{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-74-74-902v1","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 74, § 74-902v1","heading":"Definitions","body":"As used in Section 901 et seq. of this title:\n\n(1) \"System\" means the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement\n\nSystem as established by Section 901 et seq. of this title and as it\n\nmay hereafter be amended;\n\n(2) \"Accumulated contributions\" means the sum of all\n\ncontributions by a member to the System which shall be credited to\n\nthe member’s account;\n\n(3) \"Act\" means Sections 901 to 932, inclusive, of this title;\n\n(4) \"Actuarial equivalent\" means a deferred income benefit of\n\nequal value to the accumulated deposits or benefits when computed\n\nupon the basis of the actuarial tables in use by the System;\n\n(5) \"Actuarial tables\" means the actuarial tables approved and\n\nin use by the Board at any given time;\n\n(6) \"Actuary\" means the actuary or firm of actuaries employed\n\nby the Board at any given time;\n\n(7) \"Beneficiary\" means any person named by a member to receive\n\nany benefits as provided for by Section 901 et seq. of this title.\n\nIf there is no beneficiary living at time of member employee’s\n\ndeath, the member’s estate shall be the beneficiary;\n\n(8) \"Board\" means the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement\n\nSystem Board of Trustees;\n\n(9) \"Compensation\" means all salary and wages, as defined by\n\nthe Board of Trustees, including amounts deferred under deferred\n\ncompensation agreements entered into between a member and a\n\nparticipating employer. Compensation shall not mean payment for\n\novertime, payable to a member of the System for personal services\n\nperformed for a participating employer, compensation or\n\nreimbursement for traveling, moving expenses, or any compensation in\n\nexcess of the maximum compensation level, provided:\n\n(a) For compensation for service prior to January 1, 1988,\n\nthe maximum compensation level shall be Twenty-five\n\nThousand Dollars ($25,000.00) per annum.\n\nFor compensation for service on or after January 1,\n\n1988, through June 30, 1994, the maximum compensation\n\nlevel shall be Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00) per\n\nannum.\n\nFor compensation for service on or after July 1, 1994,\n\nthrough June 30, 1995, the maximum compensation level\n\nshall be Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) per\n\nannum; for compensation for service on or after July\n\n1, 1995, through June 30, 1996, the maximum\n\ncompensation level shall be Sixty Thousand Dollars\n\n($60,000.00) per annum; for compensation for service\n\non or after July 1, 1996, through June 30, 1997, the\n\nmaximum compensation level shall be Seventy Thousand\n\nDollars ($70,000.00) per annum; and for compensation\n\nfor service on or after July 1, 1997, through June 30,\n\n1998, the maximum compensation level shall be Eighty\n\nThousand Dollars ($80,000.00) per annum. For\n\ncompensation for services on or after July 1, 1998,\n\nthere shall be no maximum compensation level for\n\nretirement purposes.\n\n(b) Compensation for retirement purposes shall include any\n\namount of elective salary reduction under Section 457\n\nof the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and any amount of\n\nnonelective salary reduction under Section 414(h) of\n\nthe Internal Revenue Code of 1986.\n\n(c) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, the\n\ncompensation taken into account for any employee in\n\ndetermining the contribution or benefit accruals for\n\nany plan year is subject to the annual compensation\n\nlimit under Section 401(a)(17) of the federal Internal\n\nRevenue Code.\n1986 and any amount of\n\nnonelective salary reduction under Section 414(h) of\n\nthe Internal Revenue Code of 1986.\n\n(c) Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, the\n\ncompensation taken into account for any employee in\n\ndetermining the contribution or benefit accruals for\n\nany plan year is subject to the annual compensation\n\nlimit under Section 401(a)(17) of the federal Internal\n\nRevenue Code.\n\n(d) Current appointed members of the Oklahoma Tax\n\nCommission whose salary is constitutionally limited\n\nand is less than the highest salary allowed by law for\n\nhis or her position shall be allowed, within ninety\n\n(90) days from March 21, 2001, to make an election to\n\nuse the highest salary allowed by law for the position\n\nto which the member was appointed for the purposes of\n\nmaking contributions and determination of retirement\n\nbenefits. Such election shall be irrevocable and in\n\nwriting. Reappointment to the same office shall not\n\npermit a new election. Members appointed to the\n\nOklahoma Tax Commission after March 21, 2001, shall\n\nmake such election, pursuant to this subparagraph,\n\nwithin ninety (90) days of taking