Oklahoma § 74-1344 - Flexible benefits plan - Expenses included - Income

§ 74-1344. Flexible benefits plan - Expenses included - Income

exclusions and inclusions - Administration contracts with private

firms - Informational meeting.

A. The Board shall establish a flexible benefits plan. All

state employers as defined in Section 1342 of this title shall offer

the flexible benefits plan to employees.

B. Expenses included in an employee's salary adjustment

agreement pursuant to the flexible benefits plan shall be limited to

expenses for:

1. Dependent health insurance pursuant to the provisions of

Section 1309 of this title;

2. Insurance premiums or retirement plan premiums or payments

which are supplemental to insurance or retirement programs offered

by the State of Oklahoma or which are paid for under salary

adjustment agreements pursuant to the provisions of paragraph 1, 3

or 4 of subsection B of Section 7.10 of Title 62 of the Oklahoma

Statutes;

3. Dependent care;

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 74. State Government

4. Medical care as defined by the Board; or

5. All other eligible programs offered under Title 26, Section

125 et seq. of the Internal Revenue Code of the United States.

C. The amount by which an employee's salary is adjusted

pursuant to a salary adjustment agreement shall be excluded from

income in computation of income tax withholding, unemployment

payments and workers' compensation coverage. Such amount shall be

included as income in computation of state retirement contributions

and benefits. Provided, if the inclusions and exclusions provided

in this subsection conflict with the provisions of federal law or

regulations pertaining to flexible benefits plans, the Board is

authorized to modify or abolish such inclusions and exclusions.

D. The Administrator of the State and Education Employees Group

Insurance Board with approval of the Board shall promulgate rules,

regulations and procedures as necessary for implementation and

administration of the flexible benefits plan.

E. The Administrator of the State and Education Employees Group

Insurance Board under the direction of the Board shall contract with

one or more private firms or organizations to administer the

flexible benefits plan. The contract shall be made at no cost to

any employee of the State of Oklahoma.

F. All employers shall begin offering the flexible benefits

plan to employees not later than January 1, 1990.

G. No less than thirty (30) working days prior to the annual

deadline for making changes to state employees’ benefit packages,

all state agencies shall provide a one-day employee benefit

informational meeting. Representatives of vendors that have an

authorized payroll deduction for state employees pursuant to Section

7.10 of Title 62 of the Oklahoma Statutes or Section 1701 of this

title shall be invited and encouraged to attend these meetings to

provide benefit information and answer questions of state employees

related to health, financial planning and other benefits. Agencies

shall provide vendors with adequate space within which to meet with

employees. Agencies shall provide adequate notice of the meetings

to active and retired employees, and shall allow each active

employee to spend at least sixty (60) minutes during the workday to

attend the meetings. For those state government facilities that

operate twenty-four (24) hours a day, vendors shall be allowed

access to each shift.

Added by Laws 1989, c. 370, § 8, eff. July 1, 1989. Amended by Laws

1990, c. 244, § 12, eff. July 1, 1991; Laws 1991, c. 219, § 13,

emerg. eff. May 22, 1991; Laws 2005, c. 215, § 1, eff. July 1, 2005;

Laws 2006, c. 231, § 6, eff. July 1, 2006.