ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 306 By: Haste of the Senate and Russ of the House [ Oklahoma Personnel Act - professions which may be appointed to the unclassified service - effective date ] BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STA TE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 74 O.S. 2011, Section 840 -5.5, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 365, O.S.L. 201 9 (74 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 840-5.5), is amended to read as follows: Section 840-5.5. A. The following offices, positions, and personnel shall be in the unclassified service and sh all not be placed under the classified service: 1. Persons chosen by popular vote or app ointment to fill an elective office, and their employees, except the employees of the Corporation Commission, the State Department of Education and the Department of Labor; 2. Members of boards and commissions, and heads of agenc ies; also one principal as sistant or deputy an d one executive secretary for each state agency; 3. All judges, elect ed or appointed, and their employees; ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 4. Persons employed with one -time, limited duration, federal or other grant funding that is not conti nuing or indefinitely renewable. The length o f the unclassified employment shall n ot exceed the period of time for which that specific federal funding is provided; 5. All officers and employe es of The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, State Boar d of Education and Oklahom a Department of Career and Technology Education; 6. Persons employed in a professional or scientific capacity to make or conduct a temporary and special inquiry, inve stigation, or examination on behalf of the Legislature or a com mittee thereof or by authority of the Governor . These appointments and authorizati ons shall terminate on the first day of the regular legislative session immediately following the appointment, if not terminated earlier. However, nothing in this paragraph shall prevent the reautho rization and reappointment of any such person. Any such appointment shall be funded from the budget of the appointing authority; 7. Election officials and employees; 8. Temporary employees employed to work less than one thousan d (1,000) hours in any twe lve-month period, and seasonal employees employed by the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation D epartment pursuant to Section 2241 of this title who work less than one thous and six hundred (1,600) hours in any twelve -month period; ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 9. Department of Public Safety employees occupying the following offices or positions: a. administrative aides to the Co mmissioner, b. executive secretaries to the Commissioner, c. the Governor’s representative of the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office who shall b e appointed by the Governo r, d. Highway Patrol Colonel, e. Highway Patrol Lieutenan t Colonel, f. Highway Patrol Major, g. Director of Finance, h. noncommissioned pilots, i. Information Systems Administrator, j. Law Enforcement Telecommunications System Spe cialist, k. Director of Driver Compliance, l. Director of Transportation Division, m. Director of the Oklahoma Highw ay Safety Office, n. Civil Rights Administrator, o. Budget Analyst, p. Comptroller, q. Chaplain, r. Helicopter Mechanic, s. Director of Safety Compliance, t. Human Resources Director, u. Administrator of Department Services , and ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 v. a maximum of seven posit ions for the purpose of administering programs in the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office, within full-time employee limitations of the Department, employed with federal f unding that is continuing or indefinitely renewable. The authorization for such positions shall be terminated if the federal funding for positions is discontinued; provided, any person appointed to a position prescribed in subparagraph d, e or f of this p aragraph shall have a right of return to the classified c ommissioned position without any loss of rights, privileges or benefits immediately upon completion of the duties in the unclassified commissioned position; 10. Professional trainees only during the prescribed length of their course of training or extensi on study; 11. Students who are e mployed on a part-time basis, which shall be seventy-five percent (75%) of a normal forty-hour work week or thirty (30) hours per week, or l ess, or on a full-time basis if the employment is pursuant to a cooperative educati on program such as that provided for under Title I IV-D of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a -1087c), as amended, and who are regularly enrolled in: a. an institution of higher learnin g within The Oklahom a State System of Higher Education, ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 b. an institution of higher learni ng qualified to become coordinated with The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education. For purposes of this section, a student shall be considered a regularly enroll ed student if the student is enrolled in a minimum of fiv e (5) hours of accredited graduat e courses or a minimum of ten (10) hours of accredited undergraduate courses; provided, however, the student shall only be required to be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) hours of accredited undergraduate courses during the summer, or c. high school students regularly enrolled in a high school in Oklahoma and regularly attending cl asses during such time of enrollment; 12. The spouses of perso nnel who are employed on a part-time basis to assist or work as a relief for their spouses