Intent — Goals.
RCW 41.45.010
in effect*** CHANGE IN 2026 *** (SEE 2034-S2.SL ) ***
It is the intent of the legislature to provide a dependable and systematic process for funding the benefits provided to members and retirees of the public employees' retirement system, chapter 41.40 RCW; the teachers' retirement system, chapter 41.32 RCW; the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement systems, chapter 41.26 RCW; the school employees' retirement system, chapter 41.35 RCW; the public safety employees' retirement system, chapter 41.37 RCW; and the Washington state patrol retirement system, chapter 43.43 RCW. The funding process established by this chapter is intended to achieve the following goals: (1) To fully fund the public employees' retirement system plans 2 and 3, the teachers' retirement system plans 2 and 3, the school employees' retirement system plans 2 and 3, the public safety employees' retirement system plan 2, and the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system plan 2 as provided by law; (2) To fully amortize the total costs of the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system plan 1, not later than June 30, 2024; (3) To fully amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability in the public employees' retirement system plan 1 and the teachers' retirement system plan 1 within a rolling ten-year period, using methods and assumptions that balance needs for increased benefit security, decreased contribution rate volatility, and affordability of pension contribution rates, while suspending those rates during the 2025-2027 and 2027-2029 fiscal biennia; (4) To amortize the costs of benefit improvements in the public employees' retirement system plan 1 and the teachers' retirement system plan 1 over a fixed 15-year period; (5) To establish long-term employer contribution rates which will remain a relatively predictable proportion of the future state budgets; and (6) To fund, to the extent feasible, all benefits for plan 2 and 3 members over the working lives of those members so that the cost of those benefits are paid by the taxpayers who receive the benefit of those members' service.
It is the intent of the legislature to provide a dependable and systematic process for funding the benefits provided to members and retirees of the public employees' retirement system, chapter 41.40 RCW; the teachers' retirement system, chapter 41.32 RCW; the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement systems, chapter 41.26 RCW; the school employees' retirement system, chapter 41.35 RCW; the public safety employees' retirement system, chapter 41.37 RCW; and the Washington state patrol retirement system, chapter 43.43 RCW.
The funding process established by this chapter is intended to achieve the following goals:
(1) To fully fund the public employees' retirement system plans 2 and 3, the teachers' retirement system plans 2 and 3, the school employees' retirement system plans 2 and 3, the public safety employees' retirement system plan 2, and the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system plan 2 as provided by law;
(2) To fully amortize the total costs of the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system plan 1, not later than June 30, 2024;
(3) To fully amortize the unfunded actuarial accrued liability in the public employees' retirement system plan 1 and the teachers' retirement system plan 1 within a rolling ten-year period, using methods and assumptions that balance needs for increased benefit security, decreased contribution rate volatility, and affordability of pension contribution rates, while suspending those rates during the 2025-2027 and 2027-2029 fiscal biennia;
(4) To amortize the costs of benefit improvements in the public employees' retirement system plan 1 and the teachers' retirement system plan 1 over a fixed 15-year period;
(5) To establish long-term employer contribution rates which will remain a relatively predictable proportion of the future state budgets; and
(6) To fund, to the extent feasible, all benefits for plan 2 and 3 members over the working lives of those members so that the cost of those benefits are paid by the taxpayers who receive the benefit of those members' service.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=41.45&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026