House Bill No. 3749 amends Section 527 of Title 19 of the Oklahoma Statutes to authorize additional county officers to employ general counsel. Specifically, the bill allows the county clerk, court clerk, and each individual county commissioner, in addition to the sheriff, treasurer, and assessor, to hire a general counsel, either as an in-house staff attorney or through an outside law firm. The Board of County Commissioners is required to approve all contracts for outside counsel, and the compensation for the general counsel will be drawn from the funds of the respective county office.

Additionally, the bill stipulates that the sheriff may employ outside counsel to provide immediate representation for a deputy involved in a shooting incident, but payment for such counsel will cease if the deputy is charged with a crime related to the incident. The act is set to become effective on November 1, 2026.