Req. No. 1082 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021) SENATE BILL 329 By: Hall AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to the Oklahoma Tax Commission; amending 68 O.S. 2011, Section 205, as l ast amended by Section 37, Chapter 210, O.S.L. 2016 (68 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 205), which relates to exceptions for confidential and privileged records and files; excepting certain information provid ed to the Incentive Evaluation Commission and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for certain pu rpose; requiring certain information to be considered confidential ; providing exception to the requirements of the Oklahoma Open Records Act; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 68 O.S. 2011, Section 205, as last amended by Section 37, Chapter 210, O.S.L. 2016 (68 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 205), is amended to read as fol lows: Section 205. A. The records and files of the Oklahoma Tax Commission concerning t he administration of the Uniform Tax Procedure Code or of any state tax law shall be consider ed confidential and privileged, except as otherwise provided for by law, and neither the Tax Commission nor any employee engaged in the administration of the Tax C ommission or charged with the custody of Req. No. 1082 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 any such records or files nor any person who may hav e secured information from the Tax Commission shall disclose any informati on obtained from the records or files or from any examination or inspection of the premis es or property of any person. B. Except as provided in paragraph 26 of subsection C of this section, neither the Tax Commission nor any employee engaged in the administration of the Tax Commission or char ged with the custody of any such records or files s hall be required by any court of this state to produce any of the records or files for the in spection of any person or for use in any action or proceeding, except when the records or files or the facts sho wn thereby are directly involved in an action or proceeding pursuant to the provisions of the Uniform Tax Procedure Code or of the state tax law , or when the determination of the action or proceeding will affect the va lidity or the amount of the claim of t he state pursuant to any state tax law, or when the information contained in the records or files constitutes evidence of violation of the provi sions of the Uniform Tax Procedure Code or of any state tax law. C. The provisions of this section shall not pr event the Tax Commission from disclosing the follow ing information and no liability whatsoever, civil or criminal, shall attach to any member of the Tax Commission or any employee thereof for any error or omission in the disclosure of such information: Req. No. 1082 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1. The delivery to a taxpayer or a duly authorized representative of the taxpayer of a copy of any report or any other paper filed by the taxpayer pursuant to the provisions of the Uniform Tax Procedure Code or of any st ate tax law; 2. The exchange of infor mation that is not protected by the federal Privacy Protection Act, 42 U.S.C., Section 2000aa et seq., pursuant to reciprocal agreements entered into by the Tax Commission and other state agencies or agencies of the fe deral government; 3. The publication of statistics so classified as to prevent the identification of a particular report and the items thereof; 4. The examination of records and fi les by the State Auditor and Inspector or the duly authorized agents of th e State Auditor and Inspector; 5. The disclosing of information or evidence to the Oklah oma State Bureau of Investigation, Attorney General, Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and D angerous Drugs Control, any district attorney, or agent of any federal law enforcement agency when the information or evidence is to be used by such officials to investigate or prosecute violations of the criminal provisions of the Uniform Tax Procedure Co de or of any state tax law or of any federal crime committed against this state. Any information disclosed to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Attorney General, Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, any district attorn ey, or agent of any federal law Req. No. 1082 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 enforcement agency shall be kept confident ial by such person and not be disclosed except when presented to a court in a prosecution for violation of the tax laws of this state or except as specifically authorized by law, and a violation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Attorney Gener al, Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, district attorney , or agent of any federal law enforcement agency by otherwise releasing the information shall be a felony; 6. The use by any division of the Tax Commission of any information or evidence in the possession of or contained in any report or return filed with any other division of the Tax Commission; 7. The furnishing, at the discretion of the Tax Commi ssion, of any information disclosed by its records or files to any officia l person or body of this state, any ot her state, the United States , or foreign country who is concerned with the administration or assessment of any similar tax in this state, any ot her state or the United States. The provisions of this paragraph shall in clude the furnishing of information by the Tax Commission to a county assessor to determine the amount of gross household income pursuant to the provisions of Section 8C of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution or Section 2890 of this title. The Tax Comm ission shall promulgate rules to give guidance to the county assessors regarding the type of information which may be used by the county assessors in determining Req. No. 1082 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 the