Committee hears bill to move DNR wildland firefighters into LEOFF Plan 2

Senate Bill 6073 was presented Jan. 22 to the Senate Ways and Means Committee with staff and agency briefings and brief public testimony. Amanda Cecil, committee staff, said the bill would prospectively move service credit for eligible Department of Natural Resources wildland and aviation firefighters from the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) into the Law Enforcement Officers’ and Fire Fighters’ Retirement System, Plan 2 (LEOFF 2). Cecil said LEOFF 2 has earlier normal retirement ages and larger duty-related death and disability benefits than PERS, and that those differences drive a higher employer cost rate.