Req. No. 3105 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 2nd Session of the 58th Legislature (2022) SENATE BILL 1859 By: David AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs P rogram Act; amending 68 O.S. 2021, S ections 3603 and 3604, which relate to definitions and quarterly incentive payments; adding net benefit rate limit for certain industry; modifying qualification requirement s for certain industry; updating statutory language; updating statutory reference; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 68 O.S. 2021, Section 3603, is amended to read as follows: Section 3603. A. As used in the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act: 1. a. “Basic industry” means: (1) those manufacturing activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Sector Nos. 31, 32 and 33, Industry Group No. 5111 or Industry No. 11331, (2) those electric power generation, transmiss ion and distribution activities defined or classif ied in Req. No. 3105 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry Nos. 221111 through 221122, if: (a) an establishment engaged therein qualifies as an exempt wholesale generator as defined by 15 U.S.C., Section 79z -5a, (b) the exempt wholesale genera tor facility consumes from sources located within the state at least ninety percent (90%) of the total energy used to produce the electrical output which qualifies for the specialized treatment provided by the Energy Policy Act of 1992, P.L. 102-486, 106 Stat. 2776, as amended, and federal regulations adopted pursuant thereto, (c) the exempt wholesale generator facility sells to purchasers located outside the state for consumption in activities located outside the state at least ninety percent (90%) of the total electrical energy outp ut which qualifies for the specialized treatment provided by the Energy Policy Act of 1992, P.L. 102-486, 106 Stat. 2776, as amended, and federal regulations adopted pursuant thereto, and Req. No. 3105 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (d) the facility is constructed on or af ter July 1, 1996, (3) those administrative and facilities support service activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group Nos. 5611 and 5612, Industry Nos. 51821, 519130, 52232 and 56142 or U.S. Industry Nos. 524291 and 551114, those other support activities for air transportation defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 488190, and those support, repair, and maintenanc e service activities for the wind industry defined or classified in the NAICS Manual und er Industry Group No. 811310, (4) those professional, scientific and technical service activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry Nos. 541 710 and 541380, (5) distribution centers for retail or wholesale businesses defined or c lassified in the NAICS Manual under Sector No. 42, if forty percent (40%) or more of the inventory processed through such warehouse is shipped out -of-state, Req. No. 3105 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (6) those adjustment and collection service activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 561440 , if seventy-five percent (75%) of the loans to be serviced were made by out -of-state debtors, (7) (a) those air transportation activities d efined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 4811, if the following facilities are located in t his state: (i) the corporate headquarters of an establishment classified therein, and (ii) a facility or facilities at which reservations for transportation provided by such an establishment are processed, whether such services are performed by employees o f the establishment, by employees of a subsidiary of or other entity affiliated with the establishment or by employees of an entity with who m the establishment has contracted for the performance of such ser vices; provided, this provision shall not disquali fy an establishment which uses an out -of- Req. No. 3105 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 state entity or employees for some reservations services, or (b) those air transportation activitie s defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 4811, if an establi shment classified therein ha s or will have within one (1) year sales of at least seventy -five percent (75%) of its total sales, as determined by the Incentive Approval Committee pursuant to the provisions of subsection B of this secti on, to out-of- state customers or buyers, to in-state customers or buyers if the product or service is resold by the purchaser to an out-of-state customer or buyer for ultimate use, or to the federal government, (8) flight training services activities defin ed or classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry Group No. 611512, which for purposes of the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act shall include new direct jobs for which gross payroll existed on or after January 1, 2003, as identified in the NAICS Man ual, Req. No. 3105 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (9) the following, if an establishment classi fied therein has or will have within one (1) year sales of at least seventy -five percent (75%) of its total sales, as determined by the Ince ntive Approval Committee pursuant to the provisions of subsection B of this section, to out-of-state customers or buyers, to in-state customers or buyers if the product or service is resold by the purchaser to an out-of-state customer or buyer for ultimate use, or to the federal government: (a) those transportation and w arehousing activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Subsector No. 493, if not otherwise listed in this paragraph, Industry Subsector Nos. 482 and 484 and Industry Group Nos. 4884 through 4889, (b) those passenger transportation a ctivities defined or classified in the NAICS Manua l under Industry Nos. 561510 and 561599, (c) those freight or cargo transportation activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry No. 541614, Req. No. 3105 Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (d) those insurance activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 5241, (e) those services to dwellings and other buildings, as defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 5617, excluding U.S. Industry Nos. 561730, 56171, 56172, 56174 and 56179 , (f) those equipment rental and leasing activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 