1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 SENATE BILL 1384 By: Stanley
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to the Oklahoma Veterans Commission;
7 amending 72 O.S. 2021, Section 63.2, which relates to
8 members of the Commission; eliminating certain
8 limitations on membership; modifying procedures for
9 appointment of members representing veterans’
9 organizations; modifying qualifications of at-large
10 members; decreasing required number of appointee
10 submissions; modifying information required to be
11 submitted by veterans’ organization; establishing
11 certain appointment procedure in case of
12 noncompliance by veterans’ organizations; specifying
12 and modifying certain procedures for filling of
13 vacancies; clarifying language; and declaring an
13 emergency.
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16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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17 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 72 O.S. 2021, Section 63.2, is
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18 amended to read as follows:
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19 Section 63.2. A. The Oklahoma Veterans Commission shall
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20 consist of nine (9) members, all of whom shall be honorably
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21 discharged veterans; provided, one of the members shall be a veteran
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22 of the Vietnam Conflict and two shall be veterans of the Persian
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23 Gulf Wars. The members shall be selected in the following manner:
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24 The state executive board or committees of the veterans’
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 1 organizations named in this section shall each submit to the
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2 Governor a list of five persons qualified to serve as members of the
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3 Oklahoma Veterans Commission. The members of the Commission shall
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4 be appointed by the Governor with advice and consent of the Senate,
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5 and shall serve at the pleasure of the Governor. All appointments
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6 shall be broadly representative of the veterans of this state in
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7 terms of age, gender, and race or ethnicity. The list shall be
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8 submitted to the Governor not later than three (3) months prior to
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9 the expiration of the terms of office of the members of the Oklahoma
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10 Veterans Commission. The Governor shall name one member from each
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11 of the following Veterans’ groups: the American Legion; the
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12 Veterans of Foreign Wars; the Disabled American Veterans; the
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13 Paralyzed Veterans of America; the Military Order of the Purple
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14 Heart; and the National Guard Association of Oklahoma. The members
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15 representing the American Legion and the Paralyzed Veterans of
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16 America shall take office no later than July 1, 2015. The members
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17 representing the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Military Order of
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18 the Purple Heart shall take office no later than July 1, 2016. The
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19 members representing the Disabled American Veterans and the National
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20 Guard Association of Oklahoma shall take office no later than July
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21 1, 2017.
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22 B. 1. Except as provided by paragraph 3 of subsection C of
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23 this section, the Governor shall appoint six of the members from
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24 lists of names provided by the executive officer of each the
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 1 following veterans’ organizations in accordance with paragraph 1 of
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2 subsection C of this section:
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3 a. the American Legion,
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4 b. the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States,
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5 c. the Disabled American Veterans,
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6 d. the Paralyzed Veterans of America,
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7 e. the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and
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8 f. the National Guard Association of Oklahoma.
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9 2. The Governor shall also appoint three members at large, at
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10 least one of whom shall have completed their military service on or
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11 after September 11, 2001.
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12 The executive officer of each veterans’ organization operating
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13 within this state shall, on or before January 1 of the year in which
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14 C. Appointments to the Commission for the six members
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15 representing veterans’ organizations shall be made as prescribed by
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16 this subsection.
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17 1. Not later than three (3) months prior to the expiration of
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18 the term of the organization’s appointee’s term expires appointee,
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19 the executive officer of the organization shall:
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20 a. submit to the Governor a list of three persons
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21 qualified to serve as members of the Commission, and
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22 b. submit to the Secretary of State, the Governor, the
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23 President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker
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24 of the House of Representatives a copy of the
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 1 performance audit and the financial audit of the
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2 organization for the immediately preceding fiscal year
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3 of the organization. Such audits shall be conducted
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4 in accordance with auditing standards generally
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5 accepted in the United States and shall clearly show
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6 the total paid membership of the organization and
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7 shall be certified to by a certified public accountant
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8 the following:
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9 (1) a certificate of good standing issued by the
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10 Secretary of State,
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11 (2) a copy of the organization’s state and federal
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12 tax returns for the immediately preceding tax
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13 year including but not limited to the federal
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14 Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax
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15 (Form 990), and
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16 (3) a statement that describes the mission of the
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17 organization and the services provided by the
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18 organization, and estimates to the best of the
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19 executive officer’s knowledge the total number of
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20 veterans the organization served in the preceding
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21 calendar year.
