1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 SENATE BILL 1592 By: Haste
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to higher education; amending 70 O.S.
7 2021, Section 4663, which relates to the Board of
8 Trustees for Oklahoma State University/Tulsa;
8 requiring certain member to be appointed by certain
9 chair; allowing certain members to serve as voting,
9 ex officio members; removing language regarding the
10 appointment of members from the Board of Regents of
10 Rogers University; directing certain appointed member
11 to hold certain position; providing for term of
11 office of certain member; updating statutory
12 language; removing outdated language regarding the
12 policies of the Board of Regents of Rogers
13 University; removing authority for the Board of
13 Trustees of Oklahoma State University/Tulsa to set
14 certain compensation; providing an effective date;
14 and declaring an emergency.
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17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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18 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 4663, is
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19 amended to read as follows:
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20 Section 4663. A. On January 1, 1999, there shall be created
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21 the Board of Trustees for Oklahoma State University/Tulsa which
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22 shall consist of seven members who reside in Tulsa County or
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23 contiguous counties and two members, one member of the Board of
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24 Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges (A&M
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 1 Board) who shall serve as voting, ex officio members, one of whom
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2 who shall reside in the First Congressional District. The second
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3 member from the A&M Board, and one member who shall be appointed by
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4 the chair of the A&M Board. The member of the A&M Board and the
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5 member appointed by the chair of the A&M Board shall serve as
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6 voting, ex officio members. For purposes of serving on the Board of
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7 Trustees, the members member of the A&M Board and the member
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8 appointed by the chair of the A&M Board who are appointed to the
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9 Board of Trustees shall not be subject to the dual office holding
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10 restrictions in Section 6 of Title 51 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The
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11 Governor shall appoint the other members of the Board of Trustees
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12 with the advice and consent of the Senate. The members shall be
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13 appointed to numbered positions with staggered terms to expire as
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14 provided in this section. Successors to the initial board members
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15 shall serve seven-year terms that shall expire on June 30 of the
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16 seventh year following appointment. Vacancies on the Board shall be
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17 filled for the unexpired term by the Governor with the advice and
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18 consent of the Senate. Four of the nine members on the initial
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19 Board of Trustees shall be appointed by the Governor with the advice
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20 and consent of the Senate from the members of the Board of Regents
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21 of Rogers University who are residents of Tulsa and are serving on
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22 the effective date of this act. The four members appointed from the
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23 Board of Regents of Rogers University shall be appointed to the
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24 positions numbered one through four. The remaining three members
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 1 appointed by the Governor shall be appointed to positions five
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2 through seven. The member of the A&M Board who resides in the First
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3 Congressional District shall hold position number eight. The second
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4 member appointed by the chair of the A&M Board shall hold position
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5 number nine. The numbered positions and terms shall be as follows:
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6 1. Position No. 1: The term of office of one member shall
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7 expire on the 30th day of June, 2000, and each seven (7) years
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8 thereafter;
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9 2. Position No. 2: The term of office of one member shall
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10 expire on the 30th day of June, 2001, and each seven (7) years
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11 thereafter;
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12 3. Position No. 3: The term of office of one member shall
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13 expire on the 30th day of June, 2002, and each seven (7) years
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14 thereafter;
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15 4. Position No. 4: The term of office of one member shall
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16 expire on the 30th day of June, 2003, and each seven (7) years
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17 thereafter;
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18 5. Position No. 5: The term of office of one member shall
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19 expire on the 30th day of June, 2004, and each seven (7) years
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20 thereafter;
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21 6. Position No. 6: The term of office of one member shall
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22 expire on the 30th day of June, 2005, and each seven (7) years
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23 thereafter;
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 1 7. Position No. 7: The term of office of one member shall
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2 expire on the 30th day of June, 2006, and each seven (7) years
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3 thereafter;
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4 8. Position No. 8: The term of office shall coincide with the
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5 member’s term on the A&M Board; and
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6 9. Position No. 9: The term of office shall coincide with the
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7 member’s term on be at the direction of the chair of the A&M Board.
