(1)
Subject to subsections (2) and (3) of this section, the right of
a person to a pension, an annuity, or retirement allowance, any
optional benefit, any other right accrued or accruing to any
person under this chapter, the various funds created by this
chapter, and all moneys and investments and income thereof, are
hereby exempt from any state, county, municipal, or other local
tax, and shall not be subject to execution, garnishment,
attachment, the operation of bankruptcy or insolvency laws, or
other process of law whatsoever, and shall be unassignable.
(2) This section does not prohibit a beneficiary of a
retirement allowance from authorizing deductions therefrom for
payment of premiums due on any group insurance policy or plan
issued for the benefit of a group comprised of public employees
of the state of Washington or its political subdivisions and
which has been approved for deduction in accordance with rules
that may be adopted by the state health care authority and/or the
department. This section also does not prohibit a beneficiary of
a retirement allowance from authorizing deductions therefrom for
payment of dues and other membership fees to any retirement
association or organization the membership of which is composed
of retired public employees, if a total of three hundred or more
retired employees have authorized the deduction for payment to
the same retirement association or organization.
(3) Subsection (1) of this section does not prohibit the
department from complying with (a) a wage assignment order for
child support issued pursuant to chapter 26.18 RCW, (b) an order
to withhold and deliver issued pursuant to chapter 74.20A RCW,
(c) a notice of payroll deduction issued pursuant to RCW 26.23.060, (d) a mandatory benefits assignment order issued by
the department, (e) a court order directing the department to pay
benefits directly to an obligee under a dissolution order as
defined in RCW 41.50.500(3) which fully complies with RCW 41.50.670 and 41.50.700, or (f) any administrative or court order
expressly authorized by federal law.
[2004 c 242 § 12.]