1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 SENATE BILL 1333 By: Hall
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to workers’ compensation; amending 85
7 O.S. 2021, Section 380, which relates to the
8 Volunteer Firefighter Group Insurance Pool;
8 establishing transfer of the Pool to the Office of
9 Management and Enterprise Services; requiring certain
9 funds to remain with CompSource Mutual Insurance
10 Company; providing for purchase of certain insurance
10 for certain volunteer fire departments; directing
11 premium payment by certain state entities; increasing
11 contributions to certain premium; establishing
12 reporting and notice requirements; prohibiting
12 certain financial information from use for certain
13 bid determinations; providing for premium increases
13 of certain amount per annum; updating statutory
14 language; updating statutory reference; providing for
14 recodification; providing an effective date; and
15 declaring an emergency.
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17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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18 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 85 O.S. 2021, Section 380, is
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19 amended to read as follows:
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20 Section 380. A. 1. Volunteer Except as provided for in
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21 subsections E though I of this section, volunteer fire departments
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22 organized pursuant to state law may obtain workers’ compensation
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23 insurance for volunteer firefighters through the Volunteer
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24 Firefighter Group Insurance Pool pursuant to requirements
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 1 established by CompSource Mutual Insurance Company which shall
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2 administer the Pool. For the premium set by CompSource Mutual
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3 Insurance Company, the state shall provide Fifty-five Dollars
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4 ($55.00) per firefighter per year. Except as otherwise provided by
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5 subsection D of this section, the total amount paid by the state
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6 shall not exceed Three Hundred Twenty Thousand Three Hundred Thirty-
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7 eight Dollars ($320,338.00) per year or so much thereof as may be
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8 necessary to fund the Volunteer Firefighter Group Insurance Pool.
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9 2. CompSource Mutual Insurance Company shall collect the
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10 premium from state agencies, public trusts, and other
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11 instrumentalities of the state. Any funds received by CompSource
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12 Mutual Insurance Company from any state agency, public trust, or
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13 other instrumentality for purposes of workers’ compensation
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14 insurance pursuant to this section shall be deposited to the credit
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15 of the Volunteer Firefighter Group Insurance Pool. CompSource
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16 Mutual Insurance Company shall collect premiums, pay claims, and
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17 provide for excess insurance as needed.
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18 B. CompSource Mutual Insurance Company shall electronically
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19 report, annually, to the Governor, the Speaker of the Oklahoma House
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20 of Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the State
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21 Senate the number of enrollees in the Volunteer Firefighter Group
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22 Insurance Pool, and the amount of any anticipated surplus or
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23 deficiency of the Pool; and shall also provide to the Governor, the
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24 Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the President
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 1 Pro Tempore of the State Senate sixty (60) days days’ advance notice
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2 of any proposed change in rates for the Volunteer Firefighter Group
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3 Insurance Pool.
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4 C. The amount of claims paid, claim expenses, underwriting
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5 losses, loss ratio, or any other financial aspect of the Volunteer
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6 Firefighter Group Insurance Pool shall not be considered when
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7 determining or considering bids for the amount of any premiums,
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8 rates, or expenses owed by, or any discounts, rebates, dividends, or
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9 other financial benefits owed to any other policyholder of
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10 CompSource Mutual Insurance Company.
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11 D. Except as otherwise provided by law, any increase in the
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12 state payment rate for volunteer firefighters under the Volunteer
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13 Firefighter Group Insurance Pool shall not exceed five percent (5%)
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14 per annum. Any proposed change in rates for the Volunteer
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15 Firefighter Group Insurance Pool must be approved by the Board of
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16 Directors of CompSource Mutual Insurance Company with notice
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17 provided pursuant to subsection B of this section. CompSource
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18 Mutual Insurance Company shall not increase premiums for the
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19 Volunteer Firefighter Group Insurance Pool more than once per annum.
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20 E. 1. The provisions of subsections A through D of this
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21 section shall apply only to workers’ compensation claims for
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22 volunteer firefighters incurred prior to the effective date of this
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23 act.
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 1 2. Not later than the effective date of this act, the Volunteer
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2 Firefighter Group Insurance Pool shall be transferred to the Office
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3 of Management and Enterprise Services Comprehensive Professional
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4 Risk Management Program. Provided, existing reserves from the Pool
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5 shall remain with CompSource Mutual Insurance Company for the
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6 purpose of managing claims incurred prior to the effective date of
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7 this act. All claims incurred on and after the effective date of
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8 this act shall be administered by the Office.
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9 F. 1. Volunteer fire departments organized pursuant to state
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10 law may obtain workers’ compensation insurance for volunteer
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11 firefighters through the Volunteer Firefighter Group Insurance Pool
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12 pursuant to requirements established by the Office’s Comprehensive
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13 Professional Risk Management Program.
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14 2. The Office shall collect a premium of One Hundred Twenty
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15 Dollars ($120.00) per firefighter per year from state agencies,
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16 public trusts, and other instrumentalities of the state. Any funds
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17 received by the Office from any state agency, public trust, or other
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18 instrumentality for purposes of workers’ compensation insurance
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19 pursuant to this section shall be deposited to the credit of the
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20 Volunteer Firefighter Group Insurance Pool. The Office shall
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21 collect premiums, pay claims, and provide for excess insurance as
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22 needed.
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23 G. The Office shall electronically report, annually, to the
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24 Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
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 1 President Pro Tempore of the Senate the number of enrollees in the
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2 Volunteer Firefighter Group Insurance Pool, and the amount of any
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3 anticipated surplus or deficiency of the Pool; and shall also
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4 provide to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of
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5 Representatives, and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate sixty
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6 (60) days’ advance notice of any proposed change in rates for the
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7 Volunteer Firefighter Group Insurance Pool.
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8 H. The amount of claims paid, claim expenses, underwriting
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9 losses, loss ratio, or any other financial aspect of the Volunteer
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10 Firefighter Group Insurance Pool shall not be considered when
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11 determining or considering bids for the amount of any premiums,
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12 rates, or expenses owed by, or any discounts, rebates, dividends, or
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13 other financial benefits owed to any other policyholder of the
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14 Office.
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15 I. Except as otherwise provided by law, any increase in the
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16 state payment rate for volunteer firefighters under the Volunteer
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17 Firefighter Group Insurance Pool shall not exceed five percent (5%)
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18 per annum. Any proposed change in rates for the Volunteer
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19 Firefighter Group Insurance Pool must be approved by the Director of
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20 the Office with notice provided pursuant to subsection G of this
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21 section. The Office shall not increase premiums for the Volunteer
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22 Firefighter Group Insurance Pool more than once per annum.
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23 J. For purposes of this section, the term “volunteer fire
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24 departments” includes those volunteer fire departments which have
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 1 authorized voluntary or uncompensated workers rendering services as
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2 firefighters and are created by statute pursuant to Section 592 of
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3 Title 18 of the Oklahoma Statutes, Sections 29-201 through 29-204
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4 29-206 of Title 11 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and those defined by
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5 Section 351 of Title 19 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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6 SECTION 2. RECODIFICATION 85 O.S. 2021, Section 380, as
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7 amended by Section 1 of this act, shall be recodified as Section
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8 85.59 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes, unless there is created
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9 a duplication in numbering.
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10 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2024.
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11 SECTION 4. 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 59-2-2840 RD 12/14/2023 2:08:00 PM
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