Oklahoma 2024 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB4051 Engrossed / Bill

Filed 03/14/2024

                     
 
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ENGROSSED HOUSE 
BILL NO. 4051 	By: May of the House 
 
  and 
 
  Rader of the Senate 
 
 
 
 
 
An Act relating to retirement; amending 62 O.S. 2021, 
Section 3103, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 306, 
O.S.L. 2022 (62 O.S. Supp. 2023, Section 3103) , which 
relates to the Oklahoma Pension Legisl ation Actuarial 
Analysis Act; modifying definiti on; amending 11 O.S. 
2021, Section 49-138, which relates to the 
Firefighters Pension and Retirement System; providing 
for the purchase of military service credit ; and 
providing effective dates. 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOP LE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHO MA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     62 O.S. 2021, Section 3103, as 
amended by Section 1, Chapter 306, O.S.L. 2022 (62 O.S. Supp. 2023, 
Section 3103), is am ended to read as follows: 
Section 3103.  As used in the Oklahoma Pension Legislation 
Actuarial Analysis Act: 
1.  "Amendment" means any amendment, including a substitute 
bill, made to a retirement bill by any committee of the House or 
Senate, any conference committee of the House or Senate or by the 
House or Senate; 
2.  "RB number" means th at number preceded by the letters "RB" 
assigned to a retirement bill by the respective staffs of the   
 
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Oklahoma State Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives when 
the respective staff office prepares a retirement bill for a member 
of the Legislature; 
3. "Legislative Actuary" means the firm or entity that enters 
into a contract with the Legi slative Service Bureau pursuant to 
Section 452.15 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes to provide the 
actuarial services and other duties provided for in the Okla homa 
Pension Legislation Actuarial Ana lysis Act; 
4.  "Nonfiscal amendment" means an amendment to a retirement 
bill having a fiscal impact, which amendment does not change any 
factor of an actuarial investigation specified in subsection A of 
Section 3109 of this title; 
5.  "Nonfiscal retirement bill" means a retirement bill: 
a. which does not affect the cost or funding factors of a 
retirement system, 
b. which affects such fa ctors only in a manner which does 
not: 
(1) grant a benefit increase under the retirem ent 
system affected by the bill, 
(2) create an actuarial accrued liability for or 
increase the actuarial accrued liability of the 
retirement system affected by the bill, o r 
(3) increase the normal cost of th e retirement system 
affected by the bill,   
 
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c. which authorizes the purchase by an active member of 
the retirement system, at the actuarial cost for the 
purchase as computed pursuant to the statute in effect 
on the effective date of the measure allowing such 
purchase, of years of service for purposes of re aching 
a normal retirement date in the applicable retirement 
system, but which cannot be used in order to compute 
the number of years of service for purposes of 
computing the retirement benefit for the membe r, 
d. which provides for the computation of a ser vice-
connected disability retirement b enefit for members of 
the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retir ement System 
pursuant to Section 2 -305 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes if the members were unable to complet e twenty 
(20) years of service as a result of the disability, 
e. which requires members hip in the defined benefit plan 
authorized by Section 90 1 et seq. of Title 74 of the 
Oklahoma Statutes for persons whose first electe d or 
appointed service occurs on or after November 1, 2018, 
if such persons had any p rior service in the Oklahoma 
Public Employees Retirement System prior to November 
1, 2015, 
f. which provides for a one -time increase in retirement 
benefits if the increase in retirement benefits is not   
 
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a permanent increase in the gross annual retirement 
benefit payable to a member or beneficia ry, occurs 
only once pursuant to a single statutory auth orization 
and does not exceed: 
(1) the lesser of two percent (2%) of the gros s 
annual retirement benefit of the m ember or One 
Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) and req uires that 
the benefit may only be pro vided if the funded 
ratio of the affected retirement sys tem would not 
be less than sixty percent (60%) but not greater 
than eighty percent (80%) after the benefit 
increase is paid, 
(2) the lesser of two percent (2%) of the gross 
annual retirement benefit o f the member or One 
Thousand Two Hundred Dollars ($1,200 .00) and 
requires that the benefit may only be provided if 
the funded ratio of the affected retirement 
system would be greater than eighty percent (80%) 
but not greater than one hundred percent (100%) 
after the benefit increase is paid, 
(3) the lesser of two percent (2%) of the gross 
annual retirement benefit of the member or One 
Thousand Four Hundred Dollars ($1,400 .00) and 
requires that the benefit may only be pr ovided if   
 
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the funded ratio of the affe cted retirement 
system would be greater than one hundred percent 
(100%) after the benefit increase is paid, or 
(4) the greater of two percent (2%) of the gross 
annual retirement benefit of the volunteer 
firefighter or One Hundred Dollars ($100.00) for 
persons who retired from the Oklahoma 
Firefighters Pension and Retirement System as 
volunteer firefighters and who did not retire 
from the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and 
Retirement System as a paid firefi ghter. 
As used in this subparagraph, "funded ratio" m eans the 
figure derived by dividing the actuarial value of 
assets of the applicable retirement system by the 
actuarial accrued liabil ity of the applicable 
retirement system, 
g. which modifies the disabil ity pension standard for 
police officers who are memb ers of the Oklahoma Police 
Pension and Retirement System as provided by Section 
3 of this act 50-115 of Title 11 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, 
h. which provides a cost-of-living benefit increase 
pursuant to the provisions of:   
 