5324, (g) those information technology and other computer-related service activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group Nos. 5112, 5182, 5191 and 5415, (h) those business support service activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry Nos. 561410 through 561430, excluding 56143, and Industry No. 51911, (i) those medical and diagnostic lab oratory activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 6215, Req. No. 3105 Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (j) those professional, scientific and technical service activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group Nos. 5412, 5414, 5415, 5416 and 5 417, Industry Nos. 54131, 54133, 54136 and 54137, and U.S. Industry No. 541990, if not otherwise listed in this paragraph, (k) those communication service activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Nos. 51741 and 51791, (l) those refuse systems activiti es defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 5622, provided that the establishment is primarily engaged in the capture and distribution of meth ane gas produced within a landfill, (m) general wholesale distribu tion of groceries, defined or classified in the NA ICS Manual under Industry Group Nos. 4244 and 4245, (n) those activities relating to processing of insurance claims, defined or classified i n the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry Nos. 524210 and 524292; pro vided, activities described in U.S. Industry Nos. 524210 and Req. No. 3105 Page 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 524292 in the NAICS Manual other than processing of insurance claims shall not be included for purposes of this subdivision, (o) those agricultural activities classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry Nos. 112120 and 112310, (p) those professional organization activities classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 813920, (q) alternative energy structure construc tion classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 237130, (r) solar reflective coating application classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 238160, (s) solar heating equipment installation classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 238220, (t) those wired telecommunications carriers classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 517110, and (u) those securities, commodity contracts and investment activities classified in the Req. No. 3105 Page 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 NAICS Manual under Industry Subsector N o. 523, (10) those activities related to extraction or pipeline transportation of petrol eum, natural gas or refined petroleum products, defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under Industry Group No. 2111, 213111, 213112 or 486, subject to the limitations provided in paragraph 3 of this subsection and paragraph 3 of s ubsection B of this section, (11) those activities performed by the federal civilian workforce at a facility of the Federal Aviation Administration located in this state if the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce determines or is notified that the federal government is soliciting proposals or otherwise inviting states to compete for additional federal civilian employment or expansion of federal civilian employment at such facilities, (12) those activities defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 711211 (2007 version), Req. No. 3105 Page 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (13) those real estate or brokerage activities classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 53120 for which at least seventy - five percent (75%) of the establishment ’s revenues are attributed to out -of-state sales and at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the real estate transactions generating those revenues are attributed to real property located outside the State of Oklahoma this state, or (14) those support activities for rail transportation and those support activities for water transportation defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry Nos. 4882 and 4883. b. An establishment described in subparagraph a of this paragraph shall not be considered to be engaged in a basic industry unless it offers, or will of fer within one hundred eighty (180) days of employment, a basic health benefits plan to the individuals it employs in new direct jobs in this state which is determined by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to consist of the following elements or elements substantially equivalent thereto: (1) not more than fifty percent (50%) of the premium shall be paid by the employee, Req. No. 3105 Page 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (2) coverage for basic hospital care, (3) coverage for physician care, (4) coverage for mental health care, (5) coverage for substance abu se treatment, (6) coverage for prescripti on drugs, and (7) coverage for prenatal care; 2. “Change-in-control event” means the transfer to one or more unrelated establishme nts or unrelated persons, of either: a. beneficial ownership of more than fifty perc ent (50%) in value and more than fifty pe rcent (50%) in voting power of the outstanding equity securities of the transferred establishment, or b. more than fifty percent (5 0%) in value of the assets of an establishment. A transferor shall be treated as rel ated to a transferee if more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests of the transferor and transferee are owned, directly or indirectly, by the other or are owned, directly or indirectly, by the same person or persons, unless such transferred esta blishment has an outstanding class of equity securities registered under Sections 12(b) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, in which event the transferor and transferee will be treated as unrelated; pro vided, an establishment applying for the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act as a result of a change -in-control event is required to apply within Req. No. 3105 Page 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 one hundred eighty (180) days of the change -in-control event to qualify for consideration. An establishment ent ering the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act as the result of a change-in-control event shall be required to maintain a level of new direct jobs as agreed to in its contract