For purposes of this section:

(1) "Index" shall mean, for any calendar year, that year's average Consumer Price Index—Seattle, Washington area for urban wage earners and clerical workers, all items (1957-1959=100), compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, United States Department of Labor;

(2) "Retirement allowance" shall mean the retirement allowance provided for in RCW 41.26.100 and 41.26.130, and the monthly allowance provided for in RCW 41.26.160.

Effective April 1 of 1971, and of each succeeding year, every retirement allowance which has been in effect for more than one year shall be adjusted to that dollar amount which exceeds its original dollar amount by the percentage difference which the department finds to exist between the index for the previous calendar year and the index for the calendar year prior to the effective retirement date of the person to whom, or on behalf of whom, such retirement allowance is being paid.

For the purposes of this section, basic allowance shall mean that portion of a total retirement allowance, and any cost-of-living adjustment thereon, attributable to a member (individually) and shall not include the increased amounts attributable to the existence of a child or children. In those cases where a child ceases to be qualified as an eligible child, so as to lessen the total allowance, the allowance shall, at that time, be reduced to the basic allowance plus the amount attributable for the appropriate number of eligible children. In those cases where a child qualifies as an eligible child subsequent to the retirement of a member so as to increase the total allowance payable, such increased allowance shall at the time of the next and appropriate subsequent cost-of-living adjustments, be considered the original dollar amount of the allowance.

Intent—1991 c 35: See note following RCW 41.26.005.

Severability—1974 ex.s. c 120: See note following RCW 41.26.030.