OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Kevin Stitt signed legislation Wednesday that would provide access to legal service plans to Oklahoma state employees through a voluntary payroll deduction.

House Bill 2180 by Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, requires state agencies to make payroll deductions for the payment of any insurance premiums due a private insurance organization or service company at the request of the employee.

“You never know when you’ll need an attorney’s assistance, and when you do need one, you don’t want to add the stress of finding a quality attorney on top of your legal worries,” Johns said. “The change brought about by House Bill 2180 allows our state employees the option of opting into a subscription-based legal services they can utilize when necessary. I believe this will greatly benefit our state employees who choose to use this, and I’m grateful the Governor saw fit to sign it into law.”

HB2180 was carried in the Senate by Sen. Greg McCortney, R-Ada.

“House Bill 2180 updates our statutes so that state employees can better access prepaid legal service plans, such as those offered by companies like LegalShield, based in Ada,” McCortney said. “It was a pleasure to work with Representative Johns on this legislation, and I thank our fellow members and Governor Stitt for their support.”

Ada is the headquarters of LegalShield, a company that contracts with Oklahoma law firms to provide legal services for subscribers, which employs approximately 700 people.

“I appreciate the important role that LegalShield plays in our Ada community, and I want to thank their CEO Jeff Bell and Executive Vice President Keri Norris for working with us on this legislation,” Johns said. “House Bill 2180 opens more opportunities for economic growth for southeastern Oklahoma.”

HB2180 will go into effect Nov. 1, 2021.