A. The Board of Trustees of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System shall have the responsibility for management of the Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges and the State Judicial Retirement Fund. All benefits payable under The Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges, refunds of contributions and overpayments, purchases or investments under the law, and all expenses in connection with the System shall be paid from the Oklahoma Judicial Retirement Fund. The State Judicial Retirement Fund shall be invested and managed in the same manner as now or hereinafter provided by law for the investment and management of funds belonging to the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System. The Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges shall be an instrumentality of the State of Oklahoma. The System shall be vested with the powers and duties specified in this act and such other powers as may be necessary to enable it, its officers, employees, and agents to carry out fully and effectively the purposes and intent of this act.
1. The Board shall distribute the corpus and income of the System to the members and their beneficiaries in accordance with the System’s law. At no time prior to the satisfaction of all liabilities with respect to members and their beneficiaries shall any part of the corpus and income be used for, or diverted to, purposes other than the exclusive benefit of the members and their beneficiaries.
2. The Board may not engage in a transaction prohibited by Section 503(b) of the federal Internal Revenue Code.
3. The Board shall be responsible for the policies and rules for the general administration of the System, subject to the provisions of this act. Except as specifically provided in this act, the Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges shall generally be managed in the same manner as now or hereinafter provided by law or by rule for the management of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System.
4. The Board shall establish rules for the administration of the System and for the transaction of its business consistent with law, which rules shall be promulgated in compliance with the Administrative Procedures Act.
5. The Board may adopt all necessary actuarial tables to be used in the operation of the System as recommended by the actuary and may compile such additional data as may be necessary for required actuarial valuation calculations.
6. All decisions of the Board as to questions of fact shall be final and conclusive on all persons except for the right of review as provided by law and except for fraud or such gross mistake of fact as to have effect equivalent to fraud.
7. Any person who shall knowingly make any false statement, or who shall falsify or permit to be falsified any record necessary for carrying out the intent of this act for the purpose of committing fraud, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine not exceeding Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment for not exceeding one (1) year. Should any error in any records of the Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges result in any member or beneficiary receiving more or less than he or she would have been entitled to receive had the records been correct, the Board shall correct such error, and, as far as practicable, make future payments in such manner that the actuarial equivalent of the benefit to which such member or beneficiary was entitled shall be paid, and to this end, may recover any overpayments.
B. The Board of Trustees of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System shall compile a quarterly financial report of all the funds of the State Judicial Retirement Fund on a fiscal year basis. The report shall be compiled pursuant to uniform reporting standards prescribed by the Oklahoma State Pension Commission for all state retirement systems. The report shall include several relevant measures of investment value, including acquisition cost and current fair market value with appropriate summaries of total holdings and returns. The report shall contain combined and individual rate of returns of the investment managers by category of investment, over periods of time. The Board of Trustees shall include in the quarterly reports all commissions, fees or payments for investment services performed on behalf of the Board of Trustees with respect to the State Judicial Retirement Fund. The report shall be distributed to the Governor, the Oklahoma State Pension Commission, the Legislative Service Bureau, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. In lieu of compiling and distributing the quarterly report, the Board may provide the Pension Commission with direct access to the same data from the custodian bank for the System.
C. There is hereby created the Retirement Medical Benefit Fund. The fund shall be maintained as a subaccount of the State Judicial Retirement Fund. The Retirement Medical Benefit Fund is composed of all assets which may be contributed to this subaccount to pay the retirement system’s portion of the monthly retiree health insurance premium benefit described by Section 1316.2 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes. All such allocated assets and any earnings thereon in the Retirement Medical Benefit Fund shall be held for the exclusive purpose of providing retiree medical benefits. The Retirement Medical Benefit Fund is to be administered in accordance with the requirements of Section 401(h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time. The Board of Trustees may promulgate such rules as are necessary to implement the funding and administration of the fund pursuant to the provisions of this subsection.
