By Chancen Flick
OPEA has had another productive week at the State Capitol. Last week was the initial deadline for the legislative session, the committee deadline in the House of Origin. Those bills that did not receive a committee vote are dormant for the remainder of the session and can be reconsidered next year.
The next few weeks will focus on bills receiving votes on the floors of their respective chambers (Senate bills in the Senate, House bills in the House). OPEA advanced two measures this week. Senate Bill 193 by Senator Jessica Garvin will grant six weeks of paid maternity leave for employees that have worked for the state for two or more years was passed off the Senate Floor. House Bill 1407 by Representative Bob Ed Culver will grant a two percent increase in the benefit allowance for the next two years. The bill was advanced from the House. Both bills will now swap chambers to be heard on the opposite side.
Below is a list of OPEA-endorsed measures that are still live for the session. More updates will be provided as bills advance throughout the upcoming weeks. For more information, please contact Chancen Flick at chancenf@opea.org or call/text at 405-808-8181
| HB 1396 | Hasenbeck, Toni(R) Floyd, Kay(D) |
Provides for an increase in compensation for court reporter certification and maximum cap. |
| Last Action: | 3-13-23 H Set on the House Floor Agenda |
| HB 1407 | Culver, Bob Ed(R) Stewart, Jack (F)(R) |
Provides for two one-time increases to state employee flexible benefit allowances in 2024 and 2025. |
| Last Action: | 3- 9-23 H Passed/Adopted (Vote: Y: 83/N: 0) |
| HB 1794 | Osburn, Mike(R) Pugh, Adam(R) |
Specifies the responsibilities of the Human Capital Management Administrator within the Civil Service and Human Capital Modernization Act. |
| Last Action: | 3-13-23 H Set on the House Floor Agenda |
| HB 1798 | Osburn, Mike(R) Thompson, Roger(R) |
Establishes a system to gradually increase state employee pay to the level of 90 percent of comparable private sector positions by 2026 and maintain that threshold moving forward. |
| Last Action: | 3-13-23 H Set on the House Floor Agenda |
| HB 2020 | Wolfley, Max(R) Montgomery, John(R) |
Increases certain retirement benefits adjustment for the 2024 tax year. |
| Last Action: | 3- 1-23 H Voted from committee – Do Pass as substituted House Appropriations & Budget |
| HB 2026 | Wolfley, Max(R) Pemberton, Dewayne(R) |
Requires the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to provide an association representing state employees with a monthly reconciliation report with information related to opted in members. |
| Last Action: | 2-21-23 H Voted from committee – Do Pass House Government Modernization & Technology |
| HB 2171 | Ford, Ross(R) Rosino, Paul(R) |
Provides for a conditional one-time retirement benefits increase for various state retirement systems for beneficiaries who have been retired for more than two years; EMERGENCY. |
| Last Action: | 3-13-23 H Set on the House Floor Agenda |
| HB 2279 | Echols, Jon(R) Montgomery, John(R) |
Raises retirement benefits across several different public employee retirement plans. |
| Last Action: | 2-28-23 H Voted from committee – Do Pass as substituted House Rules |
| HB 2376 | Kannady, Chris(R) Hall, Chuck(R) |
Adjusts provisions related to state employee benefits, providing a maximum of 640 hours of carryover leave and clarifying services which qualify for inclusion in benefits calculations; EMERGENCY. |
| Last Action: | 3- 1-23 H Voted from committee – Do Pass as substituted House Appropriations & Budget |
| HB 2596 | Hays, Neil (F)(R) Stephens, Blake (F)(R) |
Permits park rangers who are certified peace officers to carry out law enforcement duties anywhere in the state when a crime is committed in their presence. |
| Last Action: | 2-22-23 H Voted from committee – Do Pass House Criminal Justice & Corrections |
| HB 2749 | Miller, Nicole(R) Stanley, Brenda(R) |
Authorizes the Tourism and Recreation Dept. to create a state employee information and promotion program for state employees to enjoy amenities at discounted rates that do not inhibit facility operation. |
| Last Action: | 3-13-23 H Set on the House Floor Agenda |
| HB 2854 | Wallace, Kevin(R) Thompson, Roger(R) |
Terminates the state defined contribution plan, transferring participants into the standard Public Employees Retirement System with service credits to be purchased, such changes to be defined as non-fiscal under legislative requirements. |
| Last Action: | 2-15-23 H Voted from committee – Do Pass House Appropriations & Budget |
| SB 65 | Stanley, Brenda(R) Echols, Jon(R) |
Provides for one additional personal holiday each year for permanent state employees to be taken on one of several selected holidays or on the employee’s birthday. |
| Last Action: | 3- 1-23 S Voted from committee – Do Pass as amended Senate Appropriations |
| SB 193 | Garvin, Jessica (F)(R) Archer, Nick (F)(R) |
Provides for 6 weeks of paid maternal leave for state employees upon the birth or adoption of a child. |
| Last Action: | 3- 9-23 S Passed/Adopted (Vote: Y: 33/N: 14) |
