Allocates funds for Teacher Retirement Credit.

Status: Governor signed 4/24/2003; effective 7/1/2003

Lottery Bill; establishes lottery to fund education; 5% of the proceeds would go to the Teachers’ Retirement System Dedicated Revenue Revolving Fund.
Status: Legislative referendum sent to Secretary of State 4/10/2003

Changes vesting from 10 to 5 years; provides a small interest payment to members if a member terminates with fewer than 7 years of membership & withdraws contributions; makes TRS membership optional for OU & OSU employees who are age 45 & older when they are first employed at those universities and/or their constituent agencies; allows TRS Board of Trustees to establish a disability option similar to the 100% joint survivor benefit, which would let a disabled member choose a reduced benefit to protect his or her spouse.
Status: Governor signed 5/29/2003; effective 7/1/2003

Provides that superintendents of the Oklahoma School for the Blind in Muskogee & the Oklahoma School for the Deaf in Sulphur will be unclassified state employees, eligible but not required to join TRS; specifies hiring of instructional & administrative personnel for these schools, and provides for their membership in TRS.
Status: Governor signed 4/16/2003; effective 7/1/2003

Partial Lump Sum Option (PLSO) plan; lets retiring members with at least 30 years of service choose an up-front lump sum payment equal to 12, 24, or 36 months of retirement benefits & then receive a reduced monthly check for life.
Status: Governor signed 5/29/2003; effective 7/1/2003

Requires TRS to provide members with applications to join retired teacher organizations with at least 1,000 members; organizations to provide applications to TRS.
Status: Governor signed 5/23/2003; effective 7/1/2003

Allows school districts to share personnel, with each district paying a pro rata share of TRS cont
Status: Governor signed 6/9/2003; effective 7/1/2003

Requires feasibility study by TRS & other retirement systems concerning payment of retiree healthcare costs; study report due by November 1, 2003.
Status: Governor signed 5/26/2003; effective upon Governor's signature.

RS retirees cannot enroll in the state health insurance plan if they did not participate in the plan while employed or if the school did not participate.
Status: Governor signed 4/28/2003; effective 7/1/2003

Increases to 12 years (from 8) the maximum time TRS members absent from teaching because they are education association officers can retain their TRS memberships & earn service credits for those years, if employee & employer contributions are paid during that time.
Status: Governor signed 6/7/2003; effective 1/1/200