D. After July 1 and before December 1 of each year, the Board of Trustees of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System shall publish widely an annual report presented in simple and easily understood language pursuant to uniform reporting standards prescribed by the Oklahoma State Pension Commission for all state retirement systems. The report shall be submitted to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Oklahoma State Pension Commission and the members of the System. The annual report shall cover the operation of the System during the past fiscal year, including income, disbursements, and the financial condition of the System at the end of the fiscal year. The annual report shall also contain the information issued in the quarterly reports required pursuant to subsection B of this section as well as a summary of the results of the most recent actuarial valuation to include total assets, total liabilities, unfunded liability or overfunded status, contributions and any other information deemed relevant by the Board of Trustees. The annual report shall be written in such a manner as to permit a readily understandable means for analyzing the financial condition and performance of the System for the fiscal year.
E. The Board shall adopt a cost of living adjustment actuarial assumption in its annual actuarial valuation report.
Added by Laws 1969, c. 328, § 4, emerg. eff. May 7, 1969. Amended by Laws 1983, c. 6, § 1, emerg. eff. Feb. 24, 1983; Laws 1988, c. 321, § 19, operative July 1, 1988; Laws 1995, c. 81, § 3, eff. July 1, 1995; Laws 1996, c. 55, § 1, eff. July 1, 1996; Laws 1999, c. 257, § 20, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2002, c. 391, § 5, eff. July 1, 2002; Laws 2003, c. 406, § 15, eff. July 1, 2003; Laws 2004, c. 536, § 12, eff. July 1, 2004; Laws 2008, c. 415, § 11, eff. July 1, 2008; Laws 2011, c. 379, § 4, eff. Sept. 1, 2011.
Structure Oklahoma Statutes
§20-1. Number of justices – Terms of office.
§20-2. Supreme court judicial districts.
§20-3. Justices elected - When.
§20-3.2. Creation - Membership - Staff - Reimbursement.
§20-3.3. Meetings - Changes in judicial compensation.
§20-3.4. State judiciary for whom compensation will be set.
§20-4. Office of Management and Enterprise Services to provide rooms and supplies.
§20-5. Justices not to be candidates for nonjudicial office.
§20-6. Effect of partial invalidity.
§20-9. Jury trial allowed, when.
§20-10.1. Supreme Court – Publicly available calendar of cases pending.
§20-12. Fees and costs - Attendance of witnesses.
§20-14.1. Entities authorized to issue bonds – Application to the Supreme Court for approval.
§20-15. Deposit to cover costs - Indigents.
§20-15.1. Appeals - Additional attorney fees.
§20-16. Mandate - When to issue without cost.
§20-16.1. Administrative Director of the Courts.
§20-16.4. Assistance to Judicial Nominating Commission.
§20-16.5. Travel and lodging expenses of Nominating Commissioneers - Reimbursement - Approval.
§20-16.7. Secretary to presiding judge of judicial administrative district.
§20-22. Division of state into judicial administrative districts.
§20-23. Authorization to make rules or orders relating to District Courts.
§20-24. Rule-making authority not limited.
§20-25. Promulgation of rules to promote transparency of the judicial selection process.
§20-30.1. Establishment - Jurisdiction - Certiorari.
§20-30.2. Number of divisions - Number of judges - Assignment and transfer.
§20-30.3. Disqualification of judge.
§20-30.4. Procedure and practice - Costs.
§20-30.5. Opinions - Publications.
§20-30.11. Congressional Districts.
§20-30.14. Additional divisions of Court of Appeals.
§20-30.15. Election or appointment of Judges - Experience and qualifications - Terms of office.
§20-30.16. Judge's declaration of candidacy - Ballot question.
§20-30.18. Election and term of Judges.
§20-30.19. Judges' contribution to, or holding office in political party prohibited.
§20-31. Judges - Qualifications - Salaries.
§20-32. When court or members disqualified.
§20-33. Districts - Nomination, appointment and retention of Judges.
§20-35. Term of office of Judges - Organization of Court of Criminal Appeals.
§20-37.1. Legal secretary as marshal.
§20-38. Clerk of court - Deposit to cover costs.
