Weekly Legislative Update: April 7, 2023

By Chancen Flick

This week at the State Capitol was a whirlwind of advancing legislation.  OPEA has been working diligently to advance our legislative agenda.  In addition to our priority legislation, OPEA has worked throughout the week on the newly released 2023 Compensation Report and what this could potentially mean for state employees.  Next Thursday will be the committee deadline for all legislation (except bills assigned to the House A&B Committee) to be reported from committee and to the Floor of the opposite Chamber.  Please be on the look out for Calls to Action and daily updates on our social media as the week progresses.

Below you can find a list of OPEA bills that have advanced through their initial committees this week.  If you have any questions, please contact Chancen Flick at chancenf@opea.org

HB 1396 Hasenbeck, Toni(R)
Floyd, Kay(D)
Provides for an increase in to court reporter compensation and maximum salary and permits the Director of the Courts to use available funds for the acquisition and maintenance of court reporter equipment.

 

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.

 

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.

 

HB 1796 Osburn, Mike(R)
Seifried, Ally (F)(R)
Authorizes the Dept. of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to enter into agreements to serve as a vendor with public sector employers wishing to offer employment assistance programs and services.

 

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.

 

HB 2020 Wolfley, Max(R)
Montgomery, John(R)
Increases certain retirement benefits adjustment for the 2024 tax year.

 

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.

 

HB 2171 Hilbert, Kyle(R)
Montgomery, John(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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

 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.

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