Oklahoma 2023 2023 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1798 Amended / Bill

Filed 02/24/2023

                     
 
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION 
 
STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
FOR 
HOUSE BILL NO. 1798 	By: Osburn 
 
 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
 
An Act relating to state government; amending 74 O.S. 
2021, Sections 840-2.15A and 840-2.17, as amended by 
Section 1, Chapter 244, O.S.L. 2022 (74 O.S. Supp. 
2022, Section 840-2.17), which relate to the Oklahoma 
Personnel Act; modifying establishment of pay 
structures over fiscal years; providing for studies 
of compensation; removing adjustment percentage cap; 
and providing an effective date . 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLA HOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     74 O.S. 2021, Section 840 -2.15A, 
is amended to read as follows: 
Section 840-2.15A There is hereby established the "State 
Employee Compensation Program " within the executive branch.  The 
State Employee Compensation Program will attract, retain and reward 
quality employees with competi tive total compensation based on 
relevant labor markets. The Office of Management and Enterprise 
Services will be responsible for coordinating the implementation of 
the compensation program.  The compensation program will establish 
pay structures with a goal of compensating which compensate state   
 
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employees at a level of at least a ninety percent (90%) of 
compensation for comparable private sector positions.  This shall be 
done by a gradual in crease over the following fiscal years : 
1.  Eighty-five percent (85%) for the f iscal year beginning July 
1, 2024; 
2.  Eighty-seven percent (87%) for the fiscal year beginning 
July 1, 2025; and 
3.  Ninety percent (90%) for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 
2026. 
Upon reaching the ninety -percent threshold, the Office of 
Management and Enterprise Services s hall maintain the compensation 
levels at such a percentage based upon the fiscal year 2023 Market 
Based Pay Study and subsequent pay studies funded and performed 
every four (4) years therea fter.  These studies shall be funded to 
examine the overall compens ation for all positions covered by the 
Office of Management and Enterprise Services under the Civil Service 
and Human Capital Management Act.  The studies shall include an 
analysis of the overall state workforce and recommendations for any 
increase or decrease in specific areas of the workforce.  The 
studies shall be completed, and the findings submitted to the 
Offices of the Governor, the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of 
Representatives, and th e President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State 
Senate, by December 31 of each required year.   
 
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The compensation program will reinforce a productive work 
climate and culture of accountabilit y and make the State of Oklahoma 
an employer of choice.  Pay structures will be implemented with 
fairness and equity throughout the e xecutive branch.  Pay delivery 
mechanisms will be based on a combination of establishing and 
maintaining relativity to mark et, achievement of performance 
objectives, recognition of differences in job content, acquisition 
and application of further skill an d education.  The Legislature 
will be accountable for the funding of the pay structures 
established pursuant to the compens ation program. 
SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY     74 O.S. 2021, Section 840 -2.17, as 
amended by Section 1, Chapter 244, O.S.L. 2022 (74 O.S. Supp. 2022, 
Section 840-2.17), is amended to read as follows: 
Section 840-2.17 A.  Unless otherwise provided by the Oklahoma 
Constitution, statutory authority to set o r fix compensation, pay or 
salary of state officers a nd employees shall not be construed to 
authorize any agency, board, commission, department, institution, 
bureau, executive officer or oth er entity of the executive br anch of 
state government to award, gr ant, give, authorize, or promise any 
officer or employee of the State of Oklahoma a raise that is 
inconsistent with the compensation schedules established by the 
Office of Management and Ent erprise Services for all stat e officers 
and employees in the execu tive branch pursuant to Section 840-4.6 of 
this title, including, but not limited to, a cost-of-living raise or   
 
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any other type of raise that would be given to state e mployees on an 
across-the-board basis, except as here in provided.  Such raises are 
prohibited unless authorized by the Legislature and b y rules 
promulgated by the Director of the Office of Management and 
Enterprise Services.  This prohibition applies to al l officers and 
employees in the executive branch of state government, excludin g 
institutions under the administrative authority of the Oklahoma 
State Regents for Higher Education. 
B.  However, nothing in this section shall be construed to 
prohibit the following actions if the act ion is made in good faith 
and not for the purpose of c ircumventing subsection A of this 
section, and if the appointing auth ority certifies that the action 
can be implemented for the current fiscal year and the subsequent 
fiscal year without the need for ad ditional funding to increase the 
personal services bud get of the agency, and if the Office of 
Management and Enterprise Ser vices certifies that the action is 
consistent with the compensation schedules established pursuan t to 
the provisions of Section 840 -4.6 of this title: 
1.  Salary advancements on promotio n to a job family level or 
class with a higher salary band; 
2.  Salary adjustments resulting from a pay band change for a 
job family level or class adopted by the Office of Mana gement and 
Enterprise Services;   
 
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3.  Increases in longevity payments pursuant to Section 840 -2.18 
of this title; 
4.  Payment of overtime, special entrance rates , pay 
differentials; 
5.  Payment of wages, salaries, or rates of pay established and 
mandated by law; 
6.  Market adjustments for job family levels tie d to market 
competitiveness; 
7.  Intra-agency lateral transfers, prov ided that the adjustment 
does not exceed five percent (5%) and the adjustment is based on the 
needs of the agency; 
8.  Skill-based adjustments.  Such adjustments, which are 
implemented before November 1, 2006, other than lump -sum payments, 
shall become permanent after twenty-four (24) months from the date 
such salary adjustment is implemented and may not later be removed 
from an employee's base salary if a furlough or reduction-in-force 
is implemented by the appoin ting authority granting such salary 
adjustment.  Skill-based pay adjustments, wh ich are implemented on 
or after November 1, 2006, and which are paid to an employee, shall 
be paid as long as the employee remains employed in the pos ition and 
performs the skills for whic h the differential is due, but shall not 
be included as a part of th e employee's base salary; 
9.  Equity-based adjustments;   
 
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10.  Performance-based adjustments for em ployees who received at 
least a "meets standards" rating on their most current performanc e 
rating; 
11.  Career progression increases as an employee advances 
through job family levels; or 
12.  Salary adjustments not to exceed five percent (5%) for 
probationary employees achieving pe rmanent status following the 
initial probationary period and permanent employees successfully 
completing trial periods after i ntra-agency lateral transfer or 
promotion to a different job family level or following car eer 
progression to a different job famil y level. 
C.  The pay movement mechanisms described in paragraphs 6 
through 11 in of subsection B of this section shall be implemented 
pursuant to rules promulgated by the Director of the Office of 
Management and Enterprise Services. 
D.  Appointing authorities may implement the pay movement 
mechanisms in paragraphs 6 through 12 in of subsection B of this 
section subject to the availabili ty of funds within the agency's 
budget for the current fiscal year and subsequent fiscal ye ar 
without the need for addition al funding to increase the personal 
services budget of the agency .  Failure by the appointing authority 
to follow the provisions of t his subsection may cause the withdrawal 
of the use of the pay movement mechanisms provided in paragraphs 6,   
 
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7, 9, 10 and 11 of subsection B of this section within the agency 
during the next appropriations cycle. 
E.  The provisions in of subsection B of this section shall not 
apply to chief executive officers of any agency, board, commission, 
department or program except for pa ragraphs 3 and 5 of subsection B 
of this section. 
F.  The Office of Management and Enterprise Services shall file 
a quarterly report with the Offices of the Governor, Speaker of the 
Oklahoma House of Representatives, and President Pro Tempore of the 
Oklahoma State Senate listing, by agency, all increases in wages, 
salaries or rates of pay and any changes to ti tle or classification 
of each employee. 
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. 
 
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON RULES, dated 02/22/2023 - DO PASS, 
As Amended.