in the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department; 13. Service substitute attendants who are needed t o replace museum and site attendants who are unavoidably absent . Service substitutes may work as part-time or full-time relief for absentees for a period of not more than four (4 ) weeks per year in the Oklahoma Historical Society sites and museums; such s ubstitutes will not count towards the agency ’s full-time-equivalent (FTE) employee limit; ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 14. Employees of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the State Senate, or the Legisla tive Service Bureau; 15. Corporation Commission personnel occupying the foll owing offices and positions: a. Administrative aides, and execu tive secretaries to the Commissioners, b. Directors of all the divisions, personnel managers and comptrollers, c. General Counsel, d. Public Utility Division Chief Engineer, e. Public Utility Division Chief Accountant, f. Public Utility Division Chief Econ omist, g. Public Utility Division Deputy Direc tor, h. Secretary of the Commission, i. Deputy Conservation Director, j. Manager of Pollution Abatement, k. Manager of Field Operations, l. Manager of Technical Services, m. Public Utility Division Chief of Tel ecommunications, n. Director of Information Se rvices, o. All Data Processing employ ees hired on or after September 1, 2005, p. All Public Utilities employees hired on or after September 1, 2007, ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 q. All Regulatory Program Managers hired on or after September 1, 2007, and r. All Pipeline Safety Departme nt employees hired on or after September 1, 2008; 16. At the option o f the employing agency, the Supervisor, Director, or Educational Coordinator in any other state agency having a primary responsibility to co ordinate educational progr ams operated for children in state institutions; 17. Department of Mental Health and Subs tance Abuse Services personnel occupying the following offices and positions at each facility: a. Director of Facility, b. Deputy Director for Administration, c. Clinical Services Direct or, d. Executive Secretary to Directo r, and e. Directors or Heads of D epartments or Services; 18. Office of Management and Enterprise Services per sonnel occupying the following offices and positions: a. State Comptroller, b. Administrative Officers, c. Alternator Claims Auditor, d. Employees hired to fulfill state complianc e agency requirements under Model Tribal Gaming Compacts, e. Employees of the Budget Division, ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 f. Employees of the Fiscal and Research Divis ion, g. Employees hired to work on the CORE Systems Project, and h. The following employees of the Information Servi ces Division: (1) Information Services Division Manager, (2) Network Manager, (3) Network Technicians, (4) Security Manager, (5) Contracts/Purchasing Manager, (6) Operating and Applicati ons Manager, (7) Project Manager, (8) Help Desk Manager, (9) Help Desk Technicians, (10) Quality Assurance Manager, (11) ISD Analysts, (12) CORE Manager, (13) Enterprise System/Database Software Manager, (14) Data Center Operations and Production Manager, (15) Voice Communications Manager, (16) Applications Development Manag er, (17) Projects Manager, (18) PC’s Manager, (19) Servers Manager, ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 (20) Portal Manager, (21) Procurement Specialists, (22) Security Technicians, (23) Enterprise Communications and Netwo rk Administrator, (24) Server Support Specialists, (25) Senior Server Support Specialists, (26) Systems Support Specialists, (27) Senior Systems Support Specialists, (28) Chief Technology Officer, (29) Facility Manager, (30) Application Development Specialists, (31) Senior Application Develop ment Specialists, (32) Workstation Specialists, (33) Senior Workstation Specialists, (34) Cabling Infrastructu re Administration, (35) Planning Specialists, (36) Senior Planning Specialists, (37) Network Specialists, (38) Senior Network Specialists, (39) Voice Communication Specialists, an d (40) Senior Voice Communication Specialists; 19. Employees of the Oklahoma Industrial Finance Authority; ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 20. Those positions so specifie d in the annual business p lan of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce; 21. Those positions so specified in the annua l business plan of the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Tec hnology; 22. The following positions and employees of the Okla homa School of Science and Mathematics: a. positions for which the annual salary is Twenty-four Thousand One Hundred Ninety-three Dollars ($24,193.00) or more, as determined by the Office of Ma nagement and Enterprise Services; provided, no position shall become unclassified because of any change in salary or grade while it is occupied by a classified employee, b. positions requiring certification by the State Department of Education, and c. positions and employees authorized to be in the unclassified service of the state elsewhere i n this section or in subsection B of this section; 23. Office of Management and Enterpris e Services employees occupying the following positions: a. the Carl Albert Internship Program Coordinator, b. one Administrative Assistant, c. one Workforce Planning Manager, d. Assistant Administrators, e. one Associate Administrator, and ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 f. Division Directors; 24. Department of Labor personnel occupying the following offices and positions: a. two Deputy Commissioners, b. two Executive Secretaries to the Commissioner , c. Chief of Staff, d. two Administrative Assistants, e. Information