with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and to pay new direct jobs an average annu alized wage which equals or exceeds one hundred twenty-five percent (125%) of the average county wage as that percentage is determined by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce based upon the most recent U.S. Department of Commerce data for the county in whic h the new jobs are located. For purposes of this paragraph, healthcar e premiums paid by the applicant for individuals in new direct jobs shall not be included in the annualized wage. Such establishme nt entering the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act as th e result of a change -in-control event shall be required to retain the contracted average annualized wage and maintain the contracted maintenance level of new direct jobs numbers as certified by the Oklahoma Tax Commission. If the required average annualized wage or the required new d irect jobs numbers do not equal or exceed such con tracted level during any quarter, the quarterly incentive payments shall not be made and shall not be resumed until such time as su ch requirements are met. An establishment described in this paragraph shal l be required to repay all incentive payments rece ived under the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act if the establishment is determined by the Tax Commission Req. No. 3105 Page 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 to no longer have busines s operations in the state within three (3) years from the beginning of the calendar quarter for which the first incentive payment claim is filed; 3. “New direct job”: a. means full-time-equivalent employment in this state in an establishment which has qua lified to receive an incentive payment pursuan t to the provisions of the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act which employment d id not exist in this state prior to the date of approval by the Department of the application of the establishment pursuant to the provisions of Section 3604 of this title and w ith respect to an establishment qualifying for incentive payments pursuant to division (12) of subparagraph a of paragraph 1 of this subsection shall not include compensation paid to an employee or independent contractor for an athletic contest conducted i n the state if the compensati on is paid by an entity that does not have its pri ncipal place of business in the state or that does not own real or personal property having a market value of at least One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) located in the state, and the employees or independ ent contractors of such entity are compensated to compete against the employees or Req. No. 3105 Page 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 independent contractors of an establishment that qualifies for incentive payments pursuant to divi sion (12) of subparagraph a of paragraph 1 of this subsection and which is organized under Oklahoma law or that is lawfully r egistered to do business in the state and which does have its principal place of business located in the state and owns real or personal property having a market value of at lea st One Million Dollars ($1,00 0,000.00) located in the state; provided, that if an application of an establishment is approved by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce after a change -in-control event and the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce determines that the jobs located at such establishment are likely to leave the sta te, “new direct job” shall include employment that existed in this state prior to the date of application which is retained in this state by the new establishment following a ch ange in control event, if suc h job otherwise qualifies as a new direct job, and b. shall include full-time-equivalent employment in this state of employees who are employed by an employment agency or similar en tity other than the establishment which has qualified to receive an incenti ve payment Req. No. 3105 Page 16 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 and who are leased or otherwise provide d under contract to the qualified establishment, if such job did not exist in this state prior to the date of approval by the Depar tment of the application of the establishment or the job otherwise qualifie s as a new direct job following a change-in-control event. A job shall be deemed to exist in this state prior to approval of an application if the activities and functions for which the particular job exists have been ongoing at any time within six (6) mo nths prior to such approval. With respect to esta blishments defined in division (10) of subparagraph a of paragraph 1 of this subsection, new direct jobs shall be limited to those jobs directly comprising the corporate headquarters of or directly relating to manufacturing, maintenance, administrative, fi nancial, engineering, surveying, geological or geophysical services performed by the establishment. Under no circumstances shall e mployment relating to field services be considered new direct jobs; 4. “Estimated direct state benefits” means the tax revenues projected by the Department to accrue to the state as a result of new direct jobs; Req. No. 3105 Page 17 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 5. “Estimated direct state costs ” means the costs projected by the Department to accrue t o the state as a result of ne w direct jobs. Such costs shall include, but not be limited to: a. the costs of education of new state resident children, b. the costs of public health, public safety and transportation services to be provided to new state residents, c. the costs of other state services to be provided to new state residents, and d. the costs of other state services; 6. “Estimated net direct state benefits ” means the estimated direct state benefits less the estimated direct state costs; 7. “Net benefit rate” means the estimated net direct state benefits computed as a per centage of gross payroll; provided: a. except as otherwise provided in this paragraph, the net benefit rate may be variable and sha ll not exceed five percent (5%), b. the net benefit rate shall not exceed s ix percent (6%) in connection with an establishmen t which is owned and operated by an entity which has been awarded a United States Department of Defense contract for which: (1) bids were solicited and accepted by the United States Department of Defense fr om