§20-40. Appellate jurisdiction.
§20-41. Habeas corpus and other writs - Rules of court.
§20-42. May ascertain jurisdictional facts.
§20-43. Trial by jury in contempt proceedings, when.
§20-44. Return of mandate when lower court loses jurisdiction.
§20-45. Costs in cases less than felonies.
§20-46. Attestation of process.
§20-48. Opinions to be delivered to reporter.
§20-49. Opinions - Form - Filing.
§20-55. Qualification rules for court-appointed attorney.
§20-60.4. Opinions or decisions of Emergency Appellate Division.
§20-61. Court of Criminal Appeals Revolving Fund.
§20-71. Assistants may administer oaths and issue certificates.
§20-72. Quarterly accounting to Administrative Director.
§20-73.5. Copies of opinions - Cost - Free copies - Disposition of monies.
§20-78. Clerk of the Supreme Court - Appointment - Duties.
§20-79. Deputies and other employees.
§20-80. Judge for directing, managing and maintaining Oklahoma Court Fund Collection System.
§20-81. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.
§20-91.1. District courts as successors to jurisdiction of various other courts.
§20-91.3. Associate district judges and special judges.
§20-91.4. Reference to county judge.
§20-91.5. Transfer of records of abolished courts - Liens.
§20-91.7. Business court divisions.
§20-91.8. Local rules and administrative orders.
§20-92.1. Judicial districts - District judges.
§20-92.8a. District No. 7 - Election of judges.
§20-92.8b. Judicial District No. 7 - Elections.
§20-92.8e. District No. 7 - County of Oklahoma - Electoral divisions.
§20-92.15a. District No. 14 - Election of judges.
§20-92.15d. District No. 14 - Counties of Tulsa and Pawnee - Electoral divisions.
§20-92.25. Okfuskee, Okmulgee and Creek Counties.
§20-92.28. Electoral divisions of District Nos. 7 and 14 - Description and maps.
§20-95.1. Places of holding district court.
§20-95.2. Holding court in more than one city in a county - Name.
§20-95.3. Time clerk's office open in cities other than county seat.
§20-95.4. Transfer of actions.
§20-95.5. Petitions filed in city not the county seat - Notice - Liens.
§20-95.6. Assignment and transfer of cases.
§20-95.7. Continuing authority of Judge to whom case assigned.
§20-95.8. Associate District Judges - Hearing of cases
§20-95.10. Appointment of different judge in event of reversal or remand - Exception.
§20-96. Jury sessions - Motion and demurrer sessions - When and how held.
§20-97. Provisions of act severable.
§20-98. Decision of cases pending on change of district.
§20-101. Two or more courts in county and district.
§20-101.1. Orders and other acts outside county in which cause pending.
§20-103.1. Temporary judge or judge pro tempore - Authority - Per diem and expenses.
§20-105.1. Expenses of judges and court reporters within or without their district.
§20-106.1. Court reporters - Determination of number needed.
§20-106.2. Appointment of reporters - Oath.
§20-106.3-1. Former reporters for superior courts - Enrollment without examination.
§20-106.3B. Persons qualified for appointment as court reporter.
§20-106.4. Duties of reporter - Methods - Transcripts.
§20-106.4a. Transcripts - Access to copies - Costs.
§20-106.5. Admissibility of transcripts as evidence.
§20-106.6. Assignment of reporters - Expenses.
§20-106.9. Court reporters - Salaries.
§20-106.10. Establishing status of certain court reporters.
§20-106.11. Status of reporters employed by Corporation Commission.
§20-106.12. Status of certain court reporters.
§20-106.13. District court shorthand reporters - Status as certified shorthand reporters.
§20-107.2. Reports to Supreme Court - Consolidated payroll - Travel claims.
§20-120. Supervision of district courts by district judges.
§20-121.1. Qualifications for associate district judges.
§20-121.2. Associate District Judges - Salary determination.
§20-123. Jurisdiction of special judges.
