Bad Bills That Passed
Raiding first responder pensions to fund state spending
House Bill 2034 officially ends the current retirement plan for Washington police officers and firefighters and replaces it with a newly structured system; however, the primary goal of this change is to give the state access to the pension fund’s surplus assets.
Under this legislation, the state will transfer only the minimum amount of money necessary to sustain the new retirement fund. The majority party will then divert the remaining surplus to cover other state spending.
Specifically, $569 million of these first responder pension funds will be deposited directly into the state climate commitment account. The remaining surplus will be deposited in a separate stabilization account to backfill other state budget gaps.
Why is this a bad policy?
- It breaches the trust of our first responders. This is a $4 billion grab from the retirement security of Washington police and firefighters to fix a state budget gap. These funds were intended to secure the futures of those who put their lives on the line for our communities, not to serve as a piggy bank for the state’s other financial obligations.
- It uses one-time money for ongoing problems. By taking billions of dollars from the pension fund, the majority party is using a temporary surplus as a permanent fix for ongoing reckless state spending. This is a fundamentally flawed budgeting approach that fails to address the root causes of the state’s financial shortfalls.
- It plays a fiscal shell game with climate funding. Shifting $569 million in first-responder retirement funds into the Climate Commitment Act account is entirely inappropriate. The CCA already has its own dedicated revenue streams, yet the state is choosing to backfill it with money earned by public servants.
- It sets a dangerous precedent for all public employees. Using pension funds to patch spending problems signals a massive shift toward continued fiscal mismanagement. If the state is allowed to raid the law enforcement and firefighter pension today, there is absolutely nothing to stop it from targeting the retirement funds of teachers, nurses, or general state employees tomorrow.
Bottom line
HB 2034 is a direct attack on the financial security of our first responders. It treats the hard-earned retirement funds of police officers and firefighters as a slush fund for unrelated state projects. By siphoning off billions to cover budget shortfalls, this bill sets a reckless precedent that threatens the integrity of all public pensions in Washington.
Last updated: April 10, 2026 - 11:09 am
Timeline:
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Signed into law by Gov. Bob Ferguson on April 1
- Bill takes effect on 6/30/2029.
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Passed the full Senate chamber on March 6
- Passed with a vote of 25-22-1-1.
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Executive action taken (moved from committee) in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on 10:30 a.m. on March 2
- Voted out of committee 14-10.
- Watch the executive session on TVW.
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Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Ways & Means at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 26
- Send a comment to your state legislators on your position
- Sign in to testify (remote or in person)
- Submit written testimony
- Note your position for the official legislative record
- Get email notifications on the bill
- Watch the committee hearing on TVW
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Passed the full House chamber on Feb. 13
- Passed with a vote of 55-39-4
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Executive action taken (moved from committee) in the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 7
- Vote 18-10 (party-line vote)
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Reintroduced on Jan. 12 and referred to the House Appropriations Committee
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Executive action taken (moved from committee) in the House Appropriations Committee on April 3, 2025
- Vote 18-13 (party-line)
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Public hearing in the House Appropriations Committee on March 13, 2025
- Watch the committee hearing on TVW
