Oklahoma § 74-935.5 - Employer match

§ 74-935.5. Employer match

A. Except as otherwise provided by subsection B of this

section, employers of employees who become participants in the

defined contribution retirement system shall match the employee

contribution paid on a monthly or more frequent basis at the rate of

six percent (6.0%) based on the same compensation amount used to

compute the employee contribution amount.

B. If an employee selects a contribution rate of seven percent

(7.0%) or more, but not higher than allowed pursuant to the maximum

annual contribution limit prescribed by Section 415 of the Internal

Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, the employer matching amount shall

be seven percent (7.0%).

C. The initial four and five-tenths percent (4.5%) employee

contribution shall be the only mandatory contribution of an employee

participating in the defined contribution retirement system created

by this act. These funds shall be placed by the System in either a

401(a) plan or a 457(b) plan, to be determined by the Board to

maintain the plan consistent with the Internal Revenue Code. Any

employee contributions eligible to be matched under this section

over the four and five-tenths percent (4.5%) initial contribution

shall be considered voluntary deferrals of compensation and placed

in a 457(b) plan. All employer matching funds shall be placed in a

401(a) plan.

Any contribution rate that is more than the four and five-tenths

percent (4.5%) rate can be chosen by the participating employee upon

the employee's initial participation, and can be changed once per

month. The employee contribution rate chosen shall continue until

the employee elects to change the contribution rate or terminates

service or retires.

D. The employer match as set forth in subsection A of this

section may be increased at any time by the Legislature without

affecting the then-existing rights of participating employees and

beneficiaries in order to encourage participating employees to

accumulate deferred income reserves for themselves and their

dependents. The employer match may be decreased at any time by the

Legislature without affecting the then-existing rights of

participating employees and beneficiaries in order to provide

funding as may be needed to reduce the unfunded liabilities of the

defined benefit plan as set forth in Section 901 et seq. of this

title, but shall not be less than six percent (6.0%) for any year

during which the defined contribution plan is maintained.

Added by Laws 2014, c. 375, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 2014. Amended by Laws

2015, c. 303, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2015; Laws 2016, c. 267, § 1, eff.

Nov. 1, 2016.