membership. The new language specifies that these employees are ineligible for PERS for any period during which the port district is contributing to their federal retirement benefits. This amendment aims to resolve ambiguities regarding retirement contributions and ensure that port workers are not required to participate in multiple retirement systems simultaneously.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 41.40.023
Substitute bill: 41.40.023