Oklahoma Senate Bill SB20

Oklahoma 2022 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/1/21
• Refer: 2/2/21

Caption

School employees; directing that an employee who is a member of the Legislature shall not receive certain benefits. Effective date.

Impact

This legislation, if enacted, would bring significant changes to the benefits structure for legislators who work within educational institutions. By removing their eligibility for retirement benefits typically granted to educators and limiting their access to other employee benefits, SB20 seeks to clarify the financial and employment relationships between legislative members and educational entities. This could potentially lead to a reevaluation of how such roles are perceived within governance and education sectors.

Summary

Senate Bill 20 addresses the eligibility of legislative members who also serve as employees within the educational system of Oklahoma. The bill stipulates that if a member of the Legislature is employed by a school district, a technology center school district, or an institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, they are not entitled to certain benefits related to their employment in education. Instead, they can only receive compensation directly related to their legislative role, excluding participation in the Teachers' Retirement System and benefits associated with the Oklahoma Employees Insurance and Benefits Act.

Contention

Notably, the bill has sparked debate regarding its implications for legislative members' dual roles. Some argue that it is an important step towards ensuring that conflicts of interest do not arise when legislators have ties to educational institutions, as it would prevent them from double-dipping into public funds. However, others may view this as a limitation on career options for lawmakers who are also educators, raising questions about the fairness and reasonableness of preventing these individuals from receiving the same benefits as their peers in education.