Systems Administrato r, f. three Safety and Health Directors, g. Research Director, h. Employment Standards Director, i. Asbestos Director, j. General Counsel, k. one Legal Secretary, l. one Docket Clerk, m. two Information Systems Application Specialists, n. one Administrative Programs Officer, o. one Industrial Hygienist Supervisor, and p. one Public Information Officer; 25. The State Bond Advisor and his or he r employees; 26. The Oklahoma Employment Secu rity Commission employees occupying the following positions: a. Associate Director, b. Secretary to the Associate Director, and ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 c. Assistant to the Executive Director; 27. Officers and employees of the State B anking Department; 28. Officers and employees of the University Hospitals Authority except personnel in the state c lassified service pursuant to Section 3211 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statut es and members of the University Hospitals Authority Model Pers onnel System created pursuant to subsection E of Section 3211 of Title 63 of the Ok lahoma Statutes or as otherwise p rovided for in Section 3213.2 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 29. Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission employees occupying the following positions: a. three Administrative Service Assistant positions, however, employees in such positions w ho are in the unclassified service on June 4, 2003, may make an election to be in the classified service without a loss in salary by Septemb er 1, 2003, and b. the Deputy Director positio n in addition to the one authorized by paragraph 2 of this subsection; 30. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation employees occupying the following positions: a. five assistant directors, b. special investigators based upon the ava ilability of funds and the needs of the agency as determi ned by the Director, ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 c. one information representative, d. one federally funded physical evidence technician, e. four federally funded laboratory analysts, f. a maximum of fourteen positions employed for the purpose of managing the automated information sy stems of the agency, g. one executive secretary in addition to the one executive secretary authorized pursuant to paragraph 2 of this subsection, h. Child Abuse Response Tea m (CART) investigator, i. Child Abuse Response Team (CART) forensic interviewer, j. nine administration and research positions and five data processing and information technology positions transferred from the Criminal Justice Resource Center pursuant to Section 150.17a of this tit le, k. one Human Resources Director, and l. one Comptroller; 31. The Department of Transp ortation, the following positions: a. Director of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Co mmission, b. five Department of Transportation Assistant Direct or positions, c. eight field division engineer positions, d. one pilot position, e. five Project Manager positions, and ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 f. five Transportation Coordinators; 32. Commissioners of the Land Offic e employees occupying the following positions: a. Chief Financial Officer, b. two Assistant Directors of Fina ncial Services, c. two Archivists, d. one Audit Tech position, e. two Auditor positions, f. two Accounting Tech I positions, g. two Administrative Assistant positions, h. one Imaging Specialist position, i. one Information Systems Speci alist position, j. Director of Communications, k. Director of Royalty Compliance, l. Director of Mineral Management, m. Accountant or Certified Public Accountant, n. Commercial Property Manager, o. Assistant Secretary, p. Director of Real Estate Management , q. one executive assistant, r. one legal secretary, s. one secretary, t. one Assistant Commercial Property Manager, u. one Oil and Gas Production Advisor or Geologis t, ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 v. one Soil Conservationist, w. one Administrative Programs Officer, x. one Geographic Information Systems Specialist, y. Director of Oil and G as Division, and z. Financial Manager/Comptroller; 33. Within the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dang erous Drugs Control Commission, the following positions: a. six Narcotics Agent positions and three Typist Clerk/Spanish transcriptionists , including a Typist Clerk Supervisor/Spa nish transcriptionist; provided, authorization for such positions shall be te rminated if the federal funding for the positions is discontinued, b. one executive secretary in addition to the one authorized pursuant to paragr aph 2 of this subsection, c. one fiscal officer, d. one full-time Programmer, and e. one full-time Network Engineer; 34. The Military Department of the State of Oklahoma is authorized such unclassif ied employees within full-time employee limitations to work in any of the Department of De fense directed youth programs, the State of Oklahoma Juvenile Justice youth programs, those persons reimbursed from Armory Board or Billetin g Fund accounts, and skill ed trade positions; ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 35. Within the Oklahoma Commission o n Children and Youth the following unclassified positions: a. one Oversight Specialist and one Community Devel opment Planner, b. one State Plan Grant Coordinator; provided, authorization for the posi tion shall be termin ated when federal support for the pos ition by the United States Department of Education Early Intervention Program is discontinued, c. one executive secretary in addition to the one authorized pursuant to parag raph 2 of this subsection, and d. one Programs Manager; 36. The following position s and employees