amount of gross household income pursuant to Section 8C of Article X of the Oklahoma Const itution or Section 2890 of this title. The provisions of this paragraph shall also inclu de the furnishing of information to the State Treasurer for the purpose of administration of the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act; 8. The furnishing of information to o ther state agencies for the limited purpose of aiding in the collection of debts owed by individuals to such requesting agencies; 9. The furnishing of information requested by any m ember of the general public and stated in the sworn lists or schedules of taxable property of public service cor porations organized, existing, or doing business in this state which are submitted to and certified by the State Board of Equalization pursuant to the provisions of Section 2858 of this title and Section 21 of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution, provid ed such information would be a public record if filed pursuant to Sections 2838 and 2839 of this title on behalf of a corporation other than a p ublic service corporation; 10. The furnishing of information requested by any member of the general public and stated in the findings of the Tax Commission as to the adjustment and equalization of the valuation of real and personal property of the countie s of the state, which are submitted to and certified by the State Board of Equalization pursuant to the provisions of Section 2865 of this title and Section 21 of Article X of the Oklahoma Constitution; Req. No. 1082 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 11. The furnishing of information to an Oklahoma who lesaler of low-point beer, licensed under the provisions of Section 163.1 et seq. of Title 37 of the Oklahoma St atutes, or an association or organization whose mem bership is comprised of such wholesalers, of the licensed retailers authorized by law to purc hase low-point beer in this state or the furnishing of information to a li censed Oklahoma wholesaler of low -point beer of shipments by licensed manufacturers into this state; 12. The furnishing of information as to the issuance or revocation of any tax pe rmit, license or exemption by the Tax Commission as provided for by law. Such information shall be limited to the name of the person issued the permit, license or exemption, the name of the business entity authorized to engage in business pursuant to the permit, license or exemption, the address of the business entity, and the grounds for revocation; 13. The posting of notice of revocation of any tax permit or license upon the premises of the place of business of any business entity which has had any tax permit or license revoked by the Tax Commission as provided for by law. S uch notice shall be limited to the name of the person issued the permit or license, the n ame of the business entity authorized to engage in business pursuant to the permit or license, the address of the business entity, and the grounds for revocation; Req. No. 1082 Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 14. The furnishing of information upon wr itten request by any member of the general public a s to the outstanding and unpaid amount due and owing by any taxpayer of this state for any de linquent tax, together with penalty and interest, for which a tax warrant or a certificate of indebtedness has b een filed pursuant to law; 15. After the filing of a tax warrant pursuant to law, the furnishing of information upon written request by any mem ber of the general public as to any agreement entered into by the Tax Commission concerning a compromise of tax liability for an amount less than the amount of tax liability stated on such warrant; 16. The disclosure of information necessary to complete t he performance of any contract authorized by this title to any person with whom the Tax Commission has contracte d; 17. The disclosure of information to any person for a purpose as authorized by the taxpayer pursuant to a waiver of confidentiality. The wa iver shall be in writing and shall be made upon such form as the Tax Commi ssion may prescribe; 18. The disclosure of information required in order to comply with the provisions of Section 2369 of this title; 19. The disclosure to an employer, as defined in Sections 2385.1 and 2385.3 of this title, of information required in or der to collect the tax imposed by Sect ion 2385.2 of this title; 20. The disclosure to a plaintiff of a corporation ’s last-known address shown on the records of the Franchise Tax Div ision of the Req. No. 1082 Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Tax Commission in order for such plaintiff to comply with the requirements of Section 2004 of Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 21. The disclosure o f information directly involved in the resolution of the protest by a taxpayer to an assessme nt of tax or additional tax or the resolution of a claim for refund filed by a taxpayer, including the disclosur e of the pendency of an administrative proceeding i nvolving such protest or claim, to a person called by the Tax Commission as an expert witness or as a witness whose area of knowledge or expertise specifically address es the issue addressed in the protest or claim for refund. Such disclosure to a witness shall be limited to information pertaining to the specific knowledge of that witness as to th e transaction or relationship between taxpayer and witness; 22. The disclosure of information necessary to impl ement an agreement authorized by Section 2702 of th is title when such information is directly involved in the resolution of issues arising out of the enforcement of a municipal sales tax ordinance. Such disclosure shall be to the governing body or to the municipal attorney, if so designated by the governi ng body; 23. The furnishing of information regarding incentive payments made pursuant to the provisions of Sections 3601 through 3609 of this title or incentive payme nts made pursuant to the