Manweller elected vice-chair of the Select Committee on Pension Policy
Rep. Matt Manweller has been elected vice-chair of the Select Committee on Pension Policy (SCPP).
Manweller has been a member of the SCPP since 2013, the year of his first legislative session.
“My experience on the pension policy committee also pays dividends being a member of the House Appropriations Committee. The pension issues we are looking at tie into the budget and financial decisions we are making in Appropriations,” said Manweller, R-Ellensburg. “I take an active interest in our pension systems to ensure the issues we are working on will continue to provide financial stability and security.”
The SCPP studies issues and policies affecting the state’s public employee retirement systems. The committee can also make recommendations to the Legislature requesting changes or amendments to state law.
Manweller has been actively involved in pension issues. In 2017, he was the sponsor of House Bill 2202, which fixed a discrepancy in the Law Enforcement Officers and Firefighters (LEOFF) pension system regarding eligibility of emergency medical technicians (EMTs). Without the legislation public hospital districts, including some in the 13th Legislative District, were potentially facing large fiscal implications.
The SCPP is made up of 20 members:
- Four members of the Senate, appointed by the President of the Senate;
- Four members of the House of Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House;
- Four representatives of active members, appointed by the governor;
- Two representatives of retired members, appointed by the governor;
- Four employer representatives, appointed by the governor; and
- The directors of the Department of Retirement Systems and the Office of Financial Management.
Manweller chaired the committee last year. The House and Senate alternate chairmanships each year. The SCPP meets a number of times during the legislative interim. The next committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 15.
