ENGR. S. B. NO. 634 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. 634 By: Daniels, Bergstrom and Bullard of the Senate and O’Donnell of the House An Act relating to school employee payroll deductions; amending 70 O.S. 2011, Section 5-139, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 193, O.S.L. 2018 (70 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 5-139), which relates to payroll deductions for professional organizations; subjecting certain payroll deductions and poli tical contributions to certain provi sions; prohibiting certain deductions from exceeding one year without reauthorization; prohibiting accrual of certain debt after certain request to terminate is provided; requiring authorization for professional organiza tion dues and political cont ributions to be on certain form containing certain statement; req uiring certain authorization to include certain information; requiring a school district to confirm certain authorization; providing for expiration of certain authorization if certain action is not t aken in certain school year; providing for codification; and declaring an emergency. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2011, Section 5-139, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 193, O.S.L. 2018 (70 O.S. Su pp. 2020, Section 5-139), is amended to read as follows: Section 5-139. School districts shall make payroll deductions for either or both professional organization dues and politica l contributions at the written request of any school employee subject ENGR. S. B. NO. 634 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 to the provisions of Section 2 of this act and shall transmit deducted funds to the organization designated by the school district employee. Such deductions shall be on a ten -month basis unless otherwise designated by the employee organization but shall not exceed one (1) year without reauthorization. However, a school employee may request at any time in writing , including by email or fax, for the school district to immediately terminat e or initiate payroll deductions to a professional organization. Upon rec eipt of any written request, the school district shall withi n five (5) business days or by the next pay period, whichever is earlier, terminate or initiate any future payroll deducti ons of the requesting school employee to a professional organization. Upo n receipt of a written request, the school district shall no tify the professional organization of the initiation or termination of payroll deductions within fifteen (15) business day s. If the request is to terminate a deduction, the school district shall not make any advance payments to any professional organizati on of any future dues on behalf of the school employee , and no further debt from the school employee to the professional o rganization shall accrue. No school district policy or negotiated agreeme nt shall place any other conditions or requirements, including but not limited to personal hand delivery, upon any employee to initiate or terminate any payroll deduction to a professional organization except for a written request as outlined in this secti on. Any ENGR. S. B. NO. 634 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 school district policy or provision in a negotiated agreement that places additional conditions or requirements on initiation or termination beyond those outlined in this section shall be null and void. A school district which fails to terminate payroll deductions for an employee in accordance with this section shall immediately reimburse the employ ee the amount of all payroll deductions made by the school district after the employee’s request, and the amount due the employee shall double every th irty (30) days until pa id in full. SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-139a of Title 70, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: A. Authorization for professional orga nization dues and political contributions as provided for in Section 5 -139 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall be on a for m prescribed by the Secretary of Education and contain a statement in fourteen-point boldface font reading: “I am aware that I have a First Amendment right, as recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court, to refrain from joining and paying dues or making political contributions to a professional employee organization. I further realize that membership and payment of dues or political contributions are voluntary and that I may not be discriminated against for my refusal to join or financially support a professional employee organization . I hereby authorize my employer to deduct dues and/or political contributions f rom my ENGR. S. B. NO. 634 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 salary in the amounts specified in accordance with my professional employee organization’s bylaws. I understand that I may revoke this authorization at any time. ” B. Authorization containing an employee’s full name, position, professional organization and signature shall be submitted to the school district. The school district shall confirm the authorization by emailing the employee ’s school district-provided email address and shall wait for confirmation of the authorization before starting any d eduction. If the employee does not possess a school district-provided email address, the school district may use other means it deems appropriate to confirm the authorization. C. An authorization shall expire at the start of the first full pay period each school year unless it was authorized or reauthorized during the previous school year. SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof thi s act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage an d approval. ENGR. S. B. NO. 634 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 Passed the Senate the 4th 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