of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services: a. one Executive Secretary in addition to the Executive Secretary authorized by paragraph 2 of this subsection, b. the Director of Central Purchasing, c. one Alternate Fuels Administrator , d. one Director of Special Proj ects, e. three postauditors, f. four high-technology contracting officers, g. one Executive Assistant to the Purchasing Director, ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 h. four Contracts Managers, i. one Associate Director, j. one specialized HiTech/Food Contrac ting Officer, k. one State Use Contracting Officer, l. one Property Distribution Administrator, m. three licensed architects assigned to the Construction and Properties Division, n. three licensed engineers assigned to the Construction and Properties Divis ion, o. eight construction consul tants assigned to the Construction and Properties Division, p. one attorney assigned to the Construction and Properties Division, q. three positions assigned to the I nformation Services Division, which shall include one Inf ormation Technology Manager, one Applications Specialist and one Data Planning Specialist, r. four positions assigned to Fleet Management, which shall include one Deputy Fle et Manager and three Management Analysts, s. one Chief Auditor, t. one Assistant Director of Central Purchasing Divi sion, u. one Professional Errors and Omissions Liability Adjuster, ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 v. three Strategic Sourcing Managers, w. three Strategic Sourcing Assista nt Managers, and x. two Printing Services Brok ers; 37. Oklahoma Water Resources Bo ard personnel occupying the following offices and positions: a. four Water Quality Assistant Division Chiefs, b. four Water Resources Division Chiefs, and c. Director of Water Planning; 38. J.D. McCarty Center for Chil dren with Developmental Disabilities personnel occupying the following offices and positions: a. Physical Therapists, b. Physical Therapist Assista nts, c. Occupational Therapists, d. Certified Occupational Ther apist Aides, and e. Speech Pathologists; 39. Oklahoma Historical Society personnel occupying the following offices and positions: a. the Development Officer, b. the Director of the State Museu m of History, c. the Cherokee Strip Regional Heritage Center Di rector, d. the Director of Museums and Historic Sites, e. the Director of Research, f. the Deputy State Historic Pre servation Officer, and ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 g. the Director of the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture; 40. Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestr y personnel occupying the following positions: a. one Executive Secretary in additi on to the Executive Secretary authorized by paragraph 2 of this subsection and one Executive Assistant, b. nineteen Agricultural Marketing Coordinator III positions, c. temporary fire suppression per sonnel, regardless o f the number of hours worked, who are employed by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry; provided, however, notwithstanding th e provisions of any other section of law, the hours worked by such employees shall not en title such employees to any benefits received by full -time employees, d. one Information Technology Specialist, e. one Director of Administrative Services, f. one Professional Engineer, g. one hydrologist position, h. Pet Breeder Inspectors, i. one Information Technology Tech nician, j. Legal Services Director, ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 k. Animal Industry Services Direct or, l. Agricultural Environmental Management Services Director, m. Forestry Services Director, n. Plant Industry and Consumer Services Direc tor, o. one Grants Administrator position, p. Director of Laboratory Services, q. Chief of Communications, r. Public Information Manager, s. Inventory/Supply Officer, t. five Agriculture Field Inspector positions assigned the responsibility for conducting inspections and audits of agricultural grain s torage warehouses. All other Agriculture Field Inspector positions an d employees of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry sha ll be classified and subject to the provisions of the Merit Sys tem of Personnel Administration. On November 1, 2002, all other unclassified Agriculture Field Inspectors shall be given status in the classified service as provided in Section 840-4.2 of this title, u. Rural Fire Coordinator, v. one Agricultural Marketin g Coordinator I, w. Food Safety Division Direc tor, ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 x. two Environmental Program Spe cialists, y. two Scale Technician s, z. two Plant Protection Specialists, aa. Chief Agent, bb. Professional Foresters, cc. Forestry Education Coordinator, dd. Forest Data Analyst, ee. Executive Secretary to Chief Agent, and ff. Executive Secretary of State Forester; 41. The Contracts Admi nistrator within the Oklahoma State Employees Benefits Council; 42. The Development Officer within the Oklahoma Department of Libraries; 43. Oklahoma Real Estate Co mmission personnel o ccupying the following offices and po sitions: a. Educational Program D irector, and b. Data Processing Manager; 44. A Chief Consumer Credit Examine r for the Department of Consumer Credit; 45. All officers and employees of the Oklahoma Capitol Complex and Centennial Commemoration Commission; 46. All officers and employees o f the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Commission; ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 47. One Museum Archivist of The Wil l Rogers Memorial Commission; 48. One Fire Protection Consulta nt of the Office of the St ate Fire Marshal; 49. Acting incumbents employed pursuan t to Section 