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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
HOUSE BILL 1980 By: Lepak
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to courts; providing the intent of
the Legislature to promote transparency in the
Judicial Nominating Commission 's selection process;
requiring the Judicial Nominating C ommission to
promulgate certain rules; providing for codification;
providing for noncodification; and providing an
effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
A. It is hereby declared to be the i ntention of the Legislature
that the Judicial Nominating Commission promulgate rules to promote
the transparency of the Judicial Nominating Commission 's selection
process. It is the public policy of the State of Oklahoma that the
people are vested with the inherent right to know and be fully
informed about their government. In accordance with this public
policy, the Legislature finds that the people have a vested interest
in the selection process of justices and judges nominated to
judicial office and should be informed of the Judicial Nominating
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Commission's selection process for each candidate nominated fo r
judicial office.
B. It is not the intention of the Legislature that any negative,
private, embarrassing or otherwise sensitive information be
disclosed by the Judicial Nominating Commission 's efforts to
increase transparency of the selection process . Specifically, the
Legislature does not intend for the background check conducted by
the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to be made public.
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in
the Oklahoma Statutes as Sect ion 25 of Title 20, unless there is
created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
The Judicial Nominating Commission shall promulgate rules to
promote transparency of the selection process of nominees for
judicial office. The rules shall be promin ently published on the
Judicial Nominating Commission 's website. The rules shall include,
but are not limited to , publishing the results of a vote by the
commissioners for a candidate , including any runoff votes, by
displaying the total votes by the commissioners for the candidate on
the Judicial Nominating Commission 's website to be available for at
least one (1) year.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.
58-1-6355 AQH 01/19/21