Oklahoma 2025 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB26 Introduced / Bill

Filed 12/16/2024

                     
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STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) 
 
SENATE BILL 26 	By: Bullard 
 
 
 
 
 
AS INTRODUCED 
 
An Act relating to the Teachers’ Retirement System of 
Oklahoma; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 17 -116.10, 
as amended by Section 9, Chapte r 300, O.S.L. 2024 (70 
O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 17 -116.10), which relates to 
postretirement employment; authorizing certain 
postretirement employment for certain time period 
with no earnings limitation ; updating statutory 
language; updating statutory refer ences; 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, 
as amended by Section 9, Chapter 300, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 
2024, 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 employme nt with a public 
school of Oklahoma and still receive monthly retirement bene fits 
subject to the following limitations: 
1.  A retired member is not eligible to be employed by the 
public schools of Oklahoma, in any capacity, for 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 public education employment” shall mean the last day 
the employee is required to be physically present on the job to 
complete the terms of th e employment contract or agreement or the 
member’s effective retirement date, whichever is later.  An employee 
on paid leave is still considered to be employed for purposes of 
this section.  Employment under any conditions during this time, 
volunteer services for the purpose of obtaining a paid position 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.  For thirty-six (36) months following a member’s effective 
retirement date, the retired member shall be subject to earnings 
limitations on allowable earnings.  Earnings limits are determined 
annually based on a calendar year.  For retired members under the 
age of sixty-two (62) years, allowed earnings from the public 
schools of Oklahoma for employment for the performance of duties 
ordinarily performed by classified or nonclassified optional 
personnel shall be li mited to one-half (1/2) of the member ’s final 
average salary used in computin g retirement benefits or the earnings 
limit allowed by the Social Security Administration for those under 
Social Security’s normal retirement age, whichever is less.  For   
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retired members sixty-two (62) years of age or older, allowed 
earnings from the public schools of Oklahoma for the performance of 
duties ordinarily performed by classified or nonclassified personnel 
shall be limited to Thirty Thousand Dollars ($30,000.00) or one -half 
(1/2) of the member’s final average salary used in computing 
retirement benefits, whichever is less.  For purposes of this 
paragraph, the following shall apply: 
a. earnings shall mean regular annual compensation as 
defined in paragraph 23 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 public school 
employer pursuant to subsection N of Section 17-105 of 
this title or other state law shall not be considered 
as earnings, 
b. 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 work and receive payments from 
the public schools of Oklahoma, and 
c. earnings in excess of the maximum limit on allowed 
earnings from public schools of Oklahoma shall result 
in a loss of retirement benefits of One Dollar ($1.00)   
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for each One Dollar ($1.00) earned over the maximum 
allowed earnings amount; 
3.  Notwithstanding paragraph 2 of this subsection ,: 
a. for a period of three (3) years beginning July 1, 
2017, members who 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 
that one-year period, shall be eligible to be 
reemployed as an active classroom teacher in common or 
career tech school districts, wi th no limitations on 
earnings., 
b. For for a period of three (3) years beginn ing July 1, 
2021, members who have retired as of July 1, 2020, 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 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 subparagraph shall not be subject to any 
earnings limitations following the end of the three -  
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year periods described in this paragraph subparagraph.  
Members returning under this section subparagraph 
shall only be employed pursuant to a temporary 
contract, and 
c. a member who has been retired and has received 
benefits for at least ninety (90) days shall be 
eligible to be reemployed as an active classroom 
teacher in common or career tech school d istricts with 
no limitations on earnings for a period of three (3) 
years following the effective date of this act.  
Provided, a retiree who is reemployed under this 
subparagraph may not be employed as an active 
classroom teacher in common or career tech sc hool 
districts during the ninety -day period prior to 
reemployment. The ninety-day period shall commence on 
the date of the retiree ’s last day of preretirement 
public education employment ; and 
4.  A member shall be considered to be employed by a school 
district to perform the duties ordinarily performed by classified or 
nonclassified optional 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 employme nt with 
a proprietorship, partnership, corporation, limited liability   
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company or partnership, or any other business structure that has 
agreed or contracted to provide the services to the school district. 
B.  A public school district that employs a retired member shall 
be required to make contributions to the Teachers’ Retirement System 
of Oklahoma for the retired member in an amount as required 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) hours per year with the Governor, the 
Oklahoma State Senate, the Oklahoma House of Representatives or the 
Legislative 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 as are necessary to implement 
the provisions of this section. 
E.  A member who has entered into postretirement employment with 
a participating employer of the Teachers ’ Retirement System of 
Oklahoma must fully comply with all the provisions of the rules 
promulgated by the Board of Trustees pursuant to this section in 
order to continue receiving the member ’s monthly retirement benefit. 
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effective July 1 , 2025. 
SECTION 3.  It being immediately necessary for the preservation 
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby   
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declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and 
be in full force from and after its passage and approval. 
 
60-1-923 RD 12/16/2024 9:35:48 AM