209 of Title 44 or Section 48 of Title 72 of the Oklahoma Statutes who shall not be included in any limitation on full -time equivalency imposed by law on an agency. Permanent classified employees may request a leave of absence from classified status and accept an unclassifie d appointment and compensation as an acting incumbent with the same agency; provided, the leave shall expire no later than two (2) years from the date of the acting i ncumbent appointment . An appointing authority may establ ish unclassified positions and ap point unclassified employees to perform the duties of a permanent classified employee who is on leave of absence from a classified position to serve as an acting incu mbent. All unclassi fied appointments created pursuant to this paragraph shall expire no later than two (2) years from the date of appointment. Classified employees accepting unclassified appointments and compensation pursuant to this paragraph shall be e ntitled to participa te without interruption in any benefi t programs available to classifie d employees, including retirement and insurance programs. Immediately upon termination of an unclassified appointment pursuant to this paragraph, an employee on assi gnment from the clas sified service ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 shall have a right to be restored to the classified ser vice and reinstated to the former job family level and compensation plus any adjustments and increases in salary or benefits which the emplo yee would have received bu t for the leave of a bsence; 50. The Oklahoma Homeland Se curity Director and all other positions assigned the responsibilities of working in the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security; 51. The following eighteen positions in the St ate Department of Health: a. one surveillance supervisor, b. one surveillance proje ct monitor, c. two bilingual interviewers, d. eight senior interviewers, and e. six interviewers; 52. State Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors personnel occupying the f ollowing offices and positions: a. one Director of Enforc ement, and b. two Board Investigators; 53. One Information Systems Data Management Analyst of the State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board; 54. Office of Juveni le Affairs personnel occup ying the following offices and positions: a. two Management Information Systems positions, and ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 b. employees hired for service at the Southwest Oklahoma Juvenile Center in Manitou after June 1, 2020, as provided in subsection C of Section 2-7-202 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma S tatutes; and 55. Heads of agencies, principal assistants or deputies and executive secretaries of an agency that is consolidated into another agency. B. If an agency has the authority to employ personnel in t he following offices and p ositions, the appoin ting authority shall have the discretion to appoint personnel to the u nclassified service: 1. Licensed medical doctors, osteopathic physicians, de ntists, psychologists, and nurses; 2. Certified public account ants; 3. Licensed attorne ys; 4. Licensed veterinarians; and 5. Licensed pharmaci sts; 6. Professional engineers; 7. Licensed architects; 8. Licensed landscape architects ; and 9. Licensed land surveyors. C. Effective July 1, 1996, authorization for u nclassified offices, positions, or personnel c ontained in a bill or joint resolution shall terminate June 30 of the ensuing fiscal year after the authorization unless the authorization is codif ied in the ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 Oklahoma Statutes or the termination is otherwise pr ovided in the legislation. D. The appointing authority of agencies participating i n the statewide information syste ms project may establish unclassified positions and appoint unclassified empl oyees to the project as needed. Additional unclassified positi ons may be established, if required, to appoint an unclassified employee to perform the duties of a permanent classi fied employee who is temporarily absent from a classified position as a resul t of assignment to this project. All unclassified appointments under this authority shall expire no later than December 31, 2007, and all unclass ified positions established to support the project shall be abolished. Both the positions and appointments resulting from this authority shall be exempt from any agency FTE limitations and any limits imposed on the num ber of unclassified positions authori zed. Permanent classified employ ees may request a leave of absence from classified status and accept an unclassified appointment and compensation with the same agency under the provisions of this subsection; provided, the leave shall expire no later than December 31, 2007. Employees acc epting the appointment and compensation shall be entitled to participate without interruption in any benefit programs available to classifie d employees, including retirement and insuranc e programs. Immediately upon termination of an unclassified appointme nt pursuant to this subsection, an employee on assignment from the classified service ENGR. S. B. NO. 306 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 shall have a right to be restored to the classified se rvice and reinstated to the former job family level and compensation plus any adjustments and increases in salary or benefits which the employee would have received but for the leave of absence . SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021. Passed the Senate the 11th day of March, 2021. Presiding Officer of the Senate Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 2021. Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives