RBS No. 1262 Req. No. 1262 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 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) SENATE BILL 964 By: Kidd AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Secti on 17-116.10, which relates to postretirement emplo yment; and authorizing certain retired members to return to employment in public schools for certain time period with no earning limitations ; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOM A: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 17 -116.10, is amended to read as follows: Section 17-116.10. A. Subject to the requirements of Section 6-101.2 of this title and any other applicable requirements of law, a member may enter into postretirement employment with a public school of Oklahoma and stil l receive monthly retirement benefits subject to the following limitations: 1. A retired member is not eligible to be employed by th e public schools of Oklahoma, in any capac ity, for sixty (60) calendar days between the retiree ’s last day of preretirement public education employment and any postretirement public education employment. For purposes of this section, the term “last day of RBS No. 1262 Req. No. 1262 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 preretirement employment” shall mean the last day the employee is required to be physically pre sent on the job to complete the terms of the employment contract or agreement. An employee on paid leave is still considered to be employed for purposes of thi s section. Employment under any condition s during this time, volunteer services for the purpose of obtaining a paid positi on at a later date, or payment at a later time for services performed during this time period shall cause the forfeiture of all retir ement benefits received during the period; 2. Unless otherwise provided in paragraph 3 of this subsection, earnings from the public schools may not exceed one-half (1/2) of the member’s final average salary used in computing retirement benefits, or the Earnings Limitation earnings limitation for employees allowed by the Social Security Administration, whichever is less. For retired members unde r the age of sixty-two (62) years, the limit on allowed earnings from the public schools of Oklahoma for employment for the performance of duties ordinarily performed by classified or nonclassified personnel shall be the lesser o f Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00) or one-half (1/2) of the mem ber’s final average salary used in computing retirement benefits unless the earnings limitation allowed by the Social Security Administration would be greater than Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00). For retired members sixty-two (62) years of age or older, the limit on allowed earnings from the public schools of RBS No. 1262 Req. No. 1262 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 Oklahoma for the performance of duties ordinarily performed by classified or nonclassified personnel shall be the lesser of Th irty Thousand Dollars ($30, 000.00) or one-half (1/2) of the member’s final average salary used in computing retirement benefits. For purposes of this paragraph, the following shall apply: a. earnings shall mean “regular annual compensation ” as defined in paragraph (25) of Section 1 7-101 of this title, and shall include an y payment by a public school for services rendered by a retired member who is employed for any purpose whatsoever. Supplemental retirement payments paid by a former public school employer pursuant to subsection 9 o f Section 17-105 of this title or other s tate law shall not be considered as earnings, b. the Earnings Limitation earnings limitation for employees allowed by the Social Security Administration to workers between the age of sixty -two (62) years and sixty-five (65) years shall apply to retired members below the age o f sixty-two (62) years, c. the limit on allowed earnings from the public schools shall be automatically adjusted effective the first day of January of each year to reflect the current Earnings Limitation earnings limitation for employees RBS No. 1262 Req. No. 1262 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 as determined from time to time by the Social Security Administration, d. the earnings limit for the calendar y ear in which a member retires shall be one-twelfth (1/12) of the annual limit multiplied by the number of months th e member is eligible to wor k and receive payments from the public schools of Oklahoma, e. earnings in excess of the maximum limit on allowed earnings from public schools of Oklahoma shall result in a loss of future retirement benefits for the year the postretirement employment was p erformed of One Dollar ($1.00) for each O ne Dollar ($1.00) earned over the maximum allowed earnings amount, and f. for those members age seventy (70) years and over, the earnings in excess of the maximum limit on allowed earnings from public schools of Oklahoma s hall be one- half (1/2) the member’s final average salary used in computing retirement benefits. However, a ny retired member receiving benefits from the Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma who reached age seventy (70) years prior to July 1, 1991, shall not be restricted by the earnings limits pursuant to this subparagraph until January 1, 1994. To qualify for the provisions of this subparagraph, the mem ber must RBS No. 1262 Req. No. 1262 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 be employed less than one-half (1/2) time compared to other full-time employees in simi lar positions; 3. Notwithstanding paragraph 2 of this subsection, a retired classified or nonclassified member who has been retired for thirty- six (36) or more months and who is employed by a public school to perform duties ordinarily performed by classif ied or nonclassified personnel shall be able to receive annualized e arnings from the public school with no reduction in retirement benefits regardless of the amount of annualized earnings. For a peri od of three (3) years beginning July 1, 2017, members wh o have retired as of July 1 , 2017, as active classroom teachers, who have been retired and receiving a benefit for at least one (1) year, and who have not been employed by any public school during tha t one-year period, shall be eligible to be reemployed as an active classroom teache r in common or career tech school districts, with no limitations on earnings. For a period of three (3) years beginning July 1, 20 21, members who have retired as of July 1, 2020, who have been retired and receiv ing a benefit for at least one (1) year, and who have not been employed by any public school during that one-year period, shall be eligible to be reemployed as an active classroom teacher in common or career tech school districts, with no limitations on ea rnings. The one- year period starts with the retiree’s last day of preretirement public education employment. On and after the effective date of this act, members who have been reti red and receiving benefits for RBS No. 1262 Req. No. 1262 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 at least one (1) year, notwithstanding t he member’s retirement date, and who have not been emplo yed by any public school during that one- year period, shall be eligible to be reemployed as an active classroom teacher in common or career tech school districts, with no limitations on earnings , for a period of three (3) years. Members returning under this section shall not b e subject to any earning limitations following the end of the three-year periods described in this paragraph. Members returning under this section shall only be employed pursuant to a temporary contract; and 4. A member shall be considered to be employed by a school district to perform the duties ordina rily performed by classified or nonclassified personnel if the member is hired by the school district in the member’s individual capacity to perform the duties or if the member performs the duties through em ployment with a proprietorship, partnership, corp oration, limited liability company or partnership, or any other business structure that has agreed or contracted to provide t he services to the school district. B. A public school district that employs a re tired member shall be required to make contribut ions to the System for the retired member in an amount as required in Section 17-108.1 and in paragraph 3 of subsection B of S ection 17-116.2 of this title. C. For purposes of this section, postretirement employment of less than one thousand (1,000) hour s per year with the Governor, the State Senate, the House of Representatives or the Legislative RBS No. 1262 Req. No. 1262 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 Service Bureau shall not be con sidered as postretirement employment with a public school of Oklahoma. D. The Board of Trustees of the Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma shall promulgate such rules as are nec essary to implement the provisions of this section. E. A member who has e ntered into postretirement employment with a participating employer of the Teacher s’ Retirement System of Oklahoma must fully c omply with all the provisions of the rules promulgated by the Board of Trustees pursuant to this section in order to continue rec eiving his or her monthly retirement benefit. SECTION 2. This act shall become effecti ve November 1, 2023. 59-1-1262 RD 1/19/2023 11:36:42 AM