Section 2–103. A. The Director shall be appointed by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control Commission. The Director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control on January 1, 1984, shall be initially appointed as Director. The succeeding Director shall, at the time of the appointment, have a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university and at least five (5) years of experience in drug law enforcement. The Director may appoint necessary assistants, agents, and other personnel to perform the work of the office and may prescribe their titles and duties and fix their compensation pursuant to Merit System rules. The Director may appoint employees to the positions of Chief of Law Enforcement Information and Technology, Public Information/Education Officer, Training Officer, Program Administrators, Grants Administrator, Criminal Analysts, Legal Secretary, and Typist Clerk/Spanish Transcriptionists. The positions shall be unclassified and exempt from the rules and procedures of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, except leave regulations. The office of the Director shall be located at a suitable place in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

B. 1. Agents appointed by the Director shall have the powers of peace officers generally; provided, the Director may appoint special agents and reserve special agents, who shall be unclassified employees of the state, to meet specific investigatory needs. Special agents and reserve special agents shall not be required to meet the age and educational requirements as specified in this section.

2. Agents appointed on and after November 1, 1998, shall be at least twenty-one (21) years of age and shall have a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university.

3. Each entering agent, with the exception of special agents, shall be required to serve one (1) year in a probationary status as a prerequisite to being placed on permanent status.

C. Agents appointed pursuant to the provisions of this section shall have the responsibility of investigating alleged violations and shall have the authority to arrest those suspected of having violated the provisions of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act, as well as the crimes of money laundering and human trafficking, as otherwise set forth by laws of this state.

D. The Director may appoint reserve special agents who shall not be considered employees of the state and shall serve at the will of the Director. Reserve special agents shall complete a minimum of two hundred forty (240) hours of training pursuant to Section 3311 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes and may not serve more than one hundred forty (140) hours per calendar month. Upon completion of training, reserve special agents appointed by the Director shall have general peace officer powers and the authority to arrest those suspected of having violated the provisions of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act. The agency may expend funds related to training and special reserve agents may receive travel expenses pursuant to the State Travel Reimbursement Act.

E. A commissioned employee of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control shall be entitled to receive, upon retirement by reason of length of service, the continued custody and possession of the sidearm and badge carried by such employee immediately prior to retirement. In addition to the sidearm carried by the commissioned employee immediately prior to retirement, the commissioned employee may purchase the rifle or shotgun, or both, issued to the commissioned employee immediately prior to retirement upon approval from the Director. The cost to the commissioned employee of purchasing the firearm shall be the state-approved firearms vendor trade-in value, and upon payment of that price, the commissioned employee shall be entitled to ownership of the firearm. Any records regarding the ownership of each firearm transferred shall be modified to reflect the transfer to the commissioned employee. Proceeds from the purchase of the firearm shall be deposited in the Bureau of Narcotics Revolving Fund established pursuant to Section 2–107 of this title.

F. A commissioned employee of the Bureau may be entitled to receive, upon retirement by reason of disability, the continued custody and possession of the sidearm and badge carried by such employee immediately prior to retirement upon written approval of the Director.

G. Custody and possession of the sidearm and badge of a commissioned employee killed in the line of duty may be awarded by the Director to the spouse or next of kin of the deceased employee.

H. Custody and possession of the sidearm and badge of a commissioned employee who dies while employed at the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control may be awarded by the Director to the spouse or next of kin of the deceased employee.

I. Any Director appointed on or after July 1, 2003, shall be eligible to participate in either the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System or in the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System and shall make an irrevocable election in writing to participate in one of the two retirement systems.

J. Any employee of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control in a classified position under the Merit System of the Personnel Administration who is appointed Director, Deputy Director, Acting Director or Acting Deputy Director shall have a right to return to the highest previously held classified position without any loss of rights, privileges or benefits immediately upon completion of the duties of the employee, provided the employee is not otherwise disqualified.