Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Washington Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5834 Chapter 68, Laws of 2026 69TH LEGISLATURE 2026 REGULAR SESSION RETIREMENT SYSTEM TRUST FUNDS—PAYMENT OF EXPENSES EFFECTIVE DATE: June 11, 2026 Passed by the Senate February 11, 2026 Yeas 49 Nays 0 DENNY HECK President of the Senate Passed by the House March 4, 2026 Yeas 97 Nays 0 LAURIE JINKINS Speaker of the House of Representatives CERTIFICATE I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5834 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. SARAH BANNISTER Secretary Secretary Approved March 16, 2026 10:32 AM FILED March 17, 2026 BOB FERGUSON Governor of the State of Washington Secretary of State State of Washington SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5834 Passed Legislature - 2026 Regular Session State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session By Senate Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Conway and Nobles; by request of Department of Retirement Systems) READ FIRST TIME 02/04/26. AN ACT Relating to payment of expenses from the earnings of retirement system trust funds; and amending RCW 41.50.255. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON: Sec. 1. RCW 41.50.255 and 2025 c 424 s 943 are each amended to read as follows: (1) The director is authorized to pay from the interest earnings of the trust funds of the public employees' retirement system, the teachers' retirement system, the Washington state patrol retirement system, the Washington judicial retirement system, the judges' retirement system, the school employees' retirement system, the public safety employees' retirement system, or the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system lawful obligations of the appropriate system for legal((, ))and medical((, and, during the 2025-2027 fiscal biennium, administrative )) expenses, which expenses are primarily incurred for the purpose of protecting ((or preventing losses from )) the appropriate trust fund or are incurred in compliance with statutes governing such funds. (2) The term "legal expense" includes, but is not limited to, legal services provided through the legal services revolving fund, fees for expert witnesses, travel expenses, fees for court reporters, cost of transcript preparation, and reproduction of documents. (3) The term "medical expense" includes, but is not limited to, expenses for the medical examination or reexamination of members or retirees, the costs of preparation of medical reports, and fees charged by medical professionals for attendance at discovery proceedings or hearings. ((The term "administrative expenses" includes, but is not limited to, expenses incurred to prevent losses to the trust funds such as audits, cybersecurity, petition decisions, departmental liaison work with the attorney general's office, and other similar expenses incurred by the department to ensure that trust funds are protected against risks that might lead to losses from the trust funds. )) (4) The director may also pay from the interest earnings of the trust funds specified in this section costs incurred in preventing and investigating fraud and collecting overpayments, including expenses incurred to prevent, review, and investigate cases of possible fraud against the trust funds and collection agency fees and other costs incurred in recovering overpayments. Fraud prevention includes expenses related to preventing losses to the trust funds and can include audits, cybersecurity, petition decisions, departmental liaison work with the attorney general's office, and other similar expenses incurred by the department to ensure that trust funds are protected against risks that might lead to losses from the trust funds. Recovered funds must be returned to the appropriate trust funds. Passed by the Senate February 11, 2026. Passed by the House March 4, 2026. Approved by the Governor March 16, 2026. Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 17, 2026.
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