Wash. Rev. Code § 41.44.030

Current through 2024

Section 41.44.030 - Terms defined

As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning is plainly required by the context:

(1) "Accumulated additional contributions" means the sum of all "additional contributions" made by a member standing to the credit of the individual account, together with regular interest thereon.

(2) "Accumulated normal contributions" means the sum of all normal contributions, deducted from the compensation of a member, standing to the credit of his or her individual account, together with regular interest thereon.

(3) "Actuarial equivalent" means a benefit of equal value when computed at regular interest upon the basis of such mortality tables as shall be adopted by the board of trustees.

(4) "Additional contributions" means contributions made pursuant to subsection (6) of RCW 41.44.130.

(5) "Annuity" means payments derived from contributions made by a member as provided herein.

(6) "Beneficiary" means any person in receipt of a pension, annuity, retirement allowance, disability allowance, or any other benefit herein.

(7) "Board" means the "board of trustees" provided for herein.

(8) "City" or "cities" includes town or towns.

(9) "Compensation" means the compensation payable in cash, plus the monetary value, as determined by the board of trustees, of any allowance in lieu thereof (but for the purposes of this chapter such "compensation" shall not exceed three hundred dollars per month, except as to those employees of any member city the legislative body of which shall not later than July 1, 1953, have irrevocably elected by resolution or ordinance to increase the limitation herein contained, effective as to all of its employees, from three hundred dollars to four hundred dollars, commencing on said date, or which shall so elect prior to January 1st of any succeeding year, effective as of January 1st of any such succeeding year, and as to such employees shall, commencing on the specified date, not exceed four hundred dollars or an amount equal to such increased limitation established by such ordinance or resolution per month): PROVIDED HOWEVER, That the foregoing limitation shall not apply to uniformed personnel.

(10) "Compensation earnable" means the full rate of compensation that would be payable to an employee if he or she worked the full normal working time (but for the purposes of this chapter, such "compensation earnable" shall not exceed three hundred dollars per month, except as to those employees of any member city the legislative body of which shall not later than July 1, 1953, have irrevocably elected by resolution or ordinance to increase the limitation herein contained, effective as to all of its employees, from three hundred dollars to four hundred dollars, commencing on said date, or which shall so elect prior to January 1st of any succeeding year, effective as of January 1st of any such succeeding year, and as to such employees shall, commencing on the specified date, not exceed four hundred dollars or an amount equal to such increased limitation established by such ordinance or resolution per month): PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That the foregoing limitation shall not apply to uniformed personnel: PROVIDED FURTHER, That after January 1, 1968 this term shall mean the full rate of compensation payable to an employee if he or she worked the full normal working time.

(11) "Creditable service" means such service as is evidenced by the record of normal contributions, plus prior service as evidenced by prior service certificate.

(12) "Current service" means service after the employee has become a member of the system.

(13) "Effective date" when used with regard to employees means the date on which any individual or group of employees became members of any retirement system and when used with regard to any city or town shall mean the date on which it became a participant.

(14) "Employee" means any appointive officer or employee and shall include elective officials to the extent specified herein.

(15) "Excess interest income" means that interest income earned and received from investments in excess of the interest income on investments required to meet actuarial funding requirements.

(16) "Final compensation" means the highest average annual compensation earnable in any five consecutive years of actual service rendered during the ten years immediately preceding retirement, or where the employee has less than five consecutive years of actual service, the earnable compensation for the last five years preceding his or her retirement.

(17) "Fiscal year" means any year commencing with January 1st and ending with December 31st next following.

(18) "Matching contribution" means the contribution of the city deposited in an amount equal to the normal contributions of the employee.

(19) "Member" means any person included in the membership of the retirement system as provided herein.

(20) "Miscellaneous personnel" means officers and employees other than those in the uniformed police or fire service: PROVIDED, Those members of the fire department who are ineligible to the benefits of a firefighters' pension system established by or pursuant to any other state law, are also included in the miscellaneous personnel.

(21) "Normal contributions" means the contributions at the rate provided for in RCW 41.44.130, excluding those referred to in subsection (6).

(22) "Part time employees" means those employees who, although regularly and continuously employed, do not regularly perform their duties the full number of hours required of other regular employees, including but not confined to such employees as police judges, city attorneys, and other officers and employees who are also engaged in outside employment or occupations.

(23) "Pension" means payments derived from contributions made by the city as provided herein.

(24) "Persons having an insurable interest in his or her life" means and includes only such persons who, because of relationship from ties of blood or marriage, have reason to expect some benefit from the continuation of the life of the member.

(25) "Prior service" means the service of a member for compensation rendered a city prior to the effective date and shall include service in the armed forces of the United States to the extent specified herein and service specified in RCW 41.44.120(5).

(26) "Regular interest" means interest compounded annually at such rate as shall have been adopted by the board of trustees in accordance with the provisions of this chapter.

(27) "Released matching contributions" means such "matching contributions" as are no longer held for the benefit of the employee.

(28) "Retirement allowance" means the pension plus annuity.

(29) "Retirement fund" means "statewide city employees retirement fund" provided for herein.

(30) "Retirement system" means the statewide city employees retirement system provided for herein.

(31) "Service" means service rendered to a city for compensation; and for the purpose of this chapter a member shall be considered as being in service only while he or she is receiving compensation from the city for such service or is on leave granted for service in the armed forces of the United States as contemplated in RCW 41.44.120.

(32) "Uniformed personnel" means any employee who is a police officer in service or who is subject to call to active service or duty as such.

RCW 41.44.030

Amended by 2012 c 117,§ 61, eff. 6/7/2012.

1967 ex.s. c 28 § 6; 1961 c 227 § 1; 1959 c 70 § 1; 1953 c 228 § 1; 1951 c 275 § 2; 1947 c 71 § 3; Rem. Supp. 1947 § 9592-132.

Reviser's note: The definitions in this section have been alphabetized pursuant to RCW 1.08.015(2)(k).

Purpose-1967 ex.s. c 28: "It is the purpose of this act to provide amendments to existing legislation relating to the statewide city employees retirement system to provide for an increase of investment earnings to be used for costs in purchasing, safekeeping, servicing and handling of securities, to amend the mandatory retirement age of uniformed personnel from attained age fifty-five to the minimum age for social security benefits, to change the time required for vested rights from ten years to five years in accordance with the recommendation of the federal committee on intergovernmental relations and to help meet competition with private industry by providing additional fringe benefits or an incentive program for city employees to attract and retain competent employees in public service." [ 1967 ex.s. c 28 s 1.]

Severability-1967 ex.s. c 28: "If any provision of this 1967 amendatory act, or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of this 1967 amendatory act, or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected." [ 1967 ex.s. c 28 s 8.]