Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

                              STATE OF OKLAHOMA
                  1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
  HOUSE BILL 2943                        By: McCall of the House
                                                       and
                                                Treat of the Senate
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                                AS INTRODUCED
         An Act relating to higher education; amending 70 O.S.
            2011, Section 3213, as amended by Section 627,
        Chapter 304, O.S.L. 2012 and Section 1, Chapter 252,
            O.S.L. 2012 (70 O.S. Supp. 2020, Sections 3213 and
        3213.2), which relate to the University Center of
            Southern Oklahoma; renaming University Center of
        Southern Oklahoma; transferring control of certain
            funds and accounts; designating the Board of Regents
        of Murray State College as the administrative agency;
            dissolving certain board of trustees; updating
        references to name; amending 70 O.S. 2011, Section
            3407.2, which relates to the Board of Regents of
        Murray State College; updating Board name; modifying
            membership of the Board; transferring the University
        Center of Southern Oklahoma to Murray State College;
            listing items included in the transfer; transferring
        title to buildings, improvements and real property;
            providing for codification; and declaring an
        emergency.
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 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
     SECTION 1.       AMENDATORY     70 O.S. 2011, Section 3213, as
 amended by Section 627, Chapter 304, O.S.L. 2012 (70 O.S. Supp.
 2020, Section 3213), is amended to read as follows:
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     Req. No. 8037                                                       Page 1
      Section 3213.   A.   The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
  Education shall make educational program resources at institutions
  in The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education available to the
  people in the Ardmore area which resources shall be known as the
  University Center of Southern Oklahoma through a branch campus of
  Murray State College known as "Murray State College at Ardmore".
  The State Regents shall draw upon the educational programs of
  institutions best suited to provide the kind of educational programs
  needed and shall, in pursuance of Article XIII-A of the Constitution
 of Oklahoma and appropriate statutes, set the standards of education
 as they relate to the programs operated to assure that credits
 earned by students will be fully accepted at institutions of higher
 education to which the students may transfer the credit to apply
 toward an educational study objective.    The State Regents may
 establish appropriate funds and accounts, including a revolving
 fund, in the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for
 servicing the fiscal operations of the University Center of Southern
 Oklahoma.   Such funds Funds and accounts established for servicing
 the fiscal operations of the institution formerly known as the
 University Center of Southern Oklahoma shall be subject to the
 direct supervision, management, and control of the board of trustees
 created by Board of Regents of Murray State College as provided in
 subsection B of this section.    The people locally shall provide
 suitable physical plant accommodations for the program.
     Req. No. 8037                                                       Page 2
      B.   There is hereby created a board of ten (10) trustees to be
  appointed by the Governor by and with the consent of the Senate to
  The Board of Regents of Murray State College created in Section
  3407.2 of this title shall serve as the administrative agency for
  the institution formerly known as the University Center of Southern
  Oklahoma, now known as Murray State College at Ardmore pursuant to
  Section 4 of this act.   The board shall be a body corporate and
  shall adopt and use an official seal.   The board so created shall
  have the authority to submit a budget annually to the Oklahoma State
 Regents for Higher Education, administer monies budgeted by the
 State Regents, negotiate agreements with institutions for courses
 and programs of study approved by the State Regents, provide
 educational facilities, recommend courses and programs to be offered
 by participating institutions, select a chief executive officer
 whose duties include the general coordination of approved programs
 and services and the selection of other appropriate nonteaching
 personnel.   The board of trustees is authorized to expend all monies
 allocated to the University Center of Southern Oklahoma as may be
 necessary to perform the duties and responsibilities imposed upon
 the board by this section.   For purposes of acquiring and taking
 title to real and personal property from sources other than state
 appropriations, the board is authorized to enter into contracts and
 to adopt rules and regulations pertaining to such actions.   The
 initial nine members shall serve their terms for the period to which
     Req. No. 8037                                                      Page 3
  originally appointed, in numbered positions having dates of
  expiration identical to the dates of expiration of the original
  appointments:
      Position No. 1.   The term of office of one member shall expire
  on the 30th day of June, 1986, and each nine (9) years thereafter;
      Position No. 2.   The term of office of one member shall expire
  on the 30th day of June, 1987, and each nine (9) years thereafter;
      Position No. 3.   The term of office of one member shall expire
  on the 30th day of June, 1988, and each nine (9) years thereafter;
     Position No. 4.   The term of office of one member shall expire
 on the 30th day of June, 1989, and each nine (9) years thereafter;
     Position No. 5.   The term of office of one member shall expire
 on the 30th day of June, 1990, and each nine (9) years thereafter;
     Position No. 6.   The term of office of one member shall expire
 on the 30th day of June, 1991, and each nine (9) years thereafter;
     Position No. 7.   The term of office of one member shall expire
 on the 30th day of June, 1992, and each nine (9) years thereafter;
     Position No. 8.   The term of office of one member shall expire
 on the 30th day of June, 1993, and each nine (9) years thereafter;
     Position No. 9.   The term of office of one member shall expire
 on the 30th day of June, 1994, and each nine (9) years thereafter.
