Wash. Rev. Code § 41.33.020

Current through the 2024 Regular Session

Section 41.33.020 - Terms and provisions of plan

The terms and provisions of the plan are as follows:

(1) Each political subdivision of the state employing members of the teachers' retirement system and the members of the teachers' retirement system, after the approval of this plan by the legislature, and by the eligible employees through a referendum as provided in RCW 41.48.030 (3) and (4), shall be deemed to have accepted and agreed to be bound by the following terms and conditions in consideration of extension of the existing agreement between the secretary of health, education, and welfare and the governor to make the protection of the federal old age and survivors insurance program available and applicable to such employees.

(2) As used in this plan the terms quoted below shall have the meanings assigned thereto in this section.

"Political subdivision" means any political subdivision, or instrumentality of one or more subdivisions, or proprietary enterprise acquired, purchased or originated by one or more such subdivisions after December, 1950, which employs members of the teachers' retirement system. The state, its agencies, instrumentalities, and institutions of higher learning shall be grouped and considered as a single political subdivision.

"Employee" means any person who is a member of the teachers' retirement system and is employed by a political subdivision.

"Wages" shall have the meaning given in *RCW 41.48.020(1) and section 209 of the social security act (42 U.S.C.A. Sec. 409).

"State" where not otherwise clearly indicated by the context, means the commissioner of employment security or other officer designated by the governor to administer the plan at the state level for all participating political subdivisions.

(3) The terms and conditions of this plan are intended and shall be construed to be in conformity with the requirements of the federal social security act as amended and with the requirements of chapter 41.48 RCW, and particularly RCW 41.48.050, as amended by chapter 4, Laws of 1955 extraordinary session.

(4) The rights and benefits accruing to employees from membership in the teachers' retirement system shall in no way be altered or impaired by this plan or by the additional and supplementary OASI coverage which such employees may receive hereunder, other than the elimination of (1), (2) and (3) of section 52, chapter 80, Laws of 1947 and RCW 41.32.520 as each are amended, with the exception of that part of (1) which permits a widow or widower without a child or children under age eighteen to receive a monthly payment of fifty dollars at age fifty, provided that the member had fifteen or more years of Washington membership service credit at date of death.

(5) There shall be no additional cost to or involvement of the state or a political subdivision with respect to OASI coverage of members of the teachers' retirement system until this plan has been approved by the legislature.

(6) Each employee to whom OASI coverage is made applicable under this plan pursuant to an extension or modification under RCW 41.48.030 of the existing agreement between the secretary of health, education, and welfare and the governor shall be required to pay into the OASI contribution account established by RCW 41.48.060 during the period of such coverage contributions with respect to his or her wages in an amount equal to the employee tax imposed by the federal insurance contributions act (section 3101, Internal Revenue Code of 1954), in consideration of the employee's retention in service by the political subdivision. The subdivision shall withhold such contributions from the wages paid to the employee; and shall remit the contributions so withheld in each calendar quarter to the state for deposit in the contribution account not later than the twentieth calendar day of the month following that quarter.

(7) Each political subdivision shall pay into the contribution account with respect to the wages of its employees during the period of their OASI coverage pursuant to this plan contributions in an amount equal to the employer tax imposed by the federal insurance contributions act (section 3111, Internal Revenue Code of 1954), from the fund of the subdivision from which such employees' wages are paid. The subdivision shall remit such contributions to the state for deposit in the contribution account on a quarterly basis, not later than the twentieth calendar day of the month following each calendar quarter.

(8) If any political subdivision other than that comprising the state, its agencies, instrumentalities, and institutions of higher learning fails to remit as provided herein employer contributions or employee contributions, or any part of either, such delinquent contributions may be recovered with interest at the rate of six percent per annum by action in a court of competent jurisdiction against the political subdivision; or such delinquent contributions may at the request of the governor be deducted from any moneys payable to such subdivision by the state.

(9) Each political subdivision shall be charged with a share of the cost of administration of this plan by the state, to be computed as that proportion of the overall cost of administration which its total annual contributions bear to the total annual contributions paid by all subdivisions on behalf of employees covered by the plan. The state shall compute the share of cost allocable to each subdivision and bill the subdivision therefor at the end of each fiscal year. The subdivision shall within ninety days thereafter remit its share of the cost to the state for deposit in the general fund of the state.

(10) Each political subdivision shall submit to the state, through the employment security department, P.O. Box 367, Olympia, Washington, or such other officer or agency as the governor may subsequently designate, on forms furnished by the state, not later than the twentieth calendar day of the month following the end of each calendar quarter, the following information:

A. The social security account number of each employee;

B. The name of each employee;

C. The amount of wages subject to contributions as required hereunder paid to each employee during the quarter;

D. The total amount of wages subject to contributions paid to all employees during the quarter;

E. The total amount of employee contributions withheld and remitted for the quarter; and

F. The total amount of employer contributions paid by the subdivision for the quarter.

(11) Each political subdivision shall furnish in the same manner as provided in subsection (10) of this section, upon reasonable notice, such other and further reports or information as the governor may from time to time require. Each subdivision shall comply with such requirements as the secretary of health, education, and welfare or the governor may from time to time establish with respect to any or all of the reports or information which are or may be provided for under subsection (10) of this section or this subsection in order to assure the correctness and verification thereof.

(12) The governing body of each political subdivision shall designate an officer of the subdivision to administer such accounting, reporting, and other functions as will be required for the effective operation of this plan within the subdivision, as provided herein. The commissioner of employment security or such other officer as the governor may designate, shall perform or supervise those functions with respect to employees of the subdivision comprising the state, its agencies, instrumentalities, and institutions of higher learning; and shall serve as the representative of the participating political subdivisions in the administration of this plan with the secretary of health, education, and welfare.

(13) The legislature shall designate the first day of any month beginning with January, 1956, as the effective date of OASI coverage for such employees, except that after January 1, 1958, the effective date may not be prior to the first day of the current year.

The employer's contribution for any retroactive coverage shall be transferred by the board of trustees from the teachers' retirement pension reserve to the official designated by the governor to administer the plan at the state level.

Each employee's contributions for any retroactive coverage shall be transferred by the board of trustees from his or her accumulated contributions in the teachers' retirement fund, to the official designated above. Each employee, if he or she so desires, may, within one year from the date of transfer, reimburse his or her accumulated contributions for the amount so transferred.

(14) The governor may terminate the operation of this plan in its entirety with respect to any political subdivision, in his or her discretion, if he or she finds that the subdivision has failed to comply substantially with any requirement or provision of this plan. The plan shall not be so terminated until reasonable notice and opportunity for hearing thereon have been given to the subdivision under such conditions, consistent with the provisions of the social security act, as shall have been established in regulations by the governor.

RCW 41.33.020

Amended by 2012 c 117,§ 58, eff. 6/7/2012.

1992 c 212 § 12; 1973 1st ex.s. c 154 § 77; 1957 c 183 § 2.

*Reviser's note:RCW 41.48.020 was alphabetized pursuant to RCW 1.08.015(2)(k), changing subsection (1) to subsection (6).

Severability-1973 1st ex.s. c 154: See note following RCW 2.12.030.