facilities located outside this state, Req. No. 3105 Page 18 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (2) the term is or is renewable for not less than twenty (20) years, and (3) the average annual salary, excluding benefits which are not subject to Oklahoma income taxes, for new direct jobs created as a direct res ult of the awarding of the contract is projected b y the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to equal or exceed Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00) within three (3) years of the date of the first incentive payment, c. except as otherwise provided in subparagrap h d of this paragraph, in no event shall incentive payments, cumulatively, exceed the estimated net direct state benefits, d. the net benefit rate shall be five percent (5%) for an establishment locating: (1) in an opportunity zone located in a high - employment county, as such terms are defined in subsection G of Section 3604 of this title, or (2) in a county in which: (a) the per capita personal income, as determined by the Departmen t, is eighty-five percent (85%) or less of the statewide average per capita personal income, Req. No. 3105 Page 19 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (b) the population has decreased over the previous ten (10) years, as determined by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce based on the most recent U.S. Department of Commerce data, or (c) the unemployment rate e xceeds the lesser of five percent (5%) or two percentage points above the state average unemployment rate as certified by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission, e. the net benefit rate shall not exceed si x percent (6%) in connection with an establish ment which: (1) is, as of the date of application, receiving incentive payments pursuant to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act and has been receiving such payments for at least one (1) year prior to the date of application, and (2) expands its operation s in this state by creating additional new direct jobs which pay average annualized wages which equal or exceed one hundred fifty percent (150%) of the average annualized wages of new direct jobs on which incentive payments were received during the preceding calendar year, Req. No. 3105 Page 20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 f. with respect to an establishment defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 711211 (2007 version) or any establishment defined or classified in the NAICS Manual as a U.S. Industry Number which is not included wit hin the definition of “basic industry” as such term is defined in this section on April 17, 2008, the net benefit rate shall not exceed the highest rate of income tax imposed upon the Oklahoma taxable income of individuals pursuant to subparagraph (g) or s ubparagraph (h), as applicabl e, of paragraph 1 and paragraph 2 of subsection B of Section 2355 of this title. Any change in such highest rate of individual income tax imposed pursuant to the provisions of Sect ion 2355 of this title shall be applicable to the computation of incentive payments to an establishment as described by this subparagraph and shall be effective for purposes of incentive payments based on payroll paid by such establishment on or after January 1 of any applicable year for which the net benefit rate is modified as required by this subparagraph, and g. the net benefit rate shall not exceed six percent (6%) in connection with an establishment which employs United States military veterans in at least ten Req. No. 3105 Page 21 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 percent (10%) of its gross payroll. The net benefit rate for an establishment which employs United States military veterans in at least ten percent (10%) of its payroll shall not be lower than five percent (5%) , and h. with respect to a hydrogen manufacturing establishment defined or classified in the NAICS Manual unde r U.S. Industry No. 325120, the net benefit rate s hall not exceed six percent (6%) . Incentive payments made pursuant to the provisions of this subparagraph shall be based upon payroll associated with such new direct jobs. For purposes of this subparagraph , the amount of health insurance premiums or other benefits paid by the establishment shall not be included for purpo ses of computation of the average annualized wage; 8. “Gross payroll” means wages, as defined in Section 2385 .1 of this title for new dire ct jobs; 9. a. “Establishment” means any business or governmental entity, no matter what legal form , including, but not limited to, a sole proprietorship; partnership; limited liability company; corporation or combination of corporations which have a centr al parent corporation which makes corporate manage ment decisions such as those involving consolidation, acquisition, merger or expansion; federal agency; political Req. No. 3105 Page 22 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 subdivision of the State of Oklahoma; or trust authority; provided, distinct, identifiable s ubunits of such entities may be determined to be a n establishment, for all purposes of the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, by the Department subject to the following conditions: (1) within three (3) years of the first comple te calendar quarter following the start date, the entity must have a minimum pa yroll of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000.00) and the subunit must also have or will have a minimum payroll of Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000.00), (2) the subunit is engaged in an activity or service or produces a product which is demonstratively independent and separate from th e entity’s other activities, services or products and could be conducted or produced in the absence of any oth er activity, service or produ ction of the entity, (3) has an accounting system capable of tracking or facilitating an audit of the subunit ’s payroll, expenses, revenue and production. Limited interunit overlap of administrative and purchasing functions sh all not disqualify a Req. No. 3105 Page 23 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 subunit from consideration as an establishment by the Department, (4) the entity has not previously had a subunit determined to be an establishment pursuant to this section; provided, the restriction set forth in this division shall no t apply to subunits which