A. Subject to the availability of funds, the State Board of Education shall provide an annual salary bonus in the amount of Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) no later than January 31 of each year to the following employees of public school districts:

1. Any school psychologist who has been designated as a Nationally Certified School Psychologist by the National School Psychology Certification Board; and

2. Any speech-language pathologist or audiologist who holds a Certificate of Clinical Competence awarded by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

B. The State Board of Education shall adopt rules for the provision of the bonus pursuant to this section to include, but not be limited to, a process by which a nationally certified school psychologist, speech-language pathologist and audiologist may verify that:

1. The individual is still employed by a school district;

2. The certification required in subsection A of this section has been attained and has not lapsed; and

3. The individual is licensed to practice in this state.

C. An individual who qualifies for the bonus pursuant to this section and who is employed by a school district on less than a full-time basis, shall receive a pro-rated bonus based on the proportionate equivalency to full-time employment.

D. No school or school district shall be liable for payment of bonuses pursuant to this section. The bonus shall not be included in the calculation of salary for purposes of meeting the district or statutory minimum salary schedule or for purposes of calculating Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma contributions or benefits.

E. The amount of the salary bonus pursuant to subsection A of this section shall be increased to Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00) upon implementation of subsection N of Section 6-204.2 of this title.

Added by Laws 2004, c. 311, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2004. Amended by Laws 2008, c. 186, § 3, eff. July 1, 2008.