Participation of county, municipal, and other political subdivision employees in state employees' insurance or self-insurance and health care program—Transfer procedure. (Effective until June 30, 2029.)

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 41.04.180, the employees, with their dependents, of any county, municipality, or other political subdivision of this state shall be eligible to participate in any insurance or self-insurance program for employees administered under chapter 41.05 RCW if the legislative authority of any such county, municipality, or other political subdivisions of this state determines, subject to collective bargaining under applicable statutes, a transfer to an insurance or self-insurance program administered under chapter 41.05 RCW should be made. In the event of a special district employee transfer pursuant to this section, members of the governing authority shall be eligible to be included in such transfer if such members are authorized by law as of June 25, 1976 to participate in the insurance program being transferred from and subject to payment by such members of all costs of insurance for members. (2) When the legislative authority of a county, municipality, or other political subdivision determines to so transfer, the state health care authority shall: (a) Establish the conditions for participation; and(b) Have the sole right to reject the application, except a group application from a county or other political subdivision of the state with fewer than five thousand employees must be approved.Approval of the application by the state health care authority shall effect a transfer of the employees involved to the insurance, self-insurance, or health care program applied for. (3) Any application of this section to members of the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system under chapter 41.26 RCW is subject to chapter 41.56 RCW. (4) Until December 31, 2019, school districts may voluntarily transfer to the public employees' benefits board, except that all eligible employees in a bargaining unit of a school district may transfer only as a unit and all nonrepresented employees in a district may transfer only as a unit.