(1) Employee contributions to the System shall be:

(a)for employees except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (b), (c), (d), (e), and (f) of this subsection: beginning July 1, 2006, and thereafter, three and one-half percent (3.5%) of allowable annual compensation;

(b)for correctional officers and probation and parole officers employed by the Department of Corrections: beginning July 1, 1998, and thereafter, and for correctional officers or probation and parole officers who are in such position on June 30, 2004, or who are hired after June 30, 2004, and who receive a promotion or change in job classification after June 30, 2004, to another position in the Department of Corrections, so long as such officers have at least five (5) years of service as a correctional officer or probation and parole officer, eight percent (8%) of allowable compensation as provided in paragraph (9) of Section 902 of this title;

(c)for fugitive apprehension agents who are employed with the Department of Corrections on or after July 1, 2002, and for fugitive apprehension agents who are in such position on June 30, 2004, or who are hired after June 30, 2004, and who receive a promotion or change in job classification after June 30, 2004, to another position in the Department of Corrections, so long as such agents have at least five (5) years of service as a fugitive apprehension agent, eight percent (8%) of allowable compensation as provided in paragraph (9) of Section 902 of this title;

(d)for firefighters of the Oklahoma Military Department first employed beginning July 1, 2002, and thereafter, and such firefighters who performed service prior to July 1, 2002, for the Oklahoma Military Department and who make the election authorized by division (1) of subparagraph b of paragraph (9) of subsection A of Section 915 of this title who perform service on or after July 1, 2002, in such capacity, eight percent (8%) of allowable compensation as provided in subsection (9) of Section 902 of this title;

(e)for all public safety officers of the Grand River Dam Authority as defined by paragraph (37) of Section 902 of this title, eight percent (8%) of allowable compensation as provided in paragraph (9) of Section 902 of this title; and

(f) for all employees except those who make contributions pursuant to paragraphs (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this subsection who make an irrevocable written election pursuant to paragraph (2) of subsection A of Section 915 of this title: six and forty-one one-hundredths percent (6.41%) of allowable annual compensation.

The contributions required by paragraphs (b), (c), and (e) of this subsection shall be made by a member for not more than twenty (20) years and thereafter shall be as provided in paragraph (a) of this subsection.

(2) Contributions shall be deducted by each state agency by the participating employer for such benefits as the Board is authorized to administer as provided for by law. Employee and employer contributions shall be remitted monthly, or as the Board may otherwise provide, to the Executive Director for deposit in the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement Fund.

(3) Each participating employer shall pick up under the provisions of Section 414(h)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and pay the contribution which the member is required by law to make to the System for all compensation earned after December 31, 1988. Although the contributions so picked up are designated as member contributions, such contributions shall be treated as contributions being paid by the participating employer in lieu of contributions by the member in determining tax treatment under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and such picked up contributions shall not be includable in the gross income of the member until such amounts are distributed or made available to the member or the beneficiary of the member. The member, by the terms of this System, shall not have any option to choose to receive the contributions so picked up directly and the picked up contributions must be paid by the participating employer to the System.

Member contributions which are picked up shall be treated in the same manner and to the same extent as member contributions made prior to the date on which member contributions were picked up by the participating employer. Member contributions so picked up shall be included in gross salary for purposes of determining benefits and contributions under the System.

The participating employer shall pay the member contributions from the same source of funds used in paying salary to the member, by effecting an equal cash reduction in gross salary of the member.

(4) By September 1, 1989, the System shall refund the accumulated employee contributions of any member who elects to retain the member’s membership in the Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma, in accordance with Section 17-104 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes, to such member. Upon the refund of the accumulated employee contributions referred to in this subsection, all benefits and rights accrued to such member are terminated.

Added by Laws 1980, c. 317, § 7, eff. July 1, 1980. Amended by Laws 1983, c. 246, § 1, emerg. eff. June 21, 1983; Laws 1984, c. 267, § 3, operative July 1, 1984; Laws 1987, c. 206, § 92, operative July 1, 1987 (vetoed); Laws 1987, c. 236, § 188, emerg. eff. July 20, 1987; Laws 1988, c. 267, § 34, operative January 1, 1989; Laws 1989, c. 327, § 8, eff. July 1, 1989; Laws 1990, c. 324, § 4, operative July 1, 1990; Laws 1994, c. 383, § 11, eff. July 1, 1994; Laws 1998, c. 317, § 13, eff. July 1, 1998; Laws 2000, c. 379, § 3, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2002, c. 233, § 4, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2002, c. 376, § 4, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2003, c. 486, § 8, emerg. eff. Jan. 1, 2004; Laws 2004, c. 539, § 5, eff. July 1, 2004; Laws 2006, 2nd Ex. Sess., c. 46, § 34, eff. July 1, 2006; Laws 2016, c. 297, § 22, eff. July 1, 2016.