qualify pursuant to the provisions of subparagraph b of paragraph 7 of this subsection, and (5) it is determined by the Department that the entity will have a probable net gain in total employment within the incentive period. b. The Department may promulgate rules to further limit the circumstances under whi ch a subunit may be considered an establishment. The Department sh all promulgate rules to determine whether a subunit of an entity achieves a net gain in total employment. The Department shall establish c riteria for determining the period of time within which such gain must be demonstrated and a method for determining n et gain in total employment; 10. “NAICS Manual” means any manual, book or other publication containing the North American Industry Classif ication System, United Req. No. 3105 Page 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 States, 1997, promulgated b y the Office of Management and Budget of the United States of Ameri ca, or the latest revised edition; 11. “Qualified federal contract ” means a contract between an agency or instrumentality of the United St ates government, including but not limited to the Department of Defense or any branch of the United States Armed Forc es, but exclusive of any contract performed for the Federal Emergency Management Agency as a direct result of a natural disaster declared b y the Governor or the President of the United States with respect to damage to property located in Oklahoma or loss of life or personal injury to persons in Oklahoma, and a lawfully recognized business entity, whether or not th e business entity is organized under the laws of the State of Oklahoma this state or whether or not the principal place of business of the business entity is located within the State of Oklahoma this state, for the performance of services , including but not limited to testing, research, development, consu lting or other services in a basic industry, if the contract involves the performance of such services performed on or after July 1, 2009, by the employees of the business entity within the State of Oklahom a this state or if the contract involves the perfo rmance of such services performed on or after July 1, 2009, by employees of a lawfully recognized business entity that is a subco ntractor of the business entity with which the prime contract has been formed . A qualified federal contract described in this paragraph shall not qualify unless both the Req. No. 3105 Page 25 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 qualified federal contractor and any subcontractors originally involved in the work o r added subsequently during the period of performance verify to the qualified federal contractor verifier that it offers, or will offer within one hundred eighty (180) days of employment of its respective employees, a basic health benefits plan as described in subparagraph b of paragraph 1 of this subsection to individuals who perf orm qualified labor hours in this state; 12. “Qualified federal contractor verifier” means a nonprofit entity organized under the laws of the State of Oklahoma this state, having an affiliation with a comprehensive university which is part of The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, and having the following characteristi cs: a. established multiyear classified and unclas sified indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity federal contract vehicles in excess of Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00), b. current capability to sponsor and maintain personnel security clearances and authorized by the federal government to handle and perform classified work up to the Top Secret Sensitive Compartment ed Information levels, c. at least one on-site federally certified Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, Req. No. 3105 Page 26 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 d. on-site secure mass dat a storage complex with the capability of isolating , segregating and protecting corporate proprietary and classified i nformation, e. trusted agent status by maintaining no ownership of , vested interest in, nor royalty production from any intellectual property, f. at least one hundred thousand (100,000) squ are feet of configurable laboratory and support space, g. the direct access to restricted air space through a formalized memorandum o f agreement with the Department of Defense, h. at least five thousand (5, 000) acres available for outdoor testing and train ing facilities, and i. the ability to house state -of-the-art surety facilities, including chemical, biological, radiological, explosi ves, electronics, and unmanned systems laboratories and ranges; 13. “SIC Manual” means the 1987 revision to the Standard Industrial Classification Manual, promulgated by the Office of Management and Budget of the United States of America; 14. “Start date” means the date on which an establishment may begin accruing benefits fo r the creation of new direct jobs, which date shall be determined by the Department; Req. No. 3105 Page 27 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 15. “Effective date” means the date of approval of a contract under which incentive payments will be made pursuant to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, which shall b e the date the signed and accepted incentive contr act is received by the Department; provided, an approved project ma y have a start date which is different from the effective date; 16. “Total qualified labor hours ” means the reimbursed payment amount for hours of work performed by the State of Oklahoma workforce of a qualified federal contractor or the State of Oklahoma workforce of a subcontractor of a qualified federal contractor an d which are required for the full performance of a qualified federal contract; 17. “Qualified labor rate” means the fully reimbursed labor rate paid through a qualified federal contract for qualified labor hours to the qualified federal contractor or subc ontractor; 18. “Qualified federal contractor ” means a business entity: a. maintaining a prime contract with the federal government as defined in paragraph 11 of this subsection, b. providing notice of intent to apply to the Department within one hundred e ighty (180) days of July 1, 2010, or one hundred eighty (180) days of the date of the award of a qualified federal contract or award of a Req. No. 3105 Page 28 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 new qualified subcontract under an existing qualifie d federal contract, and c. adding substantively to the contract by performing at least eight percent (8%) of the tot al labor whether qualified and nonqualified labor as determined by the federal contractor verifier on a direct contract or individual task order or delivery order on an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity or other blanket contract vehicle. Should a prime contractor provide n otice to the Department of its intent not to apply for incentive for a qualified federal contract or fails to qualify under the criteria above, subcontractors in order of tier ranking as determined by the federal contract verifier ma y assume the role of th e prime and apply to become a qualified federal co ntractor provided the entity meets the same criteria above with the exception that notice of intent to apply with the Department must be provided within sixty (60) days of the prime’s disqualification or on e hundred eighty (180) days of the award of its subcontract, whichever is later; and 19. “Proxy establishment” means a public trust which: a. is organized and existing under Section 176 of Title 60 of the Oklahoma Statutes for the b enefit of a geographic area which includes a city or county or some combination thereof, and Req. No. 3105 Page 29 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 b. benefits a geographic area where new direct jobs which meet the requirements of the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act are created by an establishment, other than the proxy establishme nt, which is a branch of the Armed Forces of the U nited States. A proxy establishment may be determined to be an esta blishment for all purposes of the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Ac t by the Department and incentive payments may be made to such proxy establishment for new direct jobs otherwise qualified pursuant to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act. The Department may promulgate rules to further specify the circumstances under wh ich a proxy establishment may be considered an est ablishment for the purposes of making application for incentive payments pursuant to the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act. Provided , however, that with respect to any data on qualifying direct new jobs fr om a branch of the Armed Forces of the United Stat es, such rules shall onl y require a proxy establishment to provide such da ta as would otherwise be publicly releasable by the branch of the A rmed Forces of the United States. B. The Incentive Approval Comm ittee is hereby created and shall consist of the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, the Director of the Department and one member of the Oklahoma Tax Commission app ointed by the Tax Commission, or a designee from each agency appr oved by such member. It shall be the Req. No. 3105 Page 30 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 duty of the Committee to determine t he eligibility of all applicants for the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, subject to the applicable requirements. C. For an establishment defined as a “basic industry” pursuant to division (4) of subparagraph a of paragraph 1 of subsection A of this section, the Incentive Approval Committee shall consi st of the members provided by subsection B of this section and the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology, or a designee from the Cen ter appointed by the Exe cutive Director. SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 68 O.S. 2021, Section 3604, is amended to read as follows: Section 3604. A. Except as otherwise provided in subsect ion I or subsection L of this section, an establis hment which meets the qualifications specified in the Oklahoma Quality Job s Program Act may receive quarterly incentive payments fo r a ten-year period from the Oklahoma Tax Commission pursuant to the provis ions of the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act; pro vided, such an establish ment defined or classified in the NAICS Manual und er U.S. Industry No. 711211 (2007 version) may receive qu arterly incentive payments for a fifteen-year period. The amount of such p ayments shall be equal to the net benefit rate mul tiplied by the actual gr oss payroll of new direct jobs for a calendar quar ter as verified by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commi ssion. Req. No. 3105 Page 31 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 B. In order to receive incentive payments, an establishment shall apply to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. The application shall be on a form prescribed by the Department and shall cont ain such information as may be required by the Department to determine if the applicant is qualified. An establishment may apply fo r an effective date for a project, which shall not be more than twenty- four (24) months from the date the application is sub mitted to the Department. C. Except as otherwise provide d by subsection D or E of this section, in order to qualify to receive such payments, the establishment applying shall be req uired to: 1. Be engaged in a basic industry; 2. Have an annual gross pay roll for new direct jobs projected by the Department to e qual or exceed Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($2,500,000.00) wi thin three (3) years of the first complete calendar quarter following the start date; and 3. Have a number of full -time-equivalent employees subject to the tax imposed by Section 2 355 of this title and working an annual average of thirty (30) or more hour s per week in new direct jobs located in this stat e equal to or in excess of eighty percent (80%) of the total number of new direct jobs. D. In order to qualify to receive incentiv e payments as authorized by the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, an establishment engaged in an activity described under: Req. No. 3105 Page 32 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1. Industry Group Nos. 3 111 through 3119 of the NAICS Manual shall be required to: a. have an annual gross payroll for new direct j obs projected by the Department to equal or exceed One Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($1,500,000.00) within three (3) years of the first comp lete calendar quarter following the start date and make, or which will make within one (1) year, at least s