office;\n\n(10) \"Credited service\" means the sum of participating service,\n\nprior service and elected service;\n\n(11) \"Dependent\" means a parent, child, or spouse of a member\n\nwho is dependent upon the member for at least one-half (1/2) of the\n\nmember’s support;\n\n(12) \"Effective date\" means the date upon which the System\n\nbecomes effective by operation of law;\n\n(13) \"Eligible employer\" means the state and any county, county\n\nhospital, city or town, conservation districts, circuit engineering\n\ndistricts and any public or private trust in which a county, city or\n\ntown participates and is the primary beneficiary, whose employees\n\nare covered by Social Security and are not covered by or eligible\n\nfor another retirement plan authorized under the laws of this state\n\nwhich is in operation on the initial entry date. Emergency medical\n\nservice districts may join the System upon proper application to the\n\nBoard. Provided, affiliation by a county hospital shall be in the\n\nform of a resolution adopted by the board of control.\n\n(a) If a class or several classes of employees of any\n\nabove-defined employers are covered by Social Security\n\nand are not covered by or eligible for and will not\n\nbecome eligible for another retirement plan authorized\n\nunder the laws of this state, which is in operation on\n\nthe effective date, such employer shall be deemed an\n\neligible employer, but only with respect to that class\n\nor those classes of employees as defined in this\n\nsection.\n\n(b) A class or several classes of employees who are\n\ncovered by Social Security and are not covered by or\n\neligible for and will not become eligible for another\n\nretirement plan authorized under the laws of this\n\nstate, which is in operation on the effective date,\n\nand when the qualifications for employment in such\n\nclass or classes are set by state law; and when such\n\nclass or classes of employees are employed by a county\n\nor municipal government pursuant to such\n\nqualifications; and when the services provided by such\n\nemployees are of such nature that they qualify for\n\nmatching by or contributions from state or federal\n\nfunds administered by an agency of state government\n\nwhich qualifies as a participating employer, then the\n\nagency of state government administering the state or\n\nfederal funds shall be deemed an eligible employer,\n\nbut only with respect to that class or those classes\n\nof employees as defined in this subsection; provided,\n\nthat the required contributions to the retirement plan\n\nmay be withheld from the contributions of state or\n\nfederal funds administered by the state agency and\n\ntransmitted to the System on the same basis as the\n\nemployee and employer contributions are transmitted\n\nfor the direct employees of the state agency. The\no that class or those classes\n\nof employees as defined in this subsection; provided,\n\nthat the required contributions to the retirement plan\n\nmay be withheld from the contributions of state or\n\nfederal funds administered by the state agency and\n\ntransmitted to the System on the same basis as the\n\nemployee and employer contributions are transmitted\n\nfor the direct employees of the state agency. The\n\nretirement or eligibility for retirement under the\n\nprovisions of law providing pensions for service as a\n\nvolunteer firefighter shall not render any person\n\nineligible for participation in the benefits provided\n\nfor in Section 901 et seq. of this title. An employee\n\nof any public or private trust in which a county, city\n\nor town participates and is the primary beneficiary\n\nshall be deemed to be an eligible employee for the\n\npurpose of Section 901 et seq. of this title only.\n\n(c) All employees of the George Nigh Rehabilitation\n\nInstitute who elected to retain membership in the\n\nSystem, pursuant to Section 913.7 of this title, shall\n\ncontinue to be eligible employees for the purposes of\n\nSection 901 et seq. of this title. The George Nigh\n\nRehabilitation Institute shall be considered a\n\nparticipating employer only for such employees.\n\n(d) All employees of CompSource Mutual Insurance Company\n\nwho retain membership in the Oklahoma Public Employees\n\nRetirement System pursuant to Section 913.9 of this\n\ntitle shall continue to be eligible employees for the\n\npurposes of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement\n\nSystem. CompSource Mutual Insurance Company shall be\n\nconsidered a participating employer only for such\n\nemployees.\n\n(e) All employees of a successor organization, as defined\n\nby Section 5-60.12 of Title 2 of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes, who retain membership in the Oklahoma Public\n\nEmployees Retirement System pursuant to Section 5-\n\n60.35 of Title 2 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall\n\ncontinue to be eligible employees for the purposes of\n\nthe Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System. A\n\nsuccessor organization shall be considered a\n\nparticipating employer only for such employees.