1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 SENATE BILL 1736 By: Weaver
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act;
7 amending 25 O.S. 2021, Section 304, as amended by
8 Section 1, Chapter 123, O.S.L. 2022 (25 O.S. Supp.
8 2023, Section 304), which relates to definitions;
9 modifying definition; and declaring an emergency.
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12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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13 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 25 O.S. 2021, Section 304, as
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14 amended by Section 1, Chapter 123, O.S.L. 2022 (25 O.S. Supp. 2023,
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15 Section 304), is amended to read as follows:
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16 Section 304. As used in the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act:
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17 1. “Public body” means the governing bodies of all
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18 municipalities located within this state, boards of county
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19 commissioners of the counties in this state, boards of public and
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20 higher education in this state and all boards, bureaus, commissions,
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21 agencies, trusteeships, authorities, councils, committees, public
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22 trusts or any entity created by a public trust including any
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23 committee or subcommittee composed of any of the members of a public
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24 trust or other legal entity receiving funds from the Rural Economic
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 1 Action Plan Fund as authorized by Section 2007 of Title 62 of the
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2 Oklahoma Statutes, task forces or study groups in this state
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3 supported in whole or in part by public funds or entrusted with the
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4 expending of public funds, or administering public property, and
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5 shall include all committees or subcommittees of any public body.
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6 Public body shall not include:
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7 a. the state judiciary,
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8 b. the Council on Judicial Complaints when conducting,
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9 discussing, or deliberating any matter relating to a
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10 complaint received or filed with the Council,
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11 c. the Legislature, or
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12 d. administrative staffs of public bodies including, but
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13 not limited to, faculty meetings and athletic staff
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14 meetings of institutions of higher education when
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15 those staffs are not meeting with the public body, or
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16 entry-year assistance committees. Furthermore, public
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17 body shall not include the,
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18 e. multidisciplinary teams provided for in Section 1-9-
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19 102 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes, in Section
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20 2 10-115 of this act Title 43A of the Oklahoma
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21 Statutes, and in subsection C of Section 1-502.2 of
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22 Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes or any school board
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23 meeting for the sole purpose of considering
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24 recommendations of a multidisciplinary team and
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 1 deciding the placement of any child who is the subject
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2 of the recommendations. Furthermore, public body
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3 shall not include,
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4 f. meetings conducted by stewards designated by the
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5 Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission pursuant to Section
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6 203.4 of Title 3A of the Oklahoma Statutes when the
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7 stewards are officiating at races or otherwise
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8 enforcing rules of the Commission. Furthermore,
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9 public body shall not include,
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10 g. the board of directors of a Federally Qualified Health
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11 Center, or
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12 h. the State Council for Interstate Juvenile Supervision
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13 established pursuant to Section 2-9-116 of Title 10A
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14 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
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15 2. “Meeting” means the conduct of business of a public body by
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16 a majority of its members being personally together or, as
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17 authorized by Section 307.1 of this title, together pursuant to a
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18 videoconference. Meeting shall not include informal gatherings of a
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19 majority of the members of the public body when no business of the
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20 public body is discussed;
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21 3. “Regularly scheduled meeting” means a meeting at which the
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22 regular business of the public body is conducted;
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23 4. “Special meeting” means any meeting of a public body other
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24 than a regularly scheduled meeting or emergency meeting;
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 1 5. “Emergency meeting” means any meeting called for the purpose
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2 of dealing with an emergency. For purposes of the Oklahoma Open
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3 Meeting Act, an emergency is defined as a situation involving injury
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4 to persons or injury and damage to public or personal property or
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5 immediate financial loss when the time requirements for public
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6 notice of a special meeting would make such procedure impractical
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7 and increase the likelihood of injury or damage or immediate
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8 financial loss;
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9 6. “Continued or reconvened meeting” means a meeting which is
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10 assembled for the purpose of finishing business appearing on an
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11 agenda of a previous meeting. For the purposes of the Oklahoma Open
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12 Meeting Act, only matters on the agenda of the previous meeting at
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13 which the announcement of the continuance is made may be discussed
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14 at a continued or reconvened meeting;
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15 7. “Videoconference” means a conference among members of a
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16 public body remote from one another who are linked by interactive
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17 telecommunication devices or technology and/or technology permitting
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18 both visual and auditory communication between and among members of
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19 the public body and/or between and among members of the public body
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20 and members of the public. During any videoconference, both the
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21 visual and auditory communications functions shall attempt to be
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22 utilized; and
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23 8. “Teleconference” means a conference among members of a
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24 public body remote from one another who are linked by
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 1 telecommunication devices and/or technology permitting auditory
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2 communication between and among members of the public body and/or
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3 between and among members of the public body and members of the
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4 public.
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5 SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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6 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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7 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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8 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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10 59-2-2713 TEK 1/17/2024 10:09:08 AM
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Statutes affected:
Introduced: 25-304
Floor (House): 25-304
Floor (Senate): 25-304
Engrossed: 25-304