eventy-five percent (75%) of its total sales, as determined by the Incentive Approval Committee pursuant to the provisions of subsection B of Section 3603 of this title, to out-of-state customers or buyers, to in- state customers or buyers if the product or service is resold by the purchaser to an out -of-state customer or buyer for ultimate use, or to the federal government, unless the annual gross payr oll equals or exceeds Two Million Five Hundred Tho usand Dollars ($2,500,000.00) in which case the requireme nts for purchase of output provided by this subparagraph shall not apply, a nd b. have a number of full -time-equivalent employees working an average o f thirty (30) or more hours per week in new direct jobs equal to or in excess of eighty percent (80%) of th e total number of new direct jobs; and Req. No. 3105 Page 33 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2. Division (4) of subparagraph a o f paragraph 1 of subsection A of Section 3603 of t his title, or a hydrogen manufacturing establishment defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 325120, shall be required to: a. have an annual gross payroll for new direct jobs projected by the Department to equal or exceed One Million Five Hundred Thousan d Dollars ($1,500,000.00) within three (3) years o f the first complete calendar quarter following the start date, and b. have a number of full -time-equivalent employees working an average of thirty (30) or more hours per week in new direct jobs equal to or in excess of eighty percent (80%) of the total nu mber of new direct jobs. E. 1. An establishment which locates its principal business activity within a site consisting of at least ten (10) acres which: a. is a federal Superfund removal site, b. is listed on the National Priorities List established under Section 9605 of Title 42 of the United States Code, c. has been formally deferred to the state in lieu of listing on the National Priorities List, or d. has been determined by the Department of Environmen tal Quality to be contaminated by any substance re gulated Req. No. 3105 Page 34 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 by a federal or state statute governing environmental conditions for real property pursuant to an order of the Department of Environmental Quality, shall qualify for incentive payments irrespective of its actual gross payroll or the number of full -time-equivalent employees engaged in new direct jobs. 2. In order to qualify for the incentive payments pursuant to this subsection, the establishment shall conduct the act ivity resulting in at least fifty percent (50%) of its Oklahoma taxable income or adjusted gross income, as determined under Section 2358 of this title, whether from the sale of products or services or both products and services, at the physical location w hich has been determined not to comply with the federal or state statutes described in this subsection with respect to environmental conditions for real property. The establishment shall be subject to all other requirements of the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Pr ogram Act other than the exemptio ns provided by this subsection. 3. In order to qualify for the incentive payments pursuant to this subsection, the entity shall obtain from the Department of Environmental Quality a letter of concurrence that: a. the site designated by the entity does mee t one or more of the requirements listed in paragr aph 1 of this subsection, and Req. No. 3105 Page 35 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 b. the site is being or has been remediated to a level which is consistent with the intended use of th e property. In making its determination, the Department of Environmental Quality may rely on existing data and information a vailable to it, but may also require the applying entity to provide additional data and information as necessary. 4. If authorized by the Department of Environmental Qualit y pursuant to paragraph 3 of this subsection, the entity may utilize a remediated portion of the property for its intended purpose prior to remediation of the remainder of the site, and shall qualify for incentive payments based on employment associated wi th the portion of the site. F. Except as otherwise provided by subsection G of thi s section, for applications submitted on and after June 4, 2003, in order to qualify to receive incentive payments as authorized by the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, in addition to other qualifications specified herein, an establishment shall be requi red to pay new direct jobs an average annualized wage which equals or exceeds: 1. One hundred ten percent (110%) of the average cou nty wage as determined by the Department of Commerce based on the most rec ent U.S. Department of Commerce data for the count y in which the new direct jobs are located. For purposes of this paragraph, health Req. No. 3105 Page 36 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 care premiums paid by the applicant for individu als in new direct jobs shall be included in the annualized wage; or 2. One hundred percent (100%) of the average county wag e as that percentage is determined by the Department of Commerce based upon the most recent U.S. Department of Commerce data for the county in which the new jobs are located . For purposes of this paragraph , health care premiums paid by the applicant for i ndividuals in new direct jobs shall not be included in the annualized wage. Provided, no average wage requirement shall exceed Twent y-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), in any county. This maximum wage threshold shall be indexed and modified from time to time based on the latest Consumer Price Index year -to-date percent change release as of the date of the annual average county wage data release from the Bureau of Economic Analysis of the U.S. Department o f Commerce. G. 1. As used in this subsection, “opportunity zone” means one or more census tracts in which, according to the most recent Federal Decennial Census, at least thirty pe rcent (30%) of the residents have annual gross household incomes from all sources below the poverty guidelines established b y the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. An establishment which is otherwise qualified to receive incentive payments and which locates its principal business activity in an opportunity zone shal l not be subject to the requirements of subsection F of this section. 