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(1) Section 49-143.7 of Title 11 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, 
(2) Section 50-136.9 of Title 11 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, 
(3) Section 1104K of Title 20 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, 
(4) Section 2-305.12 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, 
(5) Section 17-116.22 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, 
(6) Section 930.11 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes, or 
i. which modifies the computation of the line -of-duty 
disability benefit pursuant to the provisions of thi s 
act Sections 50-101 and 50-115 of Title 11 of the 
Oklahoma Statutes, or 
j. which allows the purchase of military prior service 
credit pursuant to the provisions of this act . 
A nonfiscal retirement bill shall include a ny retirement bill that 
has as its sole purpose the appropriation or di stribution or 
redistribution of monies in some manner to a retirement system for 
purposes of reducing the unfunded liability of such system or the 
earmarking of a portion of the revenue from a tax to a retirement   
 
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system or increasing the percentage of the revenue earmarked from a 
tax to a retirement system; 
6.  "Reduction-in-cost amendment" means an amendment to a 
retirement bill having a fiscal impact which reduces the cost of the 
bill as such cost is determined by the act uarial investigation for 
the bill prepared pursuant to Section 3109 of this title; 
7.  "Retirement bill" means any bill or joint resolution 
introduced or any bill or joint resolution amended by a member of 
the Oklahoma Legislature which creates or amends a ny law directly 
affecting a retirement system.  A retirement bill shall not mean a 
bill or resolution that impacts the revenue of any state tax in 
which a portion of the revenue generated from such tax is earmarked 
for the benefit of a retirement system; 
8.  "Retirement bill having a fisca l impact" means any 
retirement bill creating or estab lishing a retirement system and any 
other retirement bill other than a nonfiscal retirement bill; and 
9.  "Retirement system" means the Teachers' Retirement System of 
Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Public Employ ees Retirement System, the 
Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges, the Oklahoma 
Firefighters Pension and Retirement System, the Oklahoma Police 
Pension and Retirement System, the Oklahoma Law Enforcement 
Retirement System, or a retirement system established after January 
1, 2006.   
 
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SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY     11 O.S. 2021, Section 49 -138, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 49-138. A.  Any member of a regularly const ituted fire 
department of any municipality who is now serving or may hereafter 
serve in the Armed Forces of the United States whe ther such service 
is voluntary or involuntary , who shall have been a member of such 
fire department at the time of entering suc h service, shall be 
entitled to have the whole of the time of such service applied under 
the provisions of Section 49 -106 of this title, so far as the same 
applies to a service pension; provided further, that the 
municipality shall continue its payment int o said pension fund, to 
the same force and effect as though the member were in the actual 
service of such fire department; provid ed, that any person who is 
eligible for such service but who shall have volunteered for 
military or naval service for a period not to exceed five (5) years 
shall likewise be entitled to all of the benefits of Sections 49-138 
through 49-142 of this title fo r the full period of such service or 
enlistment; provided further, that only one su ch period of voluntary 
service shall be cons idered hereunder.  If such person shall 
reenlist, unless required to do so by law, such person shall not 
thereafter be entitled t o the provisions of this subsection.  The 
provisions of this subsection shall not a pply where any such person 
dies during the period of said service or enlistment, and shall not 
entitle the surviving spouse or children to any benefits, and shall   
 
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not apply to any member who shall have served on active duty 
(including initial active duty) for training purposes only and/or 
inactive duty training. 
B.  Effective February 1, 1997, credited service received 
pursuant to this section or credited service for wartime military 
service received as otherwise provid ed by law shall be used in 
determining the member's retirement benefit but shall n ot be used in 
determining years of service for retirement, vesting purposes or 
eligibility for participation in the Oklahoma Fire fighters Deferred 
Option Plan.  For a member of the System hired on or after July 1 , 
2003, if the military service credit autho rized by this section is 
used to compute the retirement benefit of the member and the membe r 
retires from the System, such milita ry service credit shall not be 
used to compute the retirement benefit in any other retirement 
system created pursuant to the Ok lahoma Statutes and the member may 
receive credit for such service only in the retirement s ystem from 
which the member first reti res. 
C.  A member who retires or elects to pa rticipate in the 
Oklahoma Firefighters Deferred Option Plan on or after July 1, 19 98, 
shall be entitled to prior service cre dit, not to exceed five (5) 
years, for those periods of military service on active duty prior to 
membership in the Oklahoma Firefigh ters Pension and Retirement 
System.   
 