§20-124. Objections to determinations by special judges - Validity of orders and judgments.
§20-126. Trial court administrators - Duties - Appointment - Qualifications - Salary.
§20-127. Judicial and District Attorney Redistricting Task Force - Members - Meetings - Staff.
§20-128. Juvenile court case managers.
§20-129. Judicial firearms permits.
§20-130. Videoconferencing authorized in district courts - Exceptions.
§20-641. Transfer on creation or alteration of county.
§20-642. Procedure for transfer.
§20-643. Jurisdiction assumed.
§20-1002. Destruction of files and records in misdemeanor and traffic cases.
§20-1003. Purpose of act - Permanent docket sheet.
§20-1005.1. Destruction of paper records after recording on other medium or passage of certain time.
§20-1006. Destruction of certain records and reporter's notes - Limitations.
§20-1007. Destruction or sale of documents by court clerk.
§20-1008. Destruction of depositions.
§20-1009. Destruction of office files of deceased attorneys.
§20-1010. Destruction of deceased court reporter's notes.
§20-1101.1. Establishment as qualified retirement plan under Internal Revenue Code.
§20-1102. Eligibility for retirement - Vacancies - Reemployment - Calculation of post-retirement.
§20-1102.2. Military service credit.
§20-1102A. Disability retirement - Amount - Survivor benefits - Determination of benefits.
§20-1102B. Benefits for surviving spouse of certain Justices or judges.
§20-1102C. Retirement benefit options.
§20-1103. Contributions - Oklahoma Judicial Retirement Fund - Returns.
§20-1103.1. Additional contributions - Minimum funded ratio - Reporting.
§20-1103.2. Limit on employee contributions – Purchase of service credit - Rollovers.
§20-1103.3. Deduction of employee contributions – Picked up contributions.
§20-1103A. Survivor benefits for spouse.
§20-1103C. Reinstatement of service credit.
§20-1103D. State Supernumerary Judges - Abolition.
§20-1103F. Credit for service accumulated in other retirement systems.
§20-1103G. Service credit - Computation of purchase price.
§20-1103H. Study on restructuring the Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges.
§20-1104. Retirement compensation.
§20-1104.1. Maximum benefits permitted – Qualified governmental excess benefit arrangements.
§20-1104.2. Distribution requirements.
§20-1104A. Accrual of retirement benefits - Increase of benefits - Minimum amount.
§20-1104B. Per diem and mileage.
§20-1104D. Increase in benefits for certain judges.
§20-1104E. Increase in retirement benefits.
§20-1104G. Increase in benefits - Amount.
§20-1104H. Uniform Retirement System for Justices - Increase in benefits.
§20-1104I. Increase in benefits - July 1, 2006.
§20-1104J. Increase in benefits - July 1, 2008 - Offset.
§20-1104K. Increase in benefits – July 1, 2020 - Offset.
§20-1105. Office of State Supernumerary Judges abolished - Retirement of Justices or Judges.
§20-1107. Assignment of certain retired Justices and judges to judicial duties.
§20-1109. "Justice or judge" to include Administrative Director of the Courts.
§20-1110. Termination of plan.
§20-1201. Establishment - Free use.
§20-1202. Quarterly transfer of money to Law Library Fund - Purchases - Branch libraries.
§20-1203. Law Library Fund - Use.
§20-1204. Board of Law Library Trustees.
§20-1205. Officers of Board of Law Library Trustees.
§20-1207. Trustees - Honorary office.
§20-1208. Powers of Board of Law Library Trustees.
§20-1209. Claims, orders and demands - Filing - Payment - Contracts - Limitation.
§20-1211. Meetings of board of law library trustees.
§20-1213. Acceptance of Act by resolution - Discontinuance.
§20-1215. Transfer of monies to court fund for purchases and maintenance.
§20-1219. Photographic or chemical reproduction apparatus - Rules.
§20-1221. Court clerk as custodian - Duties.
§20-1224. Transfer of surplus funds from Law Library Fund.
§20-1225. Enforcement of provisions.