2. As used in this subsection: Req. No. 3105 Page 37 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 a. “negative economic event ” means: (1) a man-made disaster or natural disaster as defined in Section 683.3 of Title 63 o f the Oklahoma Statutes, resultin g in the loss of a significant number of jobs with in a particular county of this state, or (2) an economic circumstance in which a significant number of jobs within a particular coun ty of this state have been lost due to an establishment changing its structure, consolidating with another establishment, cl osing or moving all or part of its operations out of this state, and b. “significant number of jobs ” means Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) data, as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, fo r a county which are equal to or in excess of five percent (5%) of the total amount of Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) data for that county for the calendar year, or most recent twelve-month period in which employ ment is measured, preceding the e vent. An establishment which is otherwise qualifie d to receive incentive payments and which locates in a county in which a negative economic event has occurred within the eighteen -month period preceding the start date shall not be subject to the requiremen ts of Req. No. 3105 Page 38 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 subsection F of this section; provided, an e stablishment shall not be eligible to receive incentive payments based upon a negative economic event with respect to jobs that are transferred from one county of this state to another. H. The Department s hall determine if the applicant is qualified to receive incentive payments. I. If the applicant is determined to be qualified by the Department and is not subject to the provisions of subparagraph d of paragraph 7 of subse ction A of Section 3603 of this t itle, the Department shall conduct a cost/benefit analysis to determine the estimated net direct state benefits and the net benefit rate applicable for a ten -year period beginning wi th the first complete calendar quarter following the start date and to est imate the amount of gross payroll for a ten -year period beginning with the first complete calendar quarter following the start date or for a fifteen - year period for an establishment defined or classified in the NAICS Manual under U.S. Industry No. 711211 ( 2007 version). In conducting such cost/benefit an alysis, the Department shall consider quantitative factors, such as the anticipated level of new tax revenues to the state along wit h the added cost to the state of providing services, and such other criter ia as deemed appropriate by the Department. In no event shall incentive payments, cumulatively, exceed the estimated net direct state benefits, except for Req. No. 3105 Page 39 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 applicants subject to the provisions of subparagraph d of paragraph 7 of subsection A of Section 360 3 of this title. J. Upon approval of such an appl ication, the Department shall notify the Tax Commission and shall provide it with a copy of the contract and the results of the cost /benefit analysis. The Tax Commission may require the qualified establish ment to submit such additional information as may be necessary to administer the provisions of the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act. The approved establishment shall file quarterly claims with the Tax Commission and shall continue to file such quarterly claims during the ten-year incentive period to sho w its continued eligibility for incentive payments, as provided in Section 3606 of this title, or until it is no longer qualified to receive incentive payments. The establishment may be audited by the Tax Commission to verify such eligibility. Once the e stablishment is approved, an agreement shall be deemed to exist between the establishment and the State of Oklahoma, requiring the c ontinued incentive payment to be made as long as the establishment retains its eligibility as defined in and established pursuant to this section and Sections 3603 and 3606 of this title and within the limitations contained in the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, which existed at the time of su ch approval. An establishment de scribed in this subsection shall be required to repay all incentive payments received under the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act if the establishment is determined by the Req. No. 3105 Page 40 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Oklahoma Tax Commission to no longer have business operations in the state within three (3) years from the beginning of the calendar quarter for which the first incentive payment claim is filed. K. A municipality with a population of less than one hundred thousand (100,000) persons in which an establishme nt eligible to receive quarterly incentive payments pursuant to the provisions of this section is located may file a claim with the Tax Commission for up to twenty-five percent (25%) of the amount of such payment. The amount of such claim shall not exceed amounts paid by the municipality for direct costs of municipal infrastructure improvements to provide water and sewer service to the establishment. Such claim shall not be approved by the Tax Commission unless the municipality and the establishment have entered into a written agreement for such claims to be filed by the municipality prior to submission of the application of the establishment pursuant to the provisions of this section. If such claim is approved, th e amount of the payment to the establishm ent made pursuant to the provisio ns of Section 3606 of this title shall be reduced by the amount of the approved claim by the municipality and the Tax Commission shall issue a warrant to the municipality in the amount of the approved claim in the same mann er as warrants are issued to qualifying establishments. L. For any contract execut ed by an establishment on or after the effective date of this act August 2, 2018, five percent (5%) of Req. No. 3105 Page 41 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 the quarterly incentive payme nt amount shall be transferred by the Oklahoma Tax Commission to the Oklahoma Quick Actio n Closing Fund. SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2022. 58-2-3105 QD 1/20/2022 10:31:32 PM