Oklahoma 2024 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2320 Amended / Bill

Filed 03/01/2024

                     
 
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION 
 
STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) 
 
HOUSE BILL 2320 	By: Hilbert, Boles, Hasenbeck, 
and Moore 
 
 
 
 
 
 
AS INTRODUCED 
 
An Act relating to the Teachers' Retirement System; 
amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 17 -116.10, which 
relates to postretirement employment ; modifying 
provisions relating to retirement benefits; providing 
an effective date; and declaring an emergency . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     70 O.S. 2021, Section 17 -116.10, 
is amended to read as foll ows: 
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 employ ment with a public school 
of Oklahoma and still 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 capacity, f or sixty (60) calendar   
 
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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 
preretirement employment " shall mean the last d ay the employee is 
required to be physically present on the job to comple te 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 conditions duri ng this time, volunteer servi ces 
for the purpose of obtaining a paid posi tion 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 p aragraph 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 for employees allowed by the 
Social Security Administration , whichever is less.  For retired 
members under 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 sh all be the lesser of Fifteen Thousand 
Dollars ($15,000.00) or one-half (1/2) of the member's final average 
salary used in computing retirement benefits unless the earnings 
limitation allowed by the Social Security Administrati on would be   
 
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greater than Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00).  For retir ed 
members sixty-two (62) years of age or older the limit on allowed 
earnings from the public schools of Oklahoma for the performance o f 
duties ordinarily performed by classified or nonclassified personnel 
shall be the lesser of Thirty Thousand Dollars ($3 0,000.00) 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 compensat ion" as 
defined in paragraph (25) of Section 17-101 of this 
title, and shall include any 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 pub lic school 
employer pursuant to subsection 9 of Section 17-105 of 
this title or other state law shall not be considered 
as earnings, 
b. the Earnings Limitation for employees allow ed by the 
Social Security Administration to w orkers between the 
age of sixty-two (62) years and sixty-five (65) years 
shall apply to retired members below the age of sixty-
two (62) years, 
c. the limit on allowed earnings from the public schools 
shall be automatically adjusted effective the first   
 
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day of January of each year to refle ct the current 
Earnings Limitation for emplo yees as determined from 
time to time by the Social Security Administration, 
d. the earnings limit for the calendar year in which a 
member retires shall be one-twelfth (1/12) of the 
annual limit multiplied by the number of months the 
member is eligible to w ork 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 fo r the year 
the postretirement employment was performed of One 
Dollar ($1.00) for each One Dollar ($1.00) earned over 
the maximum allowed earnings amount, 
f. for those members age seventy (70) years and over, the 
earnings in excess of the maximum limit allo wed 
earnings from public schools of Oklahoma shall be one-
half (1/2) the member's final average salary used in 
computing retirement benefits.  However, any retired 
member receiving benefits from the Retirement System 
who reached age seventy (70) years prio r to July 1, 
1991, shall not be restricted b y the earnings limits 
pursuant to this subparagraph until January 1, 1994.  
To qualify for the provisions of this subparagraph,   
 
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the member must be employed less than one -half (1/2) 
time compared to other full -time employees in similar 
positions; 
3.  Notwithstanding paragraph 2 of this subsection, a 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 p erformed by classified or nonclassified 
personnel shall be able to receive annualized earnings from the 
public school with no reduction in retirement benefits regardless of 
the amount of annualized earnings.  For a period of three (3) years 
beginning July 1, 2017, members who have retired as of Ju ly 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 te acher 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 rece iving 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 earnings. The one-
year period starts with the retiree's last day of preretirement 
public education employment.  Members returning under this section   
 
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shall not be 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. 3. 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 m ember is hired by th e 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 t hat has agreed or 
contracted to provide the 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 require d in Section 17-108.1 and in paragraph 
3 of subsection B of Section 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 Repre sentatives or the Le gislative 
Service Bureau shall not be considered 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 a s are necessary to imp lement 
the provisions of this section.   
 
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E.  A member who has entered 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 receiving his or her monthly retirement benefit. 
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. 
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 and approval. 
 
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON BANKING, FINANCIAL SERVICES AND 
PENSIONS, dated 02/27/2024 - DO PASS, As Coauthored.