Oklahoma 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2745 Latest Draft

Bill / Amended Version Filed 04/14/2022

                            RBH No. 10791 
 
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SENATE FLOOR VERSION 
April 13, 2022 
 
 
ENGROSSED HOUSE 
BILL NO. 2745 	By: Ford and Davis of the House 
 
  and 
 
  Pugh of the Senate 
 
 
 
 
[ public retirement systems - disability benefit 
computations - effective dates ] 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     62 O.S. 2021, Section 3103, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 3103. As used in the Oklahoma Pension Legislation 
Actuarial Analysis Act: 
1.  "Amendment" means any amendment, including a substitute 
bill, made to a retirement bill by any commi ttee of the House or 
Senate, any conference committee of the House or Senate or by the 
House or Senate; 
2.  "RB number" means that number preceded by the let ters "RB" 
assigned to a retirement bill by the respective staffs of the 
Oklahoma State Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives when 
the respective staff office prepares a retirement bill for a member 
of the Legislature;  RBH No. 10791 
 
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3.  "Legislative Actuary" means the firm or entity th at enters 
into a contract with the Legislative Service Bureau pursuant to 
Section 452.15 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes to provide the 
actuarial services and other duties provided for in the Oklahoma 
Pension Legislation Actu arial Analysis Act; 
4.  "Nonfiscal amendment" means an amendment to a retirement 
bill having a fiscal impact, which amendment does not change any 
factor of an actuarial investigation specified in subsection A of 
Section 3109 of this title; 
5.  "Nonfiscal retirement bill" means a retirement bill: 
a. which does not affect the cost or funding factors of a 
retirement system, 
b. which affects such factors only in a manner which does 
not: 
(1) grant a benefit increase under the retirement 
system affected by the bi ll, 
(2) create an actuarial accrued liability for or 
increase the actuarial accrued liability of the 
retirement system affected by the bill, or 
(3) increase the normal cost of the retirement system 
affected by the bill, 
c. which authorizes the purchase by an active member of 
the retirement system, at the actuarial cost for the 
purchase as computed pursuant to the statute in effect  RBH No. 10791 
 
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on the effective date of the measure allowing such 
purchase, of years of service for purposes of reaching 
a normal retirement da te in the applicable retir ement 
system, but which cannot be used in order to compute 
the number of years o f service for purposes of 
computing the retirement benefit for the member, 
d. which provides for the computation of a service -
connected disability ret irement benefit for member s of 
the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System 
pursuant to Section 2-305 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes if the members were unable to complete twenty 
(20) years of service as a result of the disability, 
e. which requires membership in the define d benefit plan 
authorized by Section 901 et seq. of Title 74 of the 
Oklahoma Statutes for persons whose first elected or 
appointed service occurs on or after November 1, 2018, 
if such persons had any prior service in the Oklahoma 
Public Employees Retiremen t System prior to November 
1, 2015, 
f. which provides for a one-time increase in retirement 
benefits if the increase in retirement benefits is not 
a permanent increase in the gross annual retirement 
benefit payable to a member or beneficiary, occurs  RBH No. 10791 
 
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only once pursuant to a single statutory authorization 
and does not exceed: 
(1) the lesser of two percent (2%) of the gross 
annual retirement benefit of the member or One 
Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) and requires that 
the benefit may only be provided if the fund ed 
ratio of the affected retirement system would not 
be less than sixty percent (60%) but not greater 
than eighty percent (80%) after the benefit 
increase is paid, 
(2) the lesser of two percent (2%) of the gross 
annual retirement benefit of the member or O ne 
Thousand Two Hundred Dollars ($1,200.00) and 
requires that the benefit may on ly be provided if 
the funded ratio of the affected retirement 
system would be greater than eighty percent (80%) 
but not greater than one hundred perce nt (100%) 
after the benefit increase is paid, 
(3) the lesser of two percent (2%) of the gross 
annual retirement benefit of the member or One 
Thousand Four Hundred Dollars ($1,400.00) and 
requires that the benefit may only be provided if 
the funded ratio of the affected retirement  RBH No. 10791 
 
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system would be greater than one hundred percent 
(100%) after the benefit increas e is paid, or 
(4) the greater of two percent (2%) of the gross 
annual retirement benefit of the volunteer 
firefighter or One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for 
persons who retired f rom the Oklahoma 
Firefighters Pension and Retirement System as 
volunteer firefighters and who did not retire 
from the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and 
Retirement System as a paid firefighter. 
As used in this subparagraph, "funded ratio" means the 
figure derived by dividing the actuarial value of 
assets of the applicable retirement sy stem by the 
actuarial accrued liability of the applicable 
retirement system, 
g. which modifies the disability pension standard for 
police officers who are members of the Oklaho ma Police 
Pension and Retirement System as provi ded by Section 3 
of this act 50-115 of Title 11 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, or 
h. which provides a cost-of-living benefit increase 
pursuant to the provisions of Sections 2 through 7 of 
this act:  RBH No. 10791 
 
