Retirement of a member for service shall be made by the department as follows:
(1) Any member having five or more service credit years of service and having attained the age of fifty years shall be eligible for a service retirement allowance and shall be retired upon the member's written request effective the first day following the date upon which the member is separated from service.
(2) Any member having five or more service credit years of service, who terminates his or her employment with any employer, may leave his or her contributions in the fund. Any employee who so elects, upon attaining age fifty, shall be eligible to apply for and receive a service retirement allowance based on his or her years of service, commencing on the first day following his or her attainment of age fifty.
(3) Any member selecting optional vesting under subsection (2) of this section with less than twenty service credit years of service shall not be covered by the provisions of RCW
41.26.150, and the member's survivors shall not be entitled to the benefits of RCW
41.26.160 unless his or her death occurs after he or she has attained the age of fifty years. Those members selecting this optional vesting with twenty or more years service shall not be covered by the provisions of RCW
41.26.150 until the attainment of the age of fifty years. A member selecting this optional vesting, with less than twenty service credit years of service credit, who dies prior to attaining the age of fifty years, shall have paid from the Washington law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement fund, to such member's surviving spouse, if any, otherwise to such beneficiary as the member shall have designated in writing, or if no such designation has been made, to the personal representative of his or her estate, a lump sum which is equal to the amount of such member's accumulated contributions plus accrued interest. If the vested member has twenty or more service credit years of service credit the surviving spouse or children shall then become eligible for the benefits of RCW
41.26.160 regardless of the member's age at the time of his or her death, to the exclusion of the lump sum amount provided by this subsection.
(4) Any member who has attained the age of sixty years shall be retired on the first day of the calendar month next succeeding that in which said member shall have attained the age of sixty and may not thereafter be employed as a law enforcement officer or firefighter: PROVIDED, That for any member who is elected or appointed to the office of sheriff, chief of police, or fire chief, his or her election or appointment shall be considered as a waiver of the age sixty provision for retirement and nonemployment for whatever number of years remain in his or her present term of office and any succeeding periods for which he or she may be so elected or appointed. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to any member who is employed as a law enforcement officer or firefighter on March 1, 1970.
Effective dates—1991 sp.s. c 11: "(1) Sections *3 through 5 of this act are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect September 1, 1991.
(2) Sections 1, 2, and 6 of this act are necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately." [
1991 sp.s. c 11 s 7.]