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22 Failure 2. For each veterans’ organization that complies with
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23 paragraph 1 of this subsection, the Governor shall appoint a member
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 1 to the Commission from the list of names provided by the
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2 organization.
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3 3. If the organization fails to comply with this section shall
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4 render the organization ineligible to submit a nominee to the
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5 Governor. The members of the Commission shall be appointed by the
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6 Governor with advice and consent of the Senate, and shall serve at
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7 the pleasure of the Governor paragraph 1 of this subsection, the
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8 Governor may appoint a member at large in lieu of a member
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9 representing the particular organization for the duration of the
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10 term. At the conclusion of the term, the appointment shall revert
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11 to an appointee representing the particular organization, subject to
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12 the requirements and process provided by this subsection.
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13 D. Any vacancy on the Commission resulting from any cause shall
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14 be filled by appointment by the Governor for the remainder of the
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15 term as provided in this subsection.
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16 1. When a vacancy of one of the three at-large members on the
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17 Commission occurs, the Governor shall promptly appoint a member at
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18 large to fill the vacancy.
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19 2. When a vacancy of one of the six members representing
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20 veterans’ organizations on the Oklahoma Veterans Commission occurs,
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21 the executive officer of the organization which is represented by
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22 the vacant position shall, not later than thirty (30) days after the
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23 vacancy occurs, submit a list of five three names of qualified
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24 persons to the Governor and shall submit to the designated entities
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 1 all other information required by paragraph 1 of subsection C of
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2 this section. The
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3 3. For each veterans’ organization that complies with paragraph
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4 2 of this subsection, the Governor shall choose a replacement from
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5 that the list provided by the organization. If the organization
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6 fails to comply with paragraph 2 of this subsection, the Governor
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7 may appoint a member at large in lieu of a member representing the
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8 particular organization for the remainder of the unexpired term. At
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9 the conclusion of the term, the appointment shall revert to an
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10 appointee representing the particular organization, subject to the
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11 requirements and process provided by subsection C of this section.
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12 E. Current members of the Commission shall continue in office
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13 until the expiration of their terms and until their successors are
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14 appointed and enter upon the duties of their offices.
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15 F. Appointments shall be made for a three-year period. No
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16 member shall serve for more than two (2) consecutive full terms.
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17 G. 1. No person shall be appointed by the Governor who is
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18 related by affinity or consanguinity within the third degree to any
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19 person employed by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs.
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20 2. Before any member appointed as provided herein shall enter
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21 upon his or her duties as a member of the Commission, he or she
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22 shall take and subscribe to the oath of office as required by the
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23 Constitution of this state.
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 1 Present members of the Commission shall continue in office until
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2 the expiration of their terms and until their successors are
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3 appointed and enter upon the duties of their offices. Appointments
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4 shall be made for a three-year period. Any vacancy on the
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5 Commission resulting from any cause shall be filled by appointment
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6 by the Governor for the remainder of the term as provided in this
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7 section.
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8 3. No member of the Oklahoma Veterans Commission shall be
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9 employed by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs Department
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10 during the time of his or her service on the Oklahoma Veterans
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11 Commission nor shall any person who served as a member of the
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12 Oklahoma Veterans Commission be employed by the Oklahoma Department
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13 of Veterans Affairs Department subsequent to his or her service on
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14 the Commission for a period of two (2) years.
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15 SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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16 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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17 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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18 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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20 59-2-2331 DC 12/15/2023 1:10:30 PM
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