SEATTLE — Washington lawmakers should change state law to prevent retire-rehire arrangements among retired firefighters and law enforcement officers, a panel determined Wednesday.
The LEOFF Plan 2 Retirement Board voted unanimously to tighten the rules in order to prevent retirees from drawing both pension and salary after returning to similar jobs. Officials with the board are now drafting language for lawmakers to consider early next year.
An Associated Press story last month showed that special rules in both the LEOFF-1 and LEOFF-2 pension systems allow for retire-rehire arrangements. Steve Nelsen, executive director of the LEOFF Plan 2 Retirement Board, said there was a feeling among board members that some retirees and their employers were exploiting a loophole.
Lawmakers had created the special rules for firefighters and law enforcement officers in order to allow them to make late career changes to less-demanding government jobs. By comparison, many retired teachers are unable to work more than 867 hours a year in a government job without having their benefits disrupted.