Bill > SB5086

This bill consolidates the Public Employees' Benefits Board and the School Employees' Benefits Board into a single entity called the Washington Employees and Retirees Benefits Board. The bill comprehensively updates state law to create a unified benefits board responsible for designing and approving insurance benefit plans for public employees, including state employees, school employees, and employees of certain employer groups. Key provisions include establishing a new board structure with representatives from various employee groups, defining eligibility criteria for benefits, and creating consistent rules for employee health insurance coverage. The bill modifies numerous existing statutes to reflect this consolidation, standardizing definitions, enrollment processes, and administrative procedures across different types of public employees. The new board will have broad responsibilities, including studying health care coverage, developing comprehensive benefit plans, authorizing premium contributions, and establishing terms and conditions of participation for various types of public employees and their dependents. The consolidation aims to streamline benefits administration, potentially improve cost efficiency, and create more consistent health care coverage for public employees across different sectors.

Budget and Finance

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5086&Year=2025&Initiative=false