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(1) Section 49-143.7 of Title 11 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, 
(2) Section 50-136.9 of Title 11 of the Okl ahoma 
Statutes, 
(3) Section 1104K of Title 20 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, 
(4) Section 2-305.12 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, 
(5) Section 17-116.22 of Title 70 of t he Oklahoma 
Statutes, or 
(6) Section 930.11 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes. 
A nonfiscal retirement bill shall include any retirement bill that 
has as its sole purpose the appropriation or distribution or 
redistribution of monies in some manner to a retirement system for 
purposes of reducing the unfunded liability of such system or the 
earmarking of a portion of the revenue from a tax to a retirement 
system or increasing the percentage of the revenue earmarked from a 
tax to a retirement system; 
6.  "Reduction-in-cost amendment" means an amendment to a 
retirement bill having a fiscal impact wh ich reduces the cost of the 
bill as such cost is determined b y the actuarial investigation for 
the bill prepared pursuant to Section 3109 of this title;  RBH No. 10791 
 
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7.  "Retirement bill" means any bill or joint resolution 
introduced or any bill or joint resolution ame nded by a member of 
the Oklahoma Legislature which creates or amends any law directly 
affecting a retirement system.  A retirement bill shall not mean a 
bill or resolution that impacts the revenue of any state tax in 
which a portion of the revenue generate d from such tax is earmarked 
for the benefit of a retirement system; 
8.  "Retirement bill having a fiscal impact" means any 
retirement bill creating or establishing a retirement system and any 
other retirement bill other than a nonfiscal retirement bill; a nd 
9.  "Retirement system" means the Teachers' Retirement System of 
Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System, the 
Uniform Retirement System for Jus tices and Judges, the Oklahoma 
Firefighters Pension and Retirement System, the Oklahoma Poli ce 
Pension and Retirement System, the Oklahoma Law Enforcemen t 
Retirement System, or a retirement system established after January 
1, 2006. 
SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY    11 O.S. 2021, Section 50-115, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 50-115. A.  The State Board is authorized to pay a 
disability benefit to a member of the System or a pension to the 
beneficiaries of such member eligible as herei nafter provided, not 
exceeding the accrued retir ement benefit of the member, except as 
otherwise provided in this article.  Such disability benefit shall  RBH No. 10791 
 
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be payable immediately upon determination of eligibility.  Any 
preexisting condition identified at the time of any initial or 
subsequent membership sh all be used to offset the percentage of 
impairment to the whole person in determining any disability 
benefit.  Once the initial disability benefit has been awarded by 
the Board on the basis of the percentage of impairment to the whole 
person, the member sh all have no further recourse to increase the 
awarded percentage of impairment. 
B.  In order for any membe r to be eligible for any disability 
benefit, or the member's beneficiaries to be eligible for a pension , 
the member must have complied with any agreeme nt as to contributions 
by the member and oth er members to any funds of the System where 
said agreement has been made as provided by this article; and the 
State Board must find: 
1.  That the member incurred a permanent total disability or a 
permanent partial disability or died while in, and in conseq uence 
of, the performance of duty as an officer; or 
2.  That such member has served ten (10) years and incurred a 
permanent total disability or a permanent partial disability or has 
died from any cause. 
C.  In the event of the death of any member who has b een awarded 
a disability benefit or is eligible therefor as p rovided in this 
article, the member's beneficiary shall be paid the benefit.  RBH No. 10791 
 
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D.  1.  As of the date of determination by the State Board that 
a member is physically or mentally disabled and that t he disability 
is permanent and partial or permanent and total as was incurred 
while in, and in consequence of, the performance or duty as an 
officer, the member sha ll be awarded a disability benefit on the 
basis of the percentage of impairment to the whole person, as 
defined by the most current standards of the impa irment as outlined 
in the "American Medical Association's Guides to the Evaluation of 
Permanent Impairment", as provided in the following table or as 
prescribed by paragraph 2 of this subsection with respect to 
injuries sustained as a result of a violent a ct: 
1% to 49% impairment to whole person = 50% of the normal 
 	disability benefit 
50% to 74% impairment to whole person = 75% of the normal 
 	disability benefit 
75% to 100% impairment to whole pers on = 100% of the normal
 	disability benefit. 
2.  If an injury to a member results from a violent act as 
defined by this paragraph while in the performance of his or her 
duties as a police officer, the State Board shall make a 
determination that the member h as sustained a one-hundred-percent 
disability and shall make the benefit award in accordance with that 
standard.  As used in this paragraph, "violent act" means a violent 
attack upon the member by means of a dang erous weapon, including,  RBH No. 10791 
 
