(1) A member who is on a paid leave of absence authorized by a member's employer shall continue to receive service credit as provided under the provisions of RCW 43.43.120 through 43.43.310.

(2) A member who receives compensation from an employer while on an authorized leave of absence to serve as an elected official of a labor organization, and whose employer is reimbursed by the labor organization for the compensation paid to the member during the period of absence, may also be considered to be on a paid leave of absence. This subsection shall only apply if the member's leave of absence is authorized by a collective bargaining agreement that provides that the member retains seniority rights with the employer during the period of leave. The basic salary reported for a member who establishes service credit under this subsection may not be greater than the salary paid to the highest paid job class covered by the collective bargaining agreement.

Retroactive application—2000 c 78 § 1: "Section 1 of this act applies on a retroactive basis to members for whom compensation and hours were reported under the circumstances described in section 1 of this act. Section 1 of this act may also be applied on a retroactive basis to November 23, 1987, to members for whom compensation and hours would have been reported except for explicit instructions from the department of retirement systems." [ 2000 c 78 § 2.]