A. As used in this section:

1. "Contribution deficit" means the amount of money computed for an eligible employee by multiplying the employee contribution rate in effect for any period of service performed on or after July 1, 1987, through June 30, 1995, multiplied by the amount of salary earned by the member in excess of the applicable maximum compensation level of the member for such period with interest at the rate of ten percent (10%) per year compounded annually; provided, that for the designated fiscal years prescribed by subparagraphs a and b of this paragraph, the contribution deficit payment shall be adjusted to:

a.fifty percent (50%) of the total amount of the computation otherwise prescribed by this paragraph for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007,

b.seventy-five percent (75%) of the total amount of the computation otherwise prescribed by this paragraph for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and

c.one hundred percent (100%) of the total amount of the computation otherwise prescribed by this paragraph for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, and for each fiscal year thereafter;

2. "Eligible employee" means a member of the System who has not retired prior to the effective date of this act and who has performed service at any time prior to June 30, 1995, and who fulfills the requirements of this act with respect to inclusion of pre-cap removal years of service in a retirement benefit computation and:

a.who has already reached a normal retirement age prior to the effective date of this act and has not retired prior to the effective date of this act,

b.who reaches a normal retirement age on or after the effective date of this act, and

c.who is employed by an institution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education that is not a comprehensive university or a regional institution offering a four-year degree program as designated or authorized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education;

3. "Maximum average salary amount", subject to the requirements of this paragraph related to the funding level for employer contribution rates, means:

a.Sixty Thousand Dollars ($60,000.00) regardless of any otherwise applicable maximum compensation level for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007,

b.Eighty Thousand Dollars ($80,000.00) regardless of any otherwise applicable maximum compensation level for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and

c.the full amount of the average salary without any limitation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, and or each fiscal year thereafter.

The maximum final average salary amount otherwise authorized pursuant to subparagraph b or subparagraph c of this paragraph shall be contingent upon the participating employer in whose employment the member is active upon the date the member retires receiving, for the fiscal year during which the member's retirement will begin, the amount of funds required pursuant to subparagraph (A)(1) of Section 17-108.1 of this title in order to allow the employer contribution rates prescribed by subparagraph (A)(1) of Section 17-108.1 of this title to be effective as law. If a member is employed by an employer that does not receive the funding required by subparagraph (A)(1) of Section 17-108.1 of this title for the fiscal year during which the member's retirement will begin, the member shall not be authorized to use the maximum final average salary otherwise authorized by this paragraph to compute retirement benefits;

4. "Maximum compensation level" means either:

a.Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) if a member did not elect to make employee contributions on a higher salary amount for any pre-cap removal years of service, or

b.Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00) if a member did elect to make employee contributions upon actual salary not in excess of such amount for any pre-cap removal years of service;

5. "Pre-cap removal service" means any service performed by an active member prior to June 30, 1995; and

6. "System" means the Teachers' Retirement System of Oklahoma;

B. Unless otherwise expressly provided by this section, any definition contained in Section 17-101 of this title otherwise applicable to computation of benefits for retired members of the Teachers' Retirement System of Oklahoma shall have the same meaning for purposes of this section.

C. Effective July 1, 2006, any eligible member of the Teachers' Retirement System of Oklahoma, who, as of July 1, 2006, has already reached a normal retirement age or who on or after July 1, 2006, reaches a normal retirement age as defined by paragraph 24 of Section 17-101 of this title, shall be eligible to have a retirement benefit computed as provided by this section. If a member is eligible for the benefit computation authorized by this section, the average salary used to compute the retirement benefit of the member shall be governed by the provisions of this section and such provisions shall govern in the event of conflict between this section and the provisions of Section 17-116.2 of this title.

D. An eligible employee who performs service in the manner prescribed by subsection E of this section and who makes payment of the applicable contribution deficit amount may have a retirement benefit computed as otherwise authorized by Section 17-105 of this title, but shall have such benefit computed without regard to any maximum compensation level that would otherwise be applicable to the compensation of the member for any period of pre-cap removal service.

E. In order to have retirement benefits computed as authorized by subsection C of this section, and in addition to the payment of the contribution deficit amount required by this section, in order to have any pre-cap removal service included in the retirement benefit computation of the member using the average salary earned during such period of participating service subject to the maximum average salary amount, the member shall be required to perform one (1) year of participating service on or after the date as of which the member reaches a normal retirement age, for each two (2) years of service performed prior to July 1, 1995. For purposes of this section, any year of service performed prior to the effective date of this act after a member reached a normal retirement age shall qualify for purposes of the retirement benefit computation authorized by this section.

F. One (1) year of participating service performed by an eligible member who, prior to the effective date of this act has reached a normal retirement age or, who on or after July 1, 2006, reaches a normal retirement age, shall result in the inclusion of the two (2) years of participating service immediately preceding July 1, 1995, in a retirement benefit computation using the average salary of the member, subject to the maximum average salary amount. For each additional year of participating service performed by the eligible member thereafter, whether such service has been performed prior to the effective date of this act or whether such service is performed on or after the effective date of this act, the two (2) next succeeding years of pre-cap removal service performed prior to the end of the preceding two-year period may be included in the benefit computation without regard to the maximum compensation level of the member that would otherwise be applicable to such pre-cap removal service.

