The Oklahoma Senate on Wednesday sent Gov. Kevin Stitt a bill that would increase longevity pay for state employees.
Senate Bill 169, by Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, would increase longevity pay by 50% across all years of service.
Longevity pay is an annual lump sum full-time employees receive based on years of service. Supporters say it is used to attract and retain state employees.
Payments start at $250 a year for state employees with the least longevity and grow to $2,000 for those who have worked for the state for at least 20 years.
Oklahoma has between 31,000 and 32,000 state employees.
The fiscal impact is expected to fluctuate, but increasing the pay is expected to cost $15.2 million in fiscal year 2027, and $16.4 million in budget year 2028, according to a legislative fiscal analysis.
The measure passed the Senate by a vote of 37-8 with no debate.
According to a recent report, state employees are paid 48.05% below market.
Overall, most state employees have not received a pay raise since 2019.
House Bill 2958, which called for a 9% state employee pay raise at a cost of $174 million, failed to make it through the legislative process.
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