1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 SENATE BILL 1697 By: Dahm
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to the Administrative Director of the
7 Courts; amending 20 O.S. 2021, Section 16.11, which
8 relates to annual reports; requiring electronic
8 submission of annual report to Legislature;
9 specifying information required for inclusion in
9 certain reports; requiring submission of copies of
10 certain written and electronic communications;
10 establishing certification requirements for certain
11 reports; updating statutory language; and declaring
11 an emergency.
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14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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15 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 20 O.S. 2021, Section 16.11, is
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16 amended to read as follows:
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17 Section 16.11. A. The Administrative Director of the Courts is
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18 requested to shall submit a report electronically to the Legislature
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19 by January 15 of each year commencing in January, 1970 (and in each
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20 January thereafter), on the following subjects:
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21 (a) 1. Whether or not the boundaries of the district court
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22 judicial districts should be changed. If a change is recommended,
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23 the report should indicate the counties that should be included in
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24 each district.;
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 1 (b) 2. The number of district judges and associate district
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2 judges that should be authorized for each judicial district.;
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3 (c) 3. If the formula for the number of special judges to be
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4 allowed to each judicial administrative district should be changed.;
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5 (d) 4. The case load pending in each district court judicial
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6 district.;
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7 (e) 5. The number of cases heard on their merits by each judge
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8 of the district court during the preceding year.; and
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9 (f) 6. In making the above report, said the Administrative
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10 Director shall, along with whatever other criteria he uses used in
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11 making the report, consider the area involved in the judicial
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12 district and the distances involved between the places where court
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13 is held in said the district.
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14 B. In addition to the report required by subsection A of this
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15 section, the Administrative Director of the Courts shall submit a
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16 report electronically to the Legislature by October 15 of each year
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17 that contains the following information from the prior year:
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18 1. A list of each case in which the Supreme Court or the Court
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19 of Civil Appeals considered a challenge to the constitutionality of
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20 or invalidated a statute passed by the Legislature. For each such
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21 case, the report shall include the case name, case number, statute
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22 challenged or invalidated, and a concise statement of the holding of
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23 the Court;
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 1 2. A detailed accounting of the caseload of the Supreme Court,
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2 the Court of Civil Appeals, and the Court of Criminal Appeals,
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3 including the total number of cases appealed to each Court, the
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4 number of opinions issued, the number of cases pending before each
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5 Court as of the date of the report, and the number of opinions
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6 authored by each justice or judge;
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7 3. A list of each case decided by the Supreme Court in which a
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8 special justice took part in the decision. For each such case, the
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9 report shall include the case name, case number, special justice,
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10 and a concise statement of the holding of the Court;
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11 4. A report detailing the management of the Judicial Nominating
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12 Commission including expenses incurred supporting the Commission,
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13 all meetings of the Commission and the matters considered at each
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14 meeting, judicial vacancies for which the Commission submitted
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15 nominees to the Governor, and copies of all written or electronic
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16 communications between employees of the Administrative Office of the
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17 Courts and Justices of the Supreme Court regarding the Judicial
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18 Nominating Commission;
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19 5. A list of each instance in which a member of the Judicial
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20 Nominating Commission recused or was disqualified from participating
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21 in the nomination process to fill a judicial vacancy. For each such
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22 instance, the report shall include the name of the Commissioner, the
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23 vacancy for which the Commissioner recused or was disqualified, and
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24 the reason for the recusal or disqualification;
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 1 6. Copies of all written or electronic communications between
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2 employees of the Administrative Office of the Courts and Justices of
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3 the Supreme Court regarding any bill proposed in the Legislature;
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4 and
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5 7. Any other information the Administrative Director of the
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6 Courts believes would assist the Legislature in conducting oversight
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7 of the Administrative Office of the Courts and the courts of this
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8 state.
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9 C. The Administrative Director of the Courts shall certify
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10 under oath that the report described in subsection B of this section
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11 is true to the best of his or her knowledge and information, that
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12 the report contains no material misrepresentations or omissions, and
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13 that the report was prepared after the exercise of reasonable
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14 diligence to obtain the information required by this section.
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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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