HB 1268 Oklahoma House · 2025 Regular Session

Retirement; Retirement Reform Act of 2025; effective date.

HB 1268 creates the Oklahoma Public Employees Deferred Option Plan, allowing eligible emergency medical personnel (including EMTs, paramedics, and deputy sheriffs/jailers) with at least 20 years of service under the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) to delay receiving retirement benefits while continuing to work. Participants may defer benefits for up to five years, during which employer contributions continue (with municipal contributions split between OPERS and the new plan), and they receive cost-of-living adjustments. Upon ending participation, they can choose a lump sum payment, an annuity, or other approved payment method from their accrued benefit balance. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025.

Issues: ✓ Labor & Employment

Bill status died 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Last action Feb 19, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 2 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to reorganize the text structure and add a new provision protecting the retirement benefits of emergency medical personnel who die while performing their duties. The amendment moved the main title and summary lines to different positions, renumbered sections, and added special survivor benefits for first responders.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on allowing emergency medical personnel to defer retirement benefits into a separate plan, but now includes enhanced survivor protections for those who die in the line of duty.

TECHNICAL

Reorganized the bill's title page and section numbering, moving the main title from lines 7-14 to lines 8-15 and adjusting line numbers throughout.

Changed the reference number from RBH No. 12280 to RBH No. 12407, indicating a new version of the bill document.

ELIGIBILITY

Added new language (Section E.2 and Section F.3) that provides a 30-month marriage requirement exemption for surviving spouses of emergency medical personnel who die while performing their duties for a participating municipality.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new provision (Section F.3) allowing participants to choose any payment method approved by the Retirement System Board of Trustees, expanding options beyond just lump sum payments.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 19, 2025

Committee

Referred to Actuary pursuant to the Oklahoma Pension Legislation Actuarial Analysis Act

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

Referred to Banking, Financial Services and Pensions

lower

Feb 10, 2025

Committee

Referred to Government Oversight

lower

Feb 3, 2025

Introduced

First Reading

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors