Legislation introduced by Rep. Hunter Abell, R-Inchelium, and Sen. Shelly Short, R-Addy, would address a narrowly targeted but urgent retirement issue affecting workers at the Port of Pend Oreille in Pend Oreille County.

House Bill 2179 and its Senate companion, Senate Bill 5905, clarify retirement eligibility for port employees who already participate in a federally regulated railroad retirement system or a union-sponsored defined benefit pension. The legislation is intended to prevent workers and port districts from being required to pay into two retirement systems for the same period of employment.

For decades, employees at the Port of Pend Oreille, which operates as a rail offload facility, have paid into the federal railroad retirement system. A recent state interpretation determined that because the facility is technically classified as a port district, both workers and the port could also be required to make contributions to the state’s Public Employees’ Retirement System.

“That interpretation would force workers to pay into two retirement systems at once, something they simply can’t afford,” Abell said. “Pend Oreille County is one of the poorest counties in Washington, and these are good, family-wage jobs. Neither the employees nor the port can absorb the cost of duplicative retirement contributions.”

The legislation clarifies that port employees who are already covered by a federal railroad retirement plan or a union-sponsored defined-benefit pension are not required to also enroll in the state system during the same period of employment. The bills apply both prospectively and retroactively to periods when employer contributions were made to those existing plans.

“This is about fairness and common sense,” said Abell. “We shouldn’t be punishing workers or jeopardizing local jobs because of a technical reclassification that ignores decades of established practice.”

Short said the issue extends beyond a single port and could have serious financial consequences if left unresolved.

“Should the state’s new interpretation stand, it could cost the port and its employees several hundred thousand dollars and create significant hardship,” she said.

Short and other legislators have met with the Department of Retirement Systems to better understand the issue and work toward a practical resolution that protects workers while maintaining the integrity of the retirement system.

House Bill 2179 was referred to the House Appropriations Committee, and Senate Bill 5905 was referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee.

The 2026 legislative session began Monday, Jan. 12, and is scheduled to run 60 days.