(1) Retirement system employers shall elicit on a written form from all new employees as to their having been retired from a retirement system listed in RCW 41.50.030. Employers must report any retirees in their employ to the department. If a retiree works in excess of applicable postretirement employment restrictions and the employer failed to report the employment of the retiree, that employer is liable for the loss to the trust fund.

(2) If an employer erroneously reports to the department that an employee has separated from service such that a person receives a retirement allowance in contravention of the applicable retirement system statutes, the person's retirement status shall remain unaffected and the employer is liable for the resulting overpayments.

(3) Upon receipt of a billing from the department, the employer shall pay into the appropriate retirement system trust fund the amount of the overpayment plus interest as determined by the director. The employer's liability under this section shall not exceed the amount of overpayments plus interest received by the retiree within three years of the date of discovery, except in the case of fraud. In the case of fraud, the employer is liable for the entire overpayment plus interest.

Intent—Construction—Application—1997 c 254: See notes following RCW 41.26.490.