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8 B. The Board of Trustees shall be a body corporate and shall
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9 adopt and use an official seal. The Board shall elect a chair,
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10 vice-chair vice chair, and secretary annually, each of whom shall
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11 serve for a term of one fiscal year and until a successor is elected
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12 and qualified, and who shall perform such duties as the Board
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13 directs. The Board shall adopt rules which it deems necessary for
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14 the operation of the Board and the discharge of its duties and shall
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15 cause the minutes of all meetings to be kept. The Board shall
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16 comply with the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act and the Oklahoma Open
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17 Records Act.
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18 C. The Board of Trustees for Oklahoma State University/Tulsa
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19 may be authorized by the A&M Board to supervise and manage the
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20 campus of Oklahoma State University/Tulsa and perform other
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21 functions as necessary. The Board of Trustees shall promulgate
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22 rules and enact policies to govern the processes and procedures of
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23 the Board. The policies of the Board of Regents of Rogers
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24 University, including but not limited to policies on personnel and
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 1 student participation, that are in effect on the date that the Board
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2 of Regents of Rogers University is dissolved shall be deemed adopted
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3 by the Board of Trustees unless specifically amended or repealed by
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4 the A&M Board. The A&M Board and the Board of Trustees shall
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5 appoint a joint committee of at least two members from each board
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6 and at least two members of the staff of each institution to develop
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7 and propose mutually agreed upon rules and policies to formalize the
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8 review and oversight procedures and the relationships between the
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9 A&M Board, the Board of Trustees, Oklahoma State University in
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10 Stillwater, and Oklahoma State University/Tulsa. It is the intent
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11 of the Legislature that in the interests of immediate responsiveness
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12 to the needs of students, employees, and the business community that
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13 the decision or approval process be expedited.
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14 D. Subject to the oversight of the Board of Regents for the
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15 Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges, the Board of Trustees
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16 of Oklahoma State University/Tulsa shall set the compensation of the
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17 president of Oklahoma State University/Tulsa. On or after January
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18 1, 1999, the A&M Board may assign and delineate roles and
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19 responsibilities for the Board of Trustees for Oklahoma State
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20 University/Tulsa. Such responsibilities may include, but are not
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21 limited to, student services, facility operations, student financial
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22 services, budget preparations, endowed chairs at Oklahoma State
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23 University/Tulsa, and administrative operations as specified by the
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24 A&M Board.
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 1 E. The Board of Trustees shall establish the usual and
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2 customary accounts established by higher education institutions
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3 within the Office of Management and Enterprise Services necessary to
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4 carry out its duties.
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5 F. Until July 1, 2001, during the transition and development of
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6 Oklahoma State University/Tulsa, acting on behalf of the Board of
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7 Trustees for Oklahoma State University/Tulsa, Oklahoma State
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8 University is authorized and directed to negotiate contracts with
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9 institutions for courses and degree programs of study approved by
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10 the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, as necessary to
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11 meet the higher education needs for the Tulsa metropolitan area.
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12 The number of degree programs offered by Northeastern State
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13 University and Langston University shall not be diminished or
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14 duplicated.
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15 G. The president of Oklahoma State University/Tulsa shall be
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16 selected by the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and
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17 Mechanical Colleges after completion of a search process as set
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18 forth in this subsection. The A&M Board shall appoint at least two
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19 of its members, one of whom must reside in the First Congressional
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20 District, and the Board of Trustees shall appoint at least two of
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21 its members to a search committee. The president of Oklahoma State
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22 University may appoint other representatives of faculty, staff, and
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23 students to the search committee. The president of Oklahoma State
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 1 University shall recommend a candidate in consultation with the
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2 search committee to the Board of Trustees and the A&M Board.
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3 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2024.
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4 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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5 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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6 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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7 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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9 59-2-2873 EB 1/9/2024 2:07:05 PM
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