1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
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2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
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3|SENATE BILL 473 By: Paxton |
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6| AS INTRODUCED |
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7| An Act relating to school employees; amending Section |
| 1, Chapter 135, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, |
8| Section 509.12), which relates to certain school |
| employee leave of absence; allowing certain school |
9| employee to retain certain coverage pursuant to |
| certain provisions; updating statutory references; |
10| providing an effective date; and declaring an |
| emergency. |
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13|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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14| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY Section 1, Chapter 135, O.S.L. |
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15|2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 509.12), is amended to read as |
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16|follows: |
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17| Section 509.12. A. A school district board of education may |
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18|approve a request from a school district employee for a leave of |
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19|absence to hold office as an officer, director, trustee, or agent of |
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20|a national, statewide, or school district employee association. The |
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21|employee requesting the leave shall provide the school district |
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22|superintendent with proof of election and proof of the term of |
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23|office for the national, statewide, or school district employee |
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24|association. Proof of election shall include but not be limited to |
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1|certification by the national, statewide, or school district |
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2|employee association of the date of the election and the results of |
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3|the election. Board of education approval for leave requested |
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4|pursuant to this section shall have definitive beginning and end |
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5|dates. |
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6| B. Leave granted pursuant to this section shall be leave |
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7|without pay. The school employee on leave shall not be entitled to |
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8|maintain any benefits granted by the school district regardless of |
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9|whether the benefit is paid by the employee on leave or the |
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10|association for which the person is serving as an officer, director, |
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11|trustee, or agent may be allowed to retain insurance coverage |
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12|pursuant to Section 1308.1 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes. |
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13| C. During the leave period, the school employee's position with |
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14|the school district shall be maintained without advancement on the |
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15|minimum salary schedule adopted pursuant to Section 5-141 of Title |
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16|70 of the Oklahoma Statutes this title and with no accrual of sick |
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17|leave, personal business leave, or personal leave. The employee on |
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18|leave shall not accumulate service credit within the Teachers' |
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19|Retirement System of Oklahoma. Following the term of leave granted |
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20|pursuant to the provisions of this section, the employee granted |
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21|leave may return to his or her former position or a comparable |
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22|position. |
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1| D. A school district employee granted leave pursuant to the |
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2|provisions of this section shall be prohibited from accessing school |
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3|district office space. |
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4| E. If a national, statewide, or school district employee |
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5|association that serves as a school district employee organization |
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6|established pursuant to Section 509.2 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma |
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7|Statutes this title fails to comply with the provisions of this |
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8|section, the school district board of education shall no longer |
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9|recognize the organization as a representative of employees. |
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10| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. |
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11| SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation |
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12|of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby |
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13|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and |
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14|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. |
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16| 59-1-1512 EB 1/17/2023 2:10:22 PM |
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