     The tenth member shall be appointed to Position No. 10, the term
 of office of which shall expire on the 30th day of June, 1996, and
 each nine (9) years thereafter.
     Req. No. 8037                                                     Page 4
      The board shall organize and elect a chair, vice-chair and
  secretary annually.
      C.    The board of trustees may establish and maintain plans for
  tenure and retirement of its employees and for payment of deferred
  compensation of employees and may provide hospital and medical
  benefits, accident, health and life insurance and annuity contracts
  for employees and pay for all or part of the cost thereof with funds
  available for payment of its operating expenses.
      D.    The board may establish with the State Treasurer any
 accounts as are necessary to operate retirement, deferred
 compensation or benefits plans for its employees.    The accounts
 shall be revolving funds not subject to fiscal year limitations.
 Funds deposited in such accounts may be invested in any of the types
 of instruments in which the State Treasurer is authorized by law to
 invest.
     SECTION 2.       AMENDATORY     Section 1, Chapter 252, O.S.L.
 2012 (70 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 3213.2), is amended to read as
 follows:
     Section 3213.2    A.   The educational program resources provided
 by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education in Ardmore,
 Oklahoma, shall continue at the same location and are hereby
 officially named and shall be designated in all future references as
 the "University Center of Southern Oklahoma "Murray State College at
 Ardmore".
     Req. No. 8037                                                       Page 5
      B.   The name change prescribed in this section shall not affect
  in any manner whatsoever any legal relationships, bonds, contracts,
  title to property, obligations, authority of the board of trustees
  as set forth in Section 3213 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes
  this title or Section 4 of this act, or any other aspect of the
  legal status of the named program for any purpose, except that the
  program shall be referred to as the "University Center of Southern
  Oklahoma "Murray State College at Ardmore" in all future references
  to the program.
     SECTION 3.       AMENDATORY     70 O.S. 2011, Section 3407.2, is
 amended to read as follows:
     Section 3407.2    A.   The Board of Regents of Murray State College
 of Technology shall consist of seven (7) members, including one
 member who is a resident of Ardmore, Oklahoma, appointed by the
 Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.     The
 regular term of each member shall be seven (7) years, except that
 the initial appointments shall be for lesser terms so that the term
 of only one member shall expire each year.
     B.   The Board of Regents of Murray State College of Technology
 shall be a body corporate, and shall adopt and use an official seal.
 It shall annually elect a chairman chair, a vice chairman vice-
 chair, and a secretary, each of whom shall serve for a term of one
 (1) fiscal year and until his or her successor is elected and
 qualified, and who shall perform such duties as the Board directs.
     Req. No. 8037                                                     Page 6
  The Board shall adopt rules and regulations as it deems necessary
  for the governing of the Board and the discharge of its duties, and
  shall cause to be kept the minutes of all meetings and transactions
  considered at each meeting, in a suitable book to be obtained and
  kept for such purpose.   The Board of Regents of Murray State College
  of Technology shall be the governing board of the College and shall
  have the supervision and management thereof and shall have the same
  powers and duties as governing boards of other institutions in The
  Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, and may do all things
 necessary or convenient to make the College effective for the
 purpose for which it is operated.
     SECTION 4.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified
 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3407.4 of Title 70, unless there
 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
     A.   The facility known as the University Center of Southern
 Oklahoma in Ardmore, Oklahoma, is hereby transferred to Murray State
 College and shall be known as "Murray State College at Ardmore".
 The transfer shall include all real property, buildings, furniture,
 equipment, supplies, records, assets, current and future
 liabilities, fund balances, encumbrances, obligations, indebtedness,
 legal agreements, powers, duties and responsibilities associated
 with the University Center of Southern Oklahoma.
     B.   All monies remaining in any funds or accounts in the name of
 the University Center of Southern Oklahoma or maintained for the
     Req. No. 8037                                                      Page 7
  benefit of the University Center of Southern Oklahoma shall be
  transferred to Murray State College.
      C.     The title to all buildings, improvements and real property,
  as described in subsection A of this section, comprising the
  facility known as the University Center of Southern Oklahoma in
  Ardmore, Oklahoma, is hereby transferred to Murray State College at
  Ardmore.
      SECTION 5.    It being immediately necessary for the preservation
  of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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     58-1-8037        EK      04/01/21
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     Req. No. 8037                                                     Page 8
Statutes affected: 
Introduced: 70-3213
Floor (House): 70-3213
Engrossed: 70-3213
Enrolled (final version): 70-3213