\n\n(f) A participating employer of the Teachers’ Retirement\n\nSystem of Oklahoma, who has one or more employees who\n\nhave made an election pursuant to enabling legislation\n\nto retain membership in the System as a result of\n\nchange in administration, shall be considered a\n\nparticipating employer of the Oklahoma Public\n\nEmployees Retirement System only for such employees;\n\n(14) \"Employee\" means any officer or employee of a\n\nparticipating employer, whose employment is not seasonal or\n\ntemporary and whose employment requires at least one thousand\n\n(1,000) hours of work per year and whose salary or wage is equal to\n\nthe hourly rate of the monthly minimum wage for state employees.\n\nFor those eligible employers outlined in Section 910 of this title,\n\nthe rate shall be equal to the hourly rate of the monthly minimum\n\nwage for that employer. Each employer, whose minimum wage is less\n\nthan the state’s minimum wage, shall inform the System of the\n\nminimum wage for that employer. This notification shall be by\n\nresolution of the governing body.\n\n(a) Any employee of the county extension agents who is not\n\ncurrently participating in the Teachers’ Retirement\n\nSystem of Oklahoma shall be a member of this System.\n\n(b) Eligibility shall not include any employee who is a\n\ncontributing member of the United States Civil Service\n\nRetirement System.\nhe\n\nminimum wage for that employer. This notification shall be by\n\nresolution of the governing body.\n\n(a) Any employee of the county extension agents who is not\n\ncurrently participating in the Teachers’ Retirement\n\nSystem of Oklahoma shall be a member of this System.\n\n(b) Eligibility shall not include any employee who is a\n\ncontributing member of the United States Civil Service\n\nRetirement System.\n\n(c) It shall be mandatory for an officer, appointee or\n\nemployee of the office of district attorney to become\n\na member of this System if he or she is not currently\n\nparticipating in a county retirement system. Provided\n\nfurther, that if an officer, appointee or employee of\n\nthe office of district attorney is currently\n\nparticipating in such county retirement system, he or\n\nshe is ineligible for this System as long as he or she\n\nis eligible for such county retirement system. Any\n\neligible officer, appointee or employee of the office\n\nof district attorney shall be given credit for prior\n\nservice as defined in this section. The provisions\n\noutlined in Section 917 of this title shall apply to\n\nthose employees who have previously withdrawn their\n\ncontributions.\n\n(d) Eligibility shall also not include any officer or\n\nemployee of the Oklahoma Employment Security\n\nCommission, except for those officers and employees of\n\nthe Commission electing to transfer to this System\n\npursuant to the provisions of Section 910.1 of this\n\ntitle or any other class of officers or employees\n\nspecifically exempted by the laws of this state,\n\nunless there be a consolidation as provided by Section\n\n912 of this title. Employees of the Oklahoma\n\nEmployment Security Commission who are ineligible for\n\nenrollment in the Oklahoma Employment Security\n\nCommission Retirement Plan, that was in effect on\n\nJanuary 1, 1964, shall become members of this System.\n\n(e) Any employee employed by the Legislative Service\n\nBureau, Senate or House of Representatives for the\n\nfull duration of a regular legislative session shall\n\nbe eligible for membership in the System regardless of\n\nclassification as a temporary employee and may\n\nparticipate in the System during the regular\n\nlegislative session at the option of the employee.\n\nFor purposes of this subparagraph, the determination\n\nof whether an employee is employed for the full\n\nduration of a regular legislative session shall be\n\nmade by the Legislative Service Bureau if such\n\nemployee is employed by the Legislative Service\n\nBureau, the Senate if such employee is employed by the\n\nSenate, or by the House of Representatives if such\n\nemployee is employed by the House of Representatives.\n\nEach regular legislative session during which the\n\nlegislative employee or an employee of the Legislative\n\nService Bureau participates full time shall be counted\n\nas six (6) months of full-time participating service.\nLegislative Service\n\nBureau, the Senate if such employee is employed by the\n\nSenate, or by the House of Representatives if such\n\nemployee is employed by the House of Representatives.\n\nEach regular legislative session during which the\n\nlegislative employee or an employee of the Legislative\n\nService Bureau participates full time shall be counted\n\nas six (6) months of full-time participating service.