HB1788 — Discussed as consolidating workers' compensation benefits and standardizing payments.
HB1474 — Described as proposing an ad hoc one-time COLA for Plan 1 retirees.
HB1790 — Described as increasing the benefit multiplier from 2% to 2.5% for certain Plan 2 members.
HB1642 — Discussed with Senate Bill 5718 as a related but non-companion bill on a Plan 3 transfer window.
SB5718 — Discussed with House Bill 1642 as a related but non-companion bill on a Plan 3 transfer window.
HB1571 — Discussed as related to occupational disease benefit expansion for heart issues and PTSD.
SB5043 — Discussed as related to occupational disease benefit expansion for heart issues and PTSD.
Michael Harbor — Michael Harbor, an actuary with the Office of the State Actuary, is introduced as being present to answer questions. He then provides testimony explaining that the statutorily set assumption has been declining over the past decade or more. He is later referenced again as available for additional questions.
Michael Harbor — Identified as the lead OSA actuary supporting the committee.
Steve Conway — Senator Steve Conway joins the meeting, is recognized to ask about Senate Bill 5357, and explains that it is his bill and that he was late because he was at a bill signing with the governor. The discussion continues with staff offering context and noting a deeper analysis of the bill’s overlaps, after which Conway says he supported the bill partly because he thought it did something else and asks about the executive committee meeting, reiterating that the bill is his.
Steve Conway — Senator Conway is thanked by name after the exchange about budget language.
Steve Conway — Fred Yancey identifies HB 5357 as Senator Conway's bill and notes that Conway sponsored it.
Melinda — The speaker asks whether there are any questions for Melinda or Michael, repeating the invitation to direct questions to either of them.
Michael — Referenced as someone who may answer questions.
Darren Painter — Darren Painter is introduced and then takes the floor to identify himself as committee staff and begin the 2025 legislative interim kickoff presentation.
Darren Painter — Identified as one of the OSA policy analysts supporting the committee.
Aaron Gutierrez — Named as one of the OSA policy analysts supporting the committee, but not present.
Melinda Zloxon — Named as one of the OSA policy analysts; spelling appears uncertain and may be a transcription error.
Melinda Loxson — Named again as one of the OSA policy analysts supporting the committee; likely the intended spelling of the prior uncertain name.
Beth Halverson — Named as administrative staff supporting the committee.
Lelani Tatum — Named as administrative staff supporting the committee.
Katie Bennington — Named as administrative staff supporting the committee.
Jesse Yoder — Identified as the assigned Assistant Attorney General for the SCPP.
Darren — Darren finishes his prepared remarks and the committee invites questions. A few minutes later, he is referenced again in connection with his earlier comments about the upcoming report, and the discussion returns to inviting further questions for Darren.
Retired Representative Dickerson — Identified as the first remote public commenter; later clarified as Mary Lou Dickerson.
Barbara Carey — Barbara Carey, a PERS 3 retiree and RPEC member, testified remotely in support of Washington’s climate legislation and urged the state to divest pension funds from coal, oil, and gas. She argued that moving those investments into more responsible funds would better serve the world and could also improve returns.
Donna — Initially named as a remote commenter, then corrected to Andrew Eccles.
Andrew Eccles — Identified as a remote public commenter.
Andrew Eccles — Andrew Eccles, a substitute educator in Seattle and member of 350 Washington, testifies in support of stronger climate action in investment decisions. He urges the board to take climate risk seriously, notes that he will submit written comments with supporting studies, and emphasizes the need to engage with the issue. Later, another speaker references Eccles’ earlier testimony and the climate warnings he cited, reinforcing the same theme.
Mary Lou Dickerson — Introduced herself as a retired state representative and said she wanted to talk about transparency in the WSIB.
Retired Representative Mary Lou Dickerson — Concluded testimony by urging strong transparency provisions for assessing coal investments.
Jill Briff Schneider — Jill Briff Schneider is introduced as the next public commenter and then testifies as a retired teacher and PERS retiree. She thanks the committee, notes her retirement due to a health condition, says she believes in climate change, and explains that she has personally chosen fossil-fuel-free and socially responsible investments. She asks the committee to study the financial risks of investing in fossil fuels and to examine municipal divestment decisions. The chair then thanks her for her testimony.
Gerson Edmark — The next witness is initially miscalled and then corrected to Gerson Edmark.
Kristen Edmark — The witness thanks the committee and argues the Washington State Investment Board needs clearer legislative direction.
SB5036 — SB 5036 is referenced as legislation that strengthens accountability, and it is mentioned again in the same context as part of a broader discussion of the Transformation Act, with emphasis on its role in improving both accountability and transparency.
Noel Allen — Noel Allen, a Seattle writer and Washington taxpayer, testifies in support of divesting Washington State pensions from fossil fuels. He argues that fossil fuel companies are no longer engines of economic growth but instead contribute to economic destruction through climate change, and he concludes by urging the committee to divest from fossil fuels.
Fred Yancey — Fred Yancey is introduced and then testifies on behalf of school retirees and school administrators. He asks that the postponed item be moved to next month, thanks the committee for its work, and begins raising concerns about how bills are handled. The chair then thanks him for his diligence and passion and notes that the committee will consider the issues he raised.
Donna Albert — Donna Albert, a PERS retiree and the last in-person testifier, is invited to the microphone, briefly asks the committee to read the submitted public comment from Divest Washington and Third Act Washington, and is then thanked by the chair as public testimony concludes.
HB1292 — House Bill 1292 is discussed as the Plans 1 COLA bill that did not pass this year. It is described as having proposed an annual cost-of-living adjustment for PERS and TERS 1 retirees of up to 3% based on CPI, along with changes to funding policy.
HB1312 — Month-of-death bill that would have provided a full month of pension benefits.
SB5114 — Companion bill to House Bill 1312 on month-of-death pension benefits.
SB5167 — Budget proviso scheduled to be signed; directs SCPP study requirements.
SB5085 — Referenced as the bill describing a merger of LEOFF 1, TERS 1, and PERS 1.
HB2034 — Referenced as the bill describing a termination and restatement of LEOFF 1.
SB5357 — Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5357 was discussed as a bill affecting actuarial funding assumptions, including changes to contribution rates, the assumed rate of return, and normal cost contribution rates.
HB1936 — Introduced as a bill related to retire-and-rehire issues.
SB5168 — Discussed as a bill related to the State Actuary and raised for committee awareness.
Joe Fitzgibbon — Referenced by title as Chair of the Select Committee on Pension Policy.
Joe Fitzgibbon — Jill says Fitzgibbon is her representative and a member of the committee.
June Robinson — Referenced by title as Vice Chair of the Select Committee on Pension Policy.