Important hearings are scheduled on bills impacting LEOFF 1 & 2. SB 5652 and HB 1701 are companion bills that will provide benefit enhancements for LEOFF 2 Active and Retired members.
SB 5791 is the same as SB 5652 except that it extends the same benefits to Active and Retired LEOFF members as well.
Please note that this is a short session and these bills are likely to get only one hearing.
Unfortunately they have just recently surfaced and while we understand their content–benefit enhancement–we are not cognizant of the back story.
SB 5791 is the only one of these three that impacts LEOFF 1 but it does not have a companion bill in the House. We suspect it may be a poison bill to block SB 5652 but we do not sufficient information to state that affirmatively. It would certainly be a better deal for LEOFF 1 if we could get support in the House.
January 17, 4:00pm Senate Ways & Means
SB 5652 Concerning law enforcement officers’ and firefighters’ retirement system benefits. (Conway)
SB 5791 Concerning law enforcement officers’ and firefighters’ retirement system benefits. (Schoesler)
January 20, 3:30pm House Appropriations
HB 1701 Concerning law enforcement officers’ and firefighters’ retirement system benefits. (Bergquist)
I urge everyone to either testify or submit their comments in written form. I would support passing both of the Senate bills so we would have time to work on getting a House companion bill.
Please follow the links to the bills so that you can read and understand their impact.
For information about how to testify or submit comments, please go here.
Follow us on Facebook