\n\n(i) Except as otherwise provided by this\n\nsubparagraph, once a temporary session employee\n\nmakes a choice to participate or not, the choice\n\nshall be binding for all future legislative\n\nsessions during which the employee is employed.\n\n(ii) Notwithstanding the provisions of division (i) of\n\nthis subparagraph, any employee, who is eligible\n\nfor membership in the System because of the\n\nprovisions of this subparagraph and who was\n\nemployed by the Senate or House of\n\nRepresentatives after January 1, 1989, may file\n\nan election, in a manner specified by the Board,\n\nto participate as a member of the System prior to\n\nSeptember 1, 1989.\n\n(iii) Notwithstanding the provisions of division (i) of\n\nthis subparagraph, a temporary legislative\n\nsession employee who elected to become a member\n\nof the System may withdraw from the System\n\neffective the day such employee elected to\n\nparticipate in the System upon written request to\n\nthe Board. Any such request must be received by\n\nthe Board prior to October 1, 1990. All employee\n\ncontributions made by the temporary legislative\n\nsession employee shall be returned to the\n\nemployee without interest within four (4) months\n\nof receipt of the written request.\n\n(iv) A member of the System who did not initially\n\nelect to participate as a member of the System\n\npursuant to this subparagraph shall be able to\n\nacquire service performed as a temporary\n\nlegislative session employee for periods of\n\nservice performed prior to the date upon which\n\nthe person became a member of the System if:\n\na. the member files an election with the System\n\nnot later than December 31, 2000, to\n\npurchase the prior service; and\n\nb. the member makes payment to the System of\n\nthe actuarial cost of the service credit\n\npursuant to subsection A of Section 913.5 of\n\nthis title. The provisions of Section 913.5\n\nof this title shall be applicable to the\n\npurchase of the service credit, including\n\nthe provisions for determining service\n\ncredit in the event of incomplete payment\n\ndue to cessation of payments, death,\n\ntermination of employment or retirement, but\n\nthe payment may extend for a period not to\n\nexceed ninety-six (96) months;\n\n(15) \"Entry date\" means the date on which an eligible employer\n\njoins the System. The first entry date pursuant to Section 901 et\n\nseq. of this title shall be January 1, 1964;\n\n(16) \"Executive Director\" means the managing officer of the\n\nSystem employed by the Board under Section 901 et seq. of this\n\ntitle;\n\n(17) \"Federal Internal Revenue Code\" means the federal Internal\n\nRevenue Code of 1954 or 1986, as amended and as applicable to a\n\ngovernmental plan as in effect on July 1, 1999;\nirst entry date pursuant to Section 901 et\n\nseq. of this title shall be January 1, 1964;\n\n(16) \"Executive Director\" means the managing officer of the\n\nSystem employed by the Board under Section 901 et seq. of this\n\ntitle;\n\n(17) \"Federal Internal Revenue Code\" means the federal Internal\n\nRevenue Code of 1954 or 1986, as amended and as applicable to a\n\ngovernmental plan as in effect on July 1, 1999;\n\n(18) \"Final average compensation\" means the average annual\n\ncompensation, including amounts deferred under deferred compensation\n\nagreements entered into between a member and a participating\n\nemployer, up to, but not exceeding the maximum compensation levels\n\nas provided in paragraph (9) of this section received during the\n\nhighest three (3) of the last ten (10) years of participating\n\nservice immediately preceding retirement or termination of\n\nemployment and with respect to members whose first participating\n\nservice occurs on or after July 1, 2013, the compensation received\n\nduring the highest five (5) of the last ten (10) years of\n\nparticipating service immediately preceding retirement or\n\ntermination of employment. Provided, no member shall retire with a\n\nfinal average compensation unless the member has made the required\n\ncontributions on such compensation, as defined by the Board of\n\nTrustees;\n\n(19) \"Fiscal year\" means the period commencing July 1 of any\n\nyear and ending June 30 of the next year. The fiscal year is the\n\nplan year for purposes of the federal Internal Revenue Code;\n\nhowever, the calendar year is the limitation year for purposes of\n\nSection 415 of the federal Internal Revenue Code;\n\n(20) \"Fund\" means the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement Fund\n\nas created by Section 901 et seq. of this title;\n\n(21) \"Leave of absence\" means a period of absence from\n\nemployment without pay, authorized and approved by the employer and\n\nacknowledged to the Board, and which after the effective date does\n\nnot exceed two (2) years;\n\n(22) \"Member\" means an eligible employee or elected official\n\nwho is in