§20-1226. Amount of transfers to fund specified.
§20-1227. Law Library Revolving Fund - Authorized expenditures.
§20-1301. Deposit of fees, fines, costs and forfeitures - Bond.
§20-1302. Governing board of Court Fund.
§20-1304. Claims allowable - Approval - Limitation on courthouse building.
§20-1304A. Publication of court dockets in certain counties - Payment of expenses.
§20-1305. Quarters for special judges.
§20-1307. Report of receipts, expenses and transfers.
§20-1308. Deposits in State Judicial Retirement Fund and State Judicial Fund.
§20-1309. Time allowed for transfer of remittances to proper fund.
§20-1310.1. Supreme Court Revolving Fund - Creation.
§20-1310.2. State Judicial Revolving Fund.
§20-1310.3. Supreme Court Administrative Revolving Fund.
§20-1311. Transfer of funds for jury trials.
§20-1312. Audit of court fund and law library fund.
§20-1313.2. Definitions - Fees in addition to fine.
§20-1313.3. Fingerprinting fee - Deposits - Definitions.
§20-1313.4. Forensic Science Improvement Revolving Fund – Assessment – Collection.
§20-1313.5. Penalty assessment in addition to penalties for certain traffic offenses.
§20-1314. Equipment - Surplus property - Microfilming and storage of records.
§20-1315. Oklahoma Court Information System - Oklahoma Court Information System Revolving Fund.
§20-1315.1. Management Information Services Division.
§20-1315.2a. Court Information System - Accounting System.
§20-1315.3. Project manager for Oklahoma Court Information System.
§20-1315.4. Addition of counties to Oklahoma Court Information System networks.
§20-1315.5. Joint development projects with computer software vendors.
§20-1315.6. Contracts with county court clerks to reconcile funds paid on certain cases - Claims.
§20-1315.7. Monitoring of compliance with act.
§20-1401. Disqualification of trial judge.
§20-1402. Recusal or disqualification of appellate judges – Appointment by Governor.
§20-1403. Disqualification of judge, claim of - Mandamus.
§20-1404. Additional grounds for removal of judicial officer.
§20-1404.1. Candidate for judicial office - Standards of conduct - Removal - Disqualification.
§20-1501. State Board of Examiners of Certified Shorthand Reporters.
§20-1503. Examination for certification – Types of certification.
§20-1503.1. Continuing education.
§20-1505. Licenses from other states – National certification.
§20-1507. Deposit of fees - Withdrawals.
§20-1508. Metal seals - Use of abbreviations - Powers of certified reporters.
§20-1512. Videotape transcripts.
§20-1513. Prohibited acts - Penalties.
§20-1602.1. Power to reformulate question.
§20-1603.1. Certification order - Record.
§20-1604. Contents of certification order.
§20-1604.1. Notice - Response.
§20-1606. Costs of certification.
§20-1611. Uniformity of application and construction.
§20-1651.1. Funding for professional and educational programs.
§20-1652. Council on Judicial Complaints.
§20-1655. Administrative Director.
§20-1656. Oath - Officers – Rules - Reports.
§20-1657. Compensation - Travel expenses.
§20-1658. Investigation of complaints.
§20-1659. Filing of petition invoking jurisdiction of Court on the Judiciary.
§20-1661. Disqualification of council member.
§20-1662. Office supplies - Transfer of office materials.
§20-1663. Council on Judicial Complaints Revolving Fund.
§20-1701. State Board of Examiners of Certified Courtroom Interpreters.
§20-1702. Duties and powers of Board.
§20-1704. Continuing education - Exemptions.
§20-1705. Certification from other states or federal.
§20-1706. Certification from other national entities.
§20-1708. Use of C.C.I. abbreviation.
§20-1709. Conflicts of interest.
§20-1710. Good cause for services of registered or non-certified persons.
§20-3002. Designation of parties to appeals - Position in caption.
§20-3004. Electronic filing of documents.
§20-3005. Judge Gary Dean Courtroom Technology Act.