1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 HOUSE BILL 3840 By: Pittman
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to mental health; establishing the
7 Governor's Office of Faith-based and Community
8 Initiatives; providing the purpose of the office;
8 providing for nonprofit partnering; providing for
9 administration of the office; authorizing eligibility
9 for retirement participation; authorizing eligibility
10 for health benefits; requiring reports to the
10 Governor and Legislature; providing for codification;
11 and providing an effective date.
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14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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15 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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16 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-160 of Title 43A, unless there
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17 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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18 There is hereby established a "Governor's Office of Faith-based
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19 and Community Initiatives" (OFBCI), referred to as the "Office" in
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20 this act.
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21 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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22 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-161 of Title 43A, unless there
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23 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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 1 In order to maximize the effectiveness of state government
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2 through collaboration with faith-based and community initiatives to
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3 serve Oklahomans with respect to public purposes, such as improving
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4 public safety, overcoming addiction, strengthening families and
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5 communities, and overcoming poverty, the Office shall, to the extent
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6 permitted by law:
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7 1. Promote and foster the development of relationships and
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8 coordination between state government and faith-based and community
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9 initiatives and serve as a resource for and liaison between state
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10 government and such initiatives;
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11 2. Coordinate activities designed to mobilize public support
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12 for faith-based and community initiatives through volunteerism,
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13 special projects, and public-private partnerships;
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14 3. Raise ideas and policy options to the Governor that would
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15 assist, strengthen, expand, or replicate successful faith-based and
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16 community programs;
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17 4. Ensure that state government decisions and programs are
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18 consistent with the goal of partnering with faith-based and
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19 community initiatives when doing so is in the public interest, and
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20 monitor how such decisions and programs affect faith-based and
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21 community initiatives;
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22 5. Work with state, local, and community policymakers,
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23 volunteers, and public officials to facilitate coordination with and
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24 empowerment of faith-based and other community organizations where
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 1 doing so would improve such groups' service to the communities
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2 involved; and
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3 6. Showcase and herald successful and innovative faith-based
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4 and community organizations and civic initiatives.
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5 SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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6 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-162 of Title 43A, unless there
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7 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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8 A. The Office may partner with a nonprofit public benefit
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9 corporation that is organized to maximize the effectiveness of
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10 faith-based and community initiatives in serving Oklahomans with
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11 respect to public purposes, in order to carry out the purposes of
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12 the Office.
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13 B. The Governor shall select the members of the board of
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14 directors of the nonprofit partner. The nonprofit partner's board
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15 may select its own chair. The nonprofit partner shall have an
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16 executive director, who is selected by the Governor.
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17 C. The nonprofit partner shall be properly incorporated under
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18 the laws of the State of Oklahoma and approved by the Internal
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19 Revenue Service as an organization that is exempt from federal
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20 income tax under Section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and
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21 Title 26 U.S.C. Section 501(a), by virtue of being an organization
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22 described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and
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23 Title 26 U.S.C. Section 501(c)(3).
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 1 D. The nonprofit partner may receive and solicit funds from the
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2 general public.
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3 E. A state employee shall not receive compensation from funds
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4 received by the nonprofit partner.
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5 F. The nonprofit partner may exercise all powers authorized by
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6 the State of Oklahoma.
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7 G. The nonprofit partner may receive staff and other assistance
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8 from any department, agency, board or commission, or other division
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9 of state government.
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10 H. Subject to existing statutes, rules, and policies, the
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11 nonprofit partner may enter into agreements with state government
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12 for procurement of office space, supplies, and other items, as
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13 necessary to effectively carry out the purposes of this act.
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14 SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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15 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-163 of Title 43A, unless there
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16 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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17 A. For administrative purposes, the Office is attached to the
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18 Oklahoma Finance Division.
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19 B. Any department, agency, board or commission, or other
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20 division of state government may provide staff and other assistance
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21 to the Office, and all departments, agencies, boards and
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22 commissions, and other divisions of state government shall fully
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23 cooperate with the Office and shall provide staff support and other
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 1 assistance as reasonably required, subject to existing statutes,
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2 rules, and policies.
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3 C. The Office may enter into such contractual and promotional
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4 agreements necessary to maximize the effectiveness of state
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5 government through collaboration with faith-based and community
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6 initiatives to serve Oklahomans with respect to public purposes.
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7 D. The Office may work with local governments, private
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8 organizations, and citizens as it plans and engages in activities
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9 related to the Office.
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10 SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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11 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-164 of Title 43A, unless there
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12 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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13 A. The nonprofit partner shall be eligible to be a
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14 participating employer in the Oklahoma retirement system upon
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15 passage of a resolution by the nonprofit's board of directors
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16 authorizing:
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17 1. An actuarial study; and
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18 2. Participation, and accepting the liability as a result of
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19 the participation, by its full-time employees.
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20 B. The employees of the nonprofit partner shall make the same
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21 contributions, participate in the same manner, and are eligible for
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22 the same benefits as employees of local governments participating in
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23 the retirement system.
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 1 C. The employees of the nonprofit partner are entitled to
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2 credit for prior service, as approved by the board of directors of
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3 the nonprofit, under the same provisions that apply to employees of
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4 local governments.
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5 D. The retirement system is not liable for the payment of
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6 retirement allowances or other payments on account of employees of
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7 the nonprofit partner, or the beneficiaries of such employees, for
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8 which reserves have not been previously created from funds
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9 contributed by the nonprofit partner, its employees, or the
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10 nonprofit partner and its employees.
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11 E. In case of the withdrawal of the nonprofit partner as a
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12 participating employer, the benefits of the members and
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13 beneficiaries shall be determined in accordance with Section 910 of
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14 Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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15 F. All costs associated with retirement coverage, including
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16 administrative costs, are the responsibility of the nonprofit
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17 partner.
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18 SECTION 6. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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19 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-165 of Title 43A, unless there
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20 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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21 The nonprofit partner may participate, the same as an eligible
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22 quasi-governmental organization, in the health insurance plan
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23 authorized under Section 1301 et. seq. of Title 74 of the Oklahoma
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24 Statutes, to provide health insurance for its employees, as long as
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 1 such nonprofit partner satisfies each of the requirements of Section
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2 1301 et. seq. of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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3 SECTION 7. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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4 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-166 of Title 43A, unless there
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5 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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6 A. The nonprofit partner shall annually submit to the Governor,
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7 the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, and the Speaker of
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8 the Oklahoma House of Representatives, within ninety (90) days after
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9 the end of its fiscal year, a report setting forth its operation and
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10 accomplishments.
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11 B. The nonprofit partner is subject to examination and audit by
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12 the comptroller of the Treasury in the same manner as prescribed for
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13 departments and agencies of the state.
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14 SECTION 8. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
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16 59-2-9645 TJ 01/11/24
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