the System and is making the required employee or elected\n\nofficial contributions, or any former employee or elected official\n\nwho shall have made the required contributions to the System and\n\nshall have not received a refund or withdrawal;\n\n(23) \"Military service\" means service in the Armed Forces of\n\nthe United States by an honorably discharged person during the\n\nfollowing time periods, as reflected on such person’s Defense\n\nDepartment Form 214, not to exceed five (5) years for combined\n\nparticipating and/or prior service, as follows:\n\n(a) during the following periods, including the beginning\n\nand ending dates, and only for the periods served,\n\nfrom:\n\n(i) April 6, 1917, to November 11, 1918, commonly\n\nreferred to as World War I,\n\n(ii) September 16, 1940, to December 7, 1941, as a\n\nmember of the 45th Division,\n\n(iii) December 7, 1941, to December 31, 1946, commonly\n\nreferred to as World War II,\n\n(iv) June 27, 1950, to January 31, 1955, commonly\n\nreferred to as the Korean Conflict or the Korean\n\nWar,\n\n(v) February 28, 1961, to May 7, 1975, commonly\n\nreferred to as the Vietnam era, except that:\n\na. for the period from February 28, 1961, to\n\nAugust 4, 1964, military service shall only\n\ninclude service in the Republic of Vietnam\n\nduring that period, and\n\nb. for purposes of determining eligibility for\n\neducation and training benefits, such period\n\nshall end on December 31, 1976, or\n\n(vi) August 1, 1990, to December 31, 1991, commonly\n\nreferred to as the Gulf War, the Persian Gulf\n\nWar, or Operation Desert Storm, but excluding any\n\nperson who served on active duty for training\n\nonly, unless discharged from such active duty for\n\na service-connected disability;\nposes of determining eligibility for\n\neducation and training benefits, such period\n\nshall end on December 31, 1976, or\n\n(vi) August 1, 1990, to December 31, 1991, commonly\n\nreferred to as the Gulf War, the Persian Gulf\n\nWar, or Operation Desert Storm, but excluding any\n\nperson who served on active duty for training\n\nonly, unless discharged from such active duty for\n\na service-connected disability;\n\n(b) during a period of war or combat military operation\n\nother than a conflict, war or era listed in\n\nsubparagraph (a) of this paragraph, beginning on the\n\ndate of Congressional authorization, Congressional\n\nresolution, or Executive Order of the President of the\n\nUnited States, for the use of the Armed Forces of the\n\nUnited States in a war or combat military operation,\n\nif such war or combat military operation lasted for a\n\nperiod of ninety (90) days or more, for a person who\n\nserved, and only for the period served, in the area of\n\nresponsibility of the war or combat military\n\noperation, but excluding a person who served on active\n\nduty for training only, unless discharged from such\n\nactive duty for a service-connected disability, and\n\nprovided that the burden of proof of military service\n\nduring this period shall be with the member, who must\n\npresent appropriate documentation establishing such\n\nservice.\n\nAn eligible member under this paragraph shall include only those\n\npersons who shall have served during the times or in the areas\n\nprescribed in this paragraph, and only if such person provides\n\nappropriate documentation in such time and manner as required by the\n\nSystem to establish such military service prescribed in this\n\nparagraph, or for service pursuant to subdivision a of division (v)\n\nof subparagraph (a) of this paragraph those persons who were awarded\n\nservice medals, as authorized by the United States Department of\n\nDefense as reflected in the veteran’s Defense Department Form 214,\n\nrelated to the Vietnam Conflict for service prior to August 5, 1964;\n\n(24) \"Normal retirement date\" means the date on which a member\n\nmay retire with full retirement benefits as provided in Section 901\n\net seq. of this title, such date being whichever occurs first:\n\n(a) the first day of the month coinciding with or\n\nfollowing a member’s:\n\n(1) sixty-second birthday with respect to members\n\nwhose first participating service occurs prior to\n\nNovember 1, 2011, or\n\n(2) sixty-fifth birthday with respect to members\n\nwhose first participating service occurs on or\n\nafter November 1, 2011, or with respect to\n\nmembers whose first participating service occurs\n\non or after November 1, 2011, who reach a minimum\n\nage of sixty (60) years and who also reach a\n\nnormal retirement date pursuant to subparagraph c\n\nof this paragraph,\n\n(b) for any person who initially became a member prior to\n\nJuly 1, 1992, and who does not reach a normal\n\nretirement date pursuant to division (1) of\n\nsubparagraph (a) of this paragraph, the first day of\n\nthe month coinciding with or following the date at\n\nwhich the sum of a member’s age and number of years