provisions of Sections 3501 through 3508 of this title; Req. No. 1082 Page 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 24. The furnishing to a prospective purchaser of any business, or his or her authorized representati ve, of information relating to any liabilities, delinquencies, assessments or warrants of the prospective seller of the business which have not been filed of record, established, or become final and which relate solely to the seller’s business. Any disclo sure under this paragraph shall only be allowed upon the presentment by th e prospective buyer, or the buyer’s authorized representative, of the purchase contract a nd a written authorization between the parties; 25. The furnishing of information as to the amount of state revenue affected by the issuance or granting of any tax pe rmit, license, exemption, deduction, c redit or other tax preference by the Tax Commission as provided for by law. Such information shall be limited to the type of permit, license, e xemption, deduction, credit or other tax preference issued or granted, the date and duration of such permit, license, exemption, deduction, credit or other tax preference and the amount of such revenue. The provisions of this paragraph shall not authorize the disclosure of the name of the person issued such permit, license, exe mption, deduction, credit or other tax preference, or the name of the business entity aut horized to engage in business pursuant to the permit, license, exemption, deduction, credit or other tax preference; 26. The examination of records and files of a per son or entity by the Oklahoma State Bu reau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Req. No. 1082 Page 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Control pursuant to a court order by a magistrate in whose territorial jurisdiction the person or entity r esides, or where the Tax Commission records and files are physically locat ed. Such an order may only be issued upon a sworn application by an agent of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control, certifying that the person or entity whose records and files are to be examined is the target of an ongoing in vestigation of a felony violation of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act and that information resulting from such an examination would likely be relevant to that investig ation. Any records or information obtained pursuant to such an order may only be used by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control in the investigation and prosecution of a felony violation of the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act. Any such order issued pursuant to this paragraph, along with the underlying application, shall be s ealed and not disclosed to the person or entity who se records were examined, for a period of ninety (90) days. The issuing magistrate may grant extensions of such period upon a showing of good cause in furtherance of the investigation. Upon the expiratio n of ninety (90) days and any extensions granted by the magistrate, a copy of the application and order shall be served upon the person or entit y whose records were examined, along with a copy of the records or information actually provided by the Tax Comm ission; Req. No. 1082 Page 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 27. The disclosure of information, as pres cribed by this paragraph, which is related to the proposed or actual usage of tax credits pursuant to Section 2357.7 of this title, the Small Business Capital Formation Incentive Act or the Rural Venture C apital Formation Incentive Act. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the terms used in this paragraph shall have the same meaning as defined by Section 2357.7, 2357.61 or 2357.72 of this title. The disclosu re of information authorized by this p aragraph shall include: a. the legal name of any qu alified venture capital company, qualified small business capital company , or qualified rural small business capital company, b. the identity or legal name of any pers on or entity that is a shareholder or partner of a qualified venture capital company, qua lified small business capital company, or qualified rural small business capital company, c. the identity or legal name of any Oklahoma business venture, Oklahoma smal l business venture, or Oklahoma rural small business venture in which a qualified investment has been made by a capital company, or d. the amount of funds invested in a qualified ven ture capital company, the amount of qualified investments in a qualified small business capital company or Req. No. 1082 Page 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 qualified rural small business capital company and the amount of investments made by a qualified venture capital company, qualified small business ca pital company, or qualified rural small business capital company; 28. The disclosure of specific information as required by Section 46 of Title 62 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 29. The disclosure of specific information as required by Section 205.5 of this t itle; 30. The disclosure of specific information as required by Section 205.6 of this title; 31. The disclosure of information to the State Treasurer necessary to implement Section 2368.27 of this title; or 32. The disclosure of specific information to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority for purposes of determining eligibility for current or potential recipients o f assistance from the Oklahoma Medicaid Program; 33. The disclosure of aggregate data and other specific information not to include personally identifiable information to the Incentive Evaluation Commission or its con tractor under the provisions of Section 7001 et seq. of Title 62 of the Oklahoma Statutes for the purpose of evaluating economic incentives . Information provided to the Incentive Evaluation Commission and its Req. No. 1082 Page 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 contractor shall be