G. The eligible member shall be required to make payment to the Teachers' Retirement System of Oklahoma of the contribution deficit amount for any year of service performed on or after July 1, 1987, but not later than June 30, 1995, as prescribed by subsections H through K of this section in order to have any years of pre-cap removal service included in the retirement benefit computation using the average salary of the member subject to the maximum average salary amount.

H. In order to have years of service included in the benefit computation using average salary subject to the maximum average salary amount, the member shall be required to make payment of the contribution deficit for the following years of service and in the sequence prescribed by subsection I of this section according to the adjustments required by subparagraphs a and b of paragraph 1 of subsection A of this section:

1. July 1, 1987, through June 30, 1988;

2. July 1, 1988, through June 30, 1989;

3. July 1, 1989, through June 30, 1990;

4. July 1, 1990, through June 30, 1991;

5. July 1, 1991, through June 30, 1992;

6. July 1, 1992, through June 30, 1993;

7. July 1, 1993, through June 30, 1994; and

8. July 1, 1994, through June 30, 1995.

I. For each year of service performed by the eligible member prior to the effective date of this act and after having reached a normal retirement age, or for each year of service performed by the member after reaching a normal retirement age on or after the effective date of this act, the member shall be required to make payment of the contribution deficit amount for each year of service beginning with the years described in paragraphs 7 and 8 of subsection H of this section. For each additional year of service performed by the eligible member after the normal retirement age of the member, the member shall make payment of the contribution deficit amount for each of the next two (2) years of service as described in:

1. Paragraphs 5 and 6 of subsection H of this section;

2. Paragraphs 3 and 4 of subsection H of this section; and

3. Paragraphs 1 and 2 of subsection H of this section.

J. After making payment of all required contribution deficit amounts for all periods of service described in paragraphs 1 through 8 of subsection H of this section, an eligible member who has performed any additional years of service after having reached a normal retirement age, or for each year of service performed by the member after reaching a normal retirement age on or after the effective date of this act, the member may then include any additional two-year period of service performed prior to July 1, 1987, using the average salary of the member, subject to the maximum average salary amount, in the retirement benefit computation for such years of service by performing one (1) additional year of service.

K. No contribution deficit payments shall be required of the eligible member with respect to years of service performed prior to July 1, 1987, if such years of service are included in the retirement benefit computation of the member using average salary as otherwise authorized by this section, subject to the maximum average salary amount.

L. An eligible member may make the payment of the contribution deficit amount required by this section at any time prior to the retirement of the member from the System; however, no years of pre-cap removal service for which full payment of the required contribution deficit has not been made pursuant to the requirements of this section may be included in the retirement benefit computation of the otherwise eligible member using the average salary of the member for such period, subject to the maximum average salary amount.

M. Any pre-cap removal years of service for which the required contribution deficit payment has not been made to the System shall only be included in a retirement benefit computation using the maximum compensation level in effect for the member at the time such years of service were performed.

N. All payments to the System for pre-cap removal service shall be made prior to the date as of which a member retires. No payments to the System for pre-cap removal service otherwise authorized by this section shall be made after a member retires from the System and begins to receive benefits.

O. Any eligible member who, prior to the effective date of this act, has not previously made an election for payment of employee contributions on a maximum compensation level of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) for pre-cap removal service may file an election with the System to make payment of the required contribution deficit amount pursuant to this section. Such an election shall be irrevocable.

P. No participating employer of the System shall make payment of any required contribution deficit amount on behalf of any otherwise eligible member, whether directly or indirectly, in order for the member to have retirement benefits computed according to the provisions of this section.

Q. No member of the System who has retired prior to July 1, 2006, shall be eligible to make any payments of the contribution deficit amount and no such member shall have the ability to have a retirement benefit recomputed as a result of the provisions of this section.

R. The additional retirement benefit attributable to the provisions of this section may be computed for members who retire on or after July 1, 2006, but prior to January 1, 2007, but the additional retirement benefit attributable to the provisions of this section shall not be payable until January 1, 2007. On and after January 1, 2007, the additional retirement benefit attributable to the provisions of this section shall be added to the retirement benefit amount of any member who retires on or after July 1, 2006, and prior to January 1, 2007, and such increased benefit amount shall be payable to the member or any beneficiary of the member as otherwise provided pursuant to the provisions of Section 17-101 of this title in the same manner as other retirement benefits are payable.

Added by Laws 2006, 2nd Ex. Sess., c. 46, § 2, eff. July 1, 2006. Amended by Laws 2007, c. 186, § 4, eff. July 1, 2007; Laws 2018, c. 248, § 3; Laws 2019, c. 268, § 4, eff. July 1, 2019.