of\n\ncredited service total eighty (80); such a normal\n\nretirement date will also apply to any person who\n\nbecame a member of the sending system as defined in\n\nSection 901 et seq. of this title, prior to July 1,\n\n1992, regardless of whether there were breaks in\n\nservice after July 1, 1992,\n\n(c) for any person who became a member after June 30,\n\n1992, but prior to November 1, 2011, and who does not\n\nreach a normal retirement date pursuant to division\n\n(1) of subparagraph (a) of this paragraph, the first\n\nday of the month coinciding with or following the date\n\nat which the sum of a member’s age and number of years\n\nof credited service total ninety (90),\nin\n\nservice after July 1, 1992,\n\n(c) for any person who became a member after June 30,\n\n1992, but prior to November 1, 2011, and who does not\n\nreach a normal retirement date pursuant to division\n\n(1) of subparagraph (a) of this paragraph, the first\n\nday of the month coinciding with or following the date\n\nat which the sum of a member’s age and number of years\n\nof credited service total ninety (90),\n\n(d) in addition to subparagraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this\n\nparagraph, the first day of the month coinciding with\n\nor following a member’s completion of at least twenty\n\n(20) years of full-time-equivalent employment as:\n\n(i) a correctional or probation and parole officer\n\nwith the Department of Corrections and at the\n\ntime of retirement, the member was a correctional\n\nor probation and parole officer with the\n\nDepartment of Corrections,\n\n(ii) a correctional officer, probation and parole\n\nofficer or fugitive apprehension agent with the\n\nDepartment of Corrections who is in such position\n\non June 30, 2004, or who is hired after June 30,\n\n2004, and who receives a promotion or change in\n\njob classification after June 30, 2004, to\n\nanother position in the Department of\n\nCorrections, so long as such officer or agent has\n\nat least five (5) years of service as a\n\ncorrectional officer, probation and parole\n\nofficer or fugitive apprehension agent with the\n\nDepartment, has twenty (20) years of full-time-\n\nequivalent employment with the Department and was\n\nemployed by the Department at the time of\n\nretirement,\n\n(iii) a firefighter with the Military Department of the\n\nState of Oklahoma either employed for the first\n\ntime on or after July 1, 2002, or who was\n\nemployed prior to July 1, 2002, in such position\n\nand who makes the election authorized by division\n\n(2) of subparagraph b of paragraph (9) of\n\nsubsection A of Section 915 of this title and at\n\nthe time of retirement, the member was a\n\nfirefighter with the Military Department of the\n\nState of Oklahoma, and such member has at least\n\ntwenty (20) years of credited service upon which\n\nthe two and one-half percent (2 1/2%) multiplier\n\nwill be used in calculating the retirement\n\nbenefit,\n\n(iv) a public safety officer employed by the Grand\n\nRiver Dam Authority for the first time on or\n\nafter July 1, 2016,\n\n(v) a deputy sheriff or jailer employed by any county\n\nthat is a participating employer in the System\n\nfor the first time as a deputy sheriff or jailer\n\non or after November 1, 2020, or\n\n(vi) licensed emergency medical personnel, as defined\n\npursuant to Section 1-2503 of Title 63 of the\n\nOklahoma Statutes, holding a license issued by\n\nthe State Department of Health pursuant to\n\nSection 1-2505 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes, including emergency medical responders,\n\nemergency medical technicians, intermediate\n\nemergency medical technicians, advanced emergency\n\nmedical technicians, and paramedics employed by\n\nany participating employer as a licensed\n\nemergency medical personnel for the first time on\n\nor after the effective date of this act,\n\n(e) for those fugitive apprehension agents who retire on\n\nor after July 1, 2002, the first day of the month\n\ncoinciding with or following a member’s completion of\n\nat least twenty (20) years of full-time-equivalent\n\nemployment as a fugitive apprehension agent with the\n\nDepartment of Corrections and at the time of\n\nretirement, the member was a fugitive apprehension\n\nagent with the Department of Corrections, or\ne fugitive apprehension agents who retire on\n\nor after July 1, 2002, the first day of the month\n\ncoinciding with or following a member’s completion of\n\nat least twenty (20) years of full-time-equivalent\n\nemployment as a fugitive apprehension agent with the\n\nDepartment of Corrections and at the time of\n\nretirement, the member was a fugitive apprehension\n\nagent with the Department of Corrections, or\n\n(f) for any member who was continuously employed by an\n\nentity or institution within The Oklahoma State System\n\nof Higher Education and whose initial employment with\n\nsuch entity or institution was prior to July 1, 1992,\n\nand who without a break in service of more than thirty\n\n(30) days became employed by an employer participating\n\nin the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System,\n\nthe first day of the month coinciding with or\n\nfollowing the date at which the sum of the member’s\n\nage and number of years of credited service total\n\neighty (80);\n\n(25) \"Participating employer\" means an eligible employer who\n\nhas agreed to make contributions to the System on behalf of its\n\nemployees;\n\n(26) \"Participating service\" means the period of employment\n\nafter the entry date for which credit is granted a member.\n\nProvided, on or after the effective date of this act, military\n\nservice credit purchased under Section 913.8 of this title shall\n\nonly be considered \"participating service\" if such service is\n\nimmediately preceded by a period of employment with a participating\n\nemployer and followed by a return to service as an employee with the\n\nsame or another participating employer within ninety (90) days\n\nimmediately following discharge from such military service;\n\n(27) \"Prior service\" means the period of employment of a member\n\nby an eligible employer prior to the member’s entry date for which\n\ncredit is granted a member under Section 901 et seq. of this title.\n\nProvided, on or after the effective date of this act, \"prior\n\nservice\" shall also include service purchased under Section 913.8 of\n\nthis title which does not meet the requirements of paragraph 26 of\n\nthis section;\n\n(28) \"Retirant\" or \"retiree\" means a member who has retired\n\nunder the System;\n\n(29) \"Retirement benefit\" means a monthly income with benefits\n\naccruing from the first day of the month coinciding with or\n\nfollowing retirement and ending on the last day of the month in\n\nwhich death occurs or the actuarial equivalent thereof paid in such\n\nmanner as specified by the member pursuant to Section 901 et seq. of\n\nthis title or as otherwise allowed to be paid at the discretion of\n\nthe Board;\n\n(30) \"Retirement coordinator\" means the individual designated\n\nby each participating employer through whom System transactions and\n\ncommunication shall be directed;\n\n(31) \"Social Security\" means the old-age survivors and\n\ndisability section of the federal Social Security Act;\n\n(32) \"Total disability\" means a physical or mental disability\n\naccepted for disability benefits by the federal Social Security\n\nSystem;\n\n(33) \"Service-connected disability benefits\" means military\n\nservice benefits which are for a service-connected disability rated\n\nat twenty percent (20%) or more by the Veterans Administration or\n\nthe Armed Forces of the United States;\n\n(34) \"Elected official\" means a person elected to a state\n\noffice in the legislative or executive branch of state government or\n\na person elected to a county office for a definite number of years\n\nand shall include an individual who is appointed to fill the\n\nunexpired term of an elected state official;\n\n(35) \"Elected service\" means the period of service as an\n\nelected official;\n\n(36) \"Limitation year\" means the year used in applying the\n\nlimitations of Section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,\n\nwhich year shall be the calendar year; and\n\ninclude an individual who is appointed to fill the\n\nunexpired term of an elected state official;\n\n(35) \"Elected service\" means the period of service as an\n\nelected official;\n\n(36) \"Limitation year\" means the year used in applying the\n\nlimitations of Section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986,\n\nwhich year shall be the calendar year; and\n\n(37) \"Public safety officers of the Grand River Dam Authority\"\n\nmeans those persons hired by the Grand River Dam Authority on or\n\nafter March 21, 2001, who are certified by the Council on Law\n\nEnforcement Education and Training or an equivalent certifying\n\nentity for law enforcement personnel training and who perform law\n\nenforcement functions as part of their regularly assigned duties and\n\nresponsibilities on a full-time basis. With respect to any public\n\nsafety officer hired by the Grand River Dam Authority on or after\n\nMarch 21, 2001, any earned benefits or credits toward retirement\n\nbenefits from previous participation within the Oklahoma Public\n\nEmployees Retirement System or the Oklahoma Law Enforcement\n\nRetirement System shall remain within that system.","path":["OK Code","Title 74"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os74.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"6ea85d6ad70eaa6c4c45ccb0f234145f07220544a1186fcd5134b5e9238087e0","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-74-74-902","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-74-74-902v2"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}