Oklahoma 2022 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB240 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 02/09/2021

                     
 
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STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021) 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
FOR 
SENATE BILL 240  
By: 	Hall 
 
 
 
 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
 
An Act relating to income tax refunds; amending 68 
O.S. 2011, Section 205.2, as last amended by Sectio n 
1, Chapter 280, O.S.L. 2015 (68 O.S. Supp. 2020, 
Section 205.2), which relates to claims by specified 
entities against income tax refund s; modifying 
definition; adding definition; and declaring an 
emergency. 
 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF TH E STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     68 O.S. 2011, Section 205.2, as 
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 280, O.S.L. 2015 (68 O.S. Supp. 
2020, Section 205.2), is amended to read as f ollows: 
Section 205.2. A.  For purposes of this section, a “qualifying 
entity” shall mean a: 
1.  State agency; 
2.  Municipal court; 
3.  District court;   
 
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4.  Public housing authority operating pursuant to Section 1062 
of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 
5.  District attorney seeking to collect unp aid court-ordered 
monetary obligations; or 
6.  Municipal government, and authorities or trusts with the 
municipal government as a beneficiary, seeking to recover expenses 
related to emergency medical services.  Fo r the purposes of this 
section, “emergency medical service” means a service whereby an 
authorized agent or employee responds to a call for service with the 
intent of providing care, services, transportation or treatment to 
any person who may be injured or in need of medical assistance; or 
7. The designee of an entity described in paragraphs 1 through 
5 6 of this subsection. 
B.  A qualified entity seeking to collect a debt, unpaid fines 
and cost or final judgment of at least Fifty Dollars ($50.00) from 
an individual who has filed a state income tax return may file a 
claim with the Oklahoma Tax Com mission requesting that the amount 
owed to the qualified entity be deducted from any state income tax 
refund due to that individual.  The claim shall be filed 
electronically in a form prescribed by the Tax C ommission and shall 
contain information necessary to identify the person owing the debt , 
including the full name and Social Security number of the debtor. 
1.  Upon receiving a claim from a qualified entity, the Ta x 
Commission shall deduct the claim amount, plus collection expenses   
 
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as provided in this sec tion, from the tax refund due to the debtor 
and transfer the amount to the qualified entity.  Provided, the Tax 
Commission need not report available funds of less t han Fifty 
Dollars ($50.00). 
2.  The qualified entity shall send notice to the debtor by 
regular mail at the last -known address of the debtor as shown by the 
records of the Tax Commission when seeking to collect a debt not 
reduced to final judgment.  The qu alified entity shall send notice 
to the judgment debtor or municipal court defendant by firs t-class 
mail at the last-known address of the judgment debtor or municipal 
court defendant as shown by the records of the Tax Commission when 
seeking to collect a f inal judgment or unpaid municipal fines and 
cost.  The Tax Commission shall provide in an ag reed electronic 
format to the Department of Human Services the amount withheld by 
the Tax Commission, the home address and the Social Security number 
of the taxpayer. The notice shall state: 
a. that a claim has been filed with the Tax Commission 
for any portion of the tax refund due to the debtor or 
municipal court defendant which would satisfy the 
debt, unpaid municipal fines and cost, or final 
judgment in full or in part, 
b. the basis for the claim, 
c. that the Tax Commission has deducted an amount from 
the refund and remitted it to such qualified entity,   
 
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d. that the debtor or municipal court defendant has the 
right to contest the claim by sending a written 
request to the qualified entity for a hearing to 
protest the claim, and if the debtor or municipal 
court defendant fails to apply for a hearing within 
sixty (60) days after the date of the mailing of the 
notice, the debtor or municipal court defendant shall 
be deemed to have waived his or her opportunity to 
contest the claim.  Provided, if the claim was filed 
by the Department of Human Services, the notice shall 
state that the debtor must contest the claim by 
sending a written request to the Department within 
thirty (30) days after the date of the mailing of the 
notice, and 
e. that a collection expense o f five percent (5%) of the 
gross proceeds owed to the qualified entity has been 
charged to the debtor or municipal court defendant and 
withheld from the refund. 
3.  If the qualified entity determines that a refund is due to 
the taxpayer, the qualified enti ty shall reimburse the amount 
claimed plus the five -percent collection expense to the taxpayer.  
The qualified entity may request reimbursement of the two -percent 
collection expense retained by the Tax Commi ssion.  Such request 
must be made within ninety ( 90) days of reimbursement to the   
 
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taxpayer.  If timely requested, the Tax Commission shall make such 
reimbursement to the qualified entity within ninety (90) days of the 
request. 
4.  In the case of a joint re turn, the notice shall state: 
a. the name of any taxpayer named in the return against 
whom no debt, no unpaid fines and cost, or final 
judgment is claimed, 
b. the fact that a debt, unpaid municipal fines and cost, 
or final judgment is not claimed against t he taxpayer, 
c. the fact that the taxpayer is ent itled to receive a 
refund if it is due regardless of the debt, municipal 
fines and cost, or final judgment asserted against the 
debtor or municipal court defendant, 
d. that in order to obtain the refund due, the taxpayer 
must apply, in writing, for a heari ng with the 
qualified entity named in the notice within sixty (60) 
days after the date of the mailing of the notice.  
Provided, if the claim was filed by the Depart ment of 
Human Services, the notice shall st ate that the 
taxpayer must apply, in writing, for a hearing with 
the Department within thirty (30) days after the date 
of the mailing of the notice, and 
e. if the taxpayer against whom no debt, no unpaid 
municipal fines and cost, or final judgment is claim ed   
 
