Permitting retired members of the law enforcement officers' and firefighters' retirement system plan 2 to serve as chiefs of police in small police departments.

HB 2482 modifies Washington's retirement rules to allow retired law enforcement officers from Plan 2 (part of the law enforcement and firefighters' retirement system) to serve as police chiefs in towns or cities with fewer than 50,000 residents. Retirees in this position can choose to either rejoin Plan 2 (temporarily suspending their retirement benefits) or keep their benefits while forgoing new service credit. The bill specifically targets small departments, as the exception does not apply to larger cities. This change directly affects retired officers seeking leadership roles in smaller communities who previously could not hold such positions without losing retirement benefits.