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For purposes of this subsection, "military service" means 
service in the Armed Forces of the United States by honorably 
discharged persons during the following time periods, a s reflected 
on such person's Defense Department Form 214, as follows: 
1.  During the following periods, including the beginning and 
ending dates, and only for the periods served, from: 
a. April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918, commonly referred 
to as World War I, 
b. September 16, 1940, to December 7, 1 941, for members 
of the 45th Division, 
c. December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946, commonly 
referred to as World War II, 
d. June 27, 1950, to January 31, 1955, commonly re ferred 
to as the Korean Conflict or the K orean War, 
e. February 28, 1961, to May 7, 19 75, commonly referred 
to as the Vietnam era, except that: 
(1) for the period from February 28, 1961, to August 
4, 1964, military service shall only include 
service in the Republic of Vietnam during that 
period, and 
(2) for purposes of determining eligibili ty for 
education and training benefits, such period 
shall end on December 31, 1976 , or   
 
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f. August 1, 1990, to December 31, 19 91, commonly 
referred to as the Gulf War, the Persian Gulf War, or 
Operation Desert Sto rm, but excluding any person who 
served on active duty for training only, unless 
discharged from such active duty for a service -
connected disability; 
2.  During a period of war or combat military operation other 
than a conflict, war or era listed in paragr aph 1 of this 
subsection, beginning on the da te of Congressional authorization, 
Congressional resolution, or Executive Order of the President of the 
United States, for t he use of the Armed Forces of the United State s 
in a war or combat military operation, if such war or combat 
military operation last ed for a period of ninety (90) days or more, 
for a person who served, and only for the period served, in the area 
of responsibility of the war or combat military operatio n, but 
excluding a person who served on a ctive duty for training only, 
unless discharged from such active duty for a service -connected 
disability, and provided that the burden of proof of military 
service during this period shall be with the member, who mu st 
present appropriate documentation esta blishing such service. 
D. An eligible member pursuant to subsection C D of this 
section shall include only those persons who s hall have served 
during the times or in th e areas prescribed in subsection C D of 
this section, and only if such person provides appropriate   
 
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documentation in such time and ma nner as required by the System to 
establish such military service prescribed in th is section, or for 
service pursuant to div ision (1) of subparagraph e of paragraph 1 of 
subsection C D of this section, those per sons who were awarded 
service medals, as auth orized by the United States Department of 
Defense as reflected in the veteran 's Defense Department Form 214, 
related to the Vietnam Conflict for service prior to Augus t 5, 1964.  
The provisions of subsection C D of this section shall include 
military retirees, whose retirement was based only on active 
service, that have been rated as ha ving twenty percent (20%) or 
greater service-connected disability by the Veterans Adm inistration 
or the Armed Forces of the Unite d States. The provisions of 
subsection C D of this section shall not apply to any person who 
shall have served on active duty for training purposes only unless 
discharged from active duty for a service -connected disability. 
E.  A member of the System who served in the Armed Forces of the 
United States, or any component thereof, who was honorably 
discharged from full -time active military service prior to becoming 
a member of the System and whose full -time active duty military 
service does not otherwise mee t the qualifications for prior service 
credit pursuant to subsection s B through D of this section may 
purchase up to five (5 ) years of full-time active duty military 
prior service credit at the actuarial cost of servic e credit as   
 
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determined by the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement 
System Board, pursuant to Section 49-117.3 of this title. 
The service credit provided b y this subsection shall be 
administered pursuant to subsections B through D of this section, 
including but not limited to, only full -time active duty military 
service not for training only purposes, unless discharged from 
active duty for a service -connected disability, as reflected on the 
members Defense Department Form 214, shall be considered for prior 
service credit and such prior s ervice credit shall only be used in 
determining the member's retirement benefit but shall not be used in 
determining years of service for retirement, vesting purposes or 
eligibility for participation in the Oklahoma Fi refighters Deferred 
Option Plan. 
F. Notwithstanding any provision here in to the contrary: 
1.  Contributions, benefits and service credit with respect to 
qualified military service shall be provided in accordance with 
Section 414(u) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, 
which is in accordance with the Uniformed Se rvices Employment and 
Reemployment Rights Act of 1994, as amended (USERRA); and 
2.  Effective January 1, 2007, if any member dies while 
performing qualified military service (as defined in Section 414(u) 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended), t he survivors of 
the member are entitled to any additiona l benefits (other than 
benefits accruals relating to the period of qualified military   
 
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service) provided under the System had the member resumed and then 
terminated employment on account of death . 
F. G. Members or beneficiaries shall make application to the 
System for credited service related to wartime military service.  
Interest on additional benefits related to wartime military s ervice 
owed by the System to a retired member or beneficiary as provide d by 
law shall cease accruing one (1) year after the effect ive date the 
additional benefits ar e payable by the System or July 1, 2000, 
whichever is later, if the member has not applied to the System for 
credited service related to such wartime military ser vice. 
SECTION 3.  Section 1 of this act shall become effective October 
1, 2024.  
SECTION 4.  Section 2 of this act shall become effective 
November 1, 2024. 
Passed the House of Represent atives the 13th day of March, 2024. 
 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the House 
 	of Representatives 
 
 
 
Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2024. 
 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the Senate