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fails to apply in writing for a hearing within sixty 
(60) days after the mailing of the notice, the 
taxpayer shall have waived his or her right to a 
refund.  Provided, if the claim was filed by the 
Department of Human Services, the notice shall state 
that if the taxpayer fails to apply in writing for a 
hearing with the Department within thirty (30) days 
after the date of the mailing of the notice, the 
taxpayer shall have waived his or her right to a 
refund. 
C.  If the qualified entity asserting the claim receives a 
written request for a hearing from th e debtor or taxpayer against 
whom no debt, no municipal fines and cost, or final judgment is 
claimed, the qualified entity shall grant a hearing according to the 
provisions of the Administrative Procedures A ct.  It shall be 
determined at the hearing whethe r the claimed sum is correct or 
whether an adjustment to the claim shall be made.  Pending final 
determination at the hearing of the validity of the debt, unpaid 
fines and cost, or final judgment asserted by the qualified entity, 
no action shall be taken i n furtherance of the collection of the 
debt, unpaid fines and cost, or final judgment.  Appeals from 
actions taken at the hearing shall be in accordance with the 
provisions of the Administrative Procedures A ct.   
 
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D.  Upon final determination at a hearing, as provided for in 
subsection C of this section, of the amount of the debt, unpaid 
fines and cost, or final judgment, or upon failure of the debtor or 
taxpayer against whom no debt, no unpaid fines and cost, o r final 
judgment is claimed to request such a hea ring, the qualified entity 
shall apply the amount of the claim to the debt owed.  Any amounts 
held by the qualified entity in excess of the final determination of 
the debt and collection expense shall be ref unded by the qualified 
entity to the taxpayer.  H owever, if the tax refund due is 
inadequate to pay the collection expense and debt, unpaid fines and 
cost, or final judgment, the balance due the qualified entity s hall 
be a continuing debt or final judgment until paid in full. 
E.  Upon receipt of a claim as provided in subsection A of this 
section, the Tax Commission shall: 
1.  Deduct from the refund five percent (5%) of the gross 
proceeds owed to the qualified enti ty, and distribute it by 
retaining two percent (2%) and transferring three percent (3%) to 
the qualified entity, as an expense of collection.  The two percent 
(2%) retained by the Tax Commission shall be deposited in the 
Oklahoma Tax Commission Fund; 
2.  Transfer the amount of the claimed debt, unp aid fines and 
cost, or final judgment or so much thereof as is available to the 
qualified entity;   
 
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3.  Notify the debtor in writing as to how the refund was 
applied; and 
4.  Refund to the debtor any balance remaini ng after deducting 
the collection expense a nd debt, unpaid fines and cost, or final 
judgment. 
F.  The Tax Commission shall deduct from any state tax refund 
due to a taxpayer the amount of delinquent state tax and penalty and 
interest thereon, which such ta xpayer owes pursuant to any state tax 
law prior to payment of such refund. 
G.  The Tax Commission shall have first priority over all other 
qualified entities, when the Tax Commission is collecting a debt, 
municipal court fines and cost, or final judgment p ursuant to the 
provisions of this section. Subsequent to the Tax Commission 
priority, a claim filed by the Department of Human Services for the 
collection of child support and spousal support shall have priority 
over all other claims filed pursuant to thi s section.  Priority in 
multiple claims by other qualified entities pursuant to the 
provisions of this section shall be in the order in time, in which 
the Tax Commission receives the claim from the qualified entities 
required by the provisions of subsectio n B of this section. 
H.  The Tax Commission shall prescribe or approve forms and 
promulgate rules and regulations for implementing the provisions of 
this section.   
 
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I.  The information obtained by a qualified entity from the Tax 
Commission pursuant to the pr ovisions of this section shall be used 
only to aid in collection of the debt, unpaid fines a nd cost, or 
final judgment owed to the qualified entity.  Disclosure of the 
information for any other purpose shall constitute a misdemeanor.  
Any employee of a qua lified entity or person convicted of violat ing 
this provision shall be subject to a fine not exceeding One Thousand 
Dollars ($1,000.00) or imprisonment in the county jail for a term 
not exceeding one (1) year, or both fine and imprisonment and, if 
still employed by the qualified entity, shall be di smissed from 
employment. 
J.  The Tax Commission m ay employ the procedures provided by 
this section in order to collect a debt owed to the Internal Revenue 
Service if the Internal Revenue Service requires such proc edure as a 
condition to providing informati on to the Commission concerning 
federal income tax. 
K.  The provisions of this section shall not apply to claims 
filed under the provisions of Section 290 6 or Section 5011 of this 
title. 
SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the pr eservation 
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby 
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and 
be in full force from and after its passage an d approval. 
   
 
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58-1-1752 QD 2/9/2021 3:33:19 PM