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but not limited to, a firearm, knife, automobile, explosive device 
or other dangerous weapon.  In computing the disability benefit as 
provided by this paragraph, the System shall use the compensation 
paid to the highest paid nonsupervisory patrol officer in the 
employment of the municipality which employs the member who becomes 
disabled according to the standard prescribed by this paragraph or a 
one hundred percent (100%) disability ba sed on the member's final 
average salary whichev er computation results in the highest benefi t. 
E.  If the participating municipality denies a disabled me mber 
the option of continuing employment instead of retiring on a 
disability pension, then the burden o f proof rests with the 
participating municipalit y to show cause to the State Board that 
there is no position as a sworn officer within the police departm ent 
of that municipality which the member can fill. 
F.  Upon determination by the State Board that a me mber is 
physically or mentally disabled and that the disability is permanent 
and total and that the member has completed ten (10) years of 
credited service and is disabled by any cause, the member shall 
receive a disability benefit on the basis of the memb er's accrued 
retirement benefit.  A permanent an d total impairment equates to one 
hundred percent (100%) of accrued retirement benefit. 
G.  Upon determination by the State Board that a member is 
physically or mentally disabled and that the disability is pe rmanent 
and partial and that the member has comp leted ten (10) years of  RBH No. 10791 
 
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credited service as a member and is disabled from any cause, the 
member shall be awarded a disability benefit on the basis of the 
member's years of credited service as a member and the percentage of 
impairment to the whole person, a s defined by the most current 
standards of the impairment as outlined in the "American Medical 
Association's Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment", on 
the basis of the following table: 
1% to 24% impaired =  25% of accrued retirement benefit 
25% to 49% impaired =  50% of accrued retiremen t benefit 
50% to 74% impaired = 75% of accrued retirement be nefit 
75% to 99% impaired =  90% of accrued retirement benefit. 
H.  Before making a finding as to the d isability of a member, 
the State Board shall req uire that, if the member is able, the 
member shall make a certificate as to the disability which shall be 
subscribed and sworn to by the member.  It shall also require a 
certificate as to such disability to b e made by some physician 
licensed to practice in this state as selected by the State Board. 
The State Board may require other evidence of disability bef ore 
making the disability benefit.  The salary of any such member shall 
continue while the member is so necessarily confined to such 
hospital bed or home and necessarily requires medical care or 
professional nursing on account of such sickness or disabilit y for a 
period of not more than six (6) months, after which said period the 
other provisions of this ar ticle may apply.  The State Board, in  RBH No. 10791 
 
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making disability benefits, shall act upon the written request of 
the member or without such request, if it deem it for the good of 
the police department.  Any disability benefits shall cease when the 
member receiving same shall be restored to active service at a 
salary not less than three -fourths (3/4) of the member's average 
monthly salary. 
I.  Any member of a police department of any municipality who, 
in the line of duty, has been exposed to hazardous substances, 
including but not limited to chemicals used in the manufacture of a 
controlled dangerous substa nce or chemicals resulting from the 
manufacture of a controll ed dangerous substance, or to blood-borne 
pathogens and who is later disabled from a condition that was the 
result of such exposure and that was not re vealed by the physical 
examination passed by the member upon entry into the System shall be 
presumed to have incurred such disability while performing the 
officer's duties unless the contrary is shown by comp etent evidence.  
The presumption created by this subsection shall have no application 
whatever to any workers' compensation claim or claims, and it shall 
not be applied or be relied upon in any way in workers' compensation 
proceedings.  All compensation or benefits due to any member 
pursuant to the pres umption created by this subsection shall be paid 
solely by the system. 
J.  If the requirements of Section 50-114.4 of this title are 
satisfied, a member who, by reason of disability, is separated from  RBH No. 10791 
 
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service as a public safety officer with the member 's participating 
municipality, may elect to have payment made directly to the 
provider for qualified health in surance premiums by deduction from 
his or her monthly disability benefit, after December 31, 2006, in 
accordance with Section 402(l) of the Internal Re venue Code of 1986, 
as amended. 
SECTION 3.  Section 1 of this act shall become effective October 
1, 2022. 
SECTION 4.  Section 2 of this act shall become effective 
November 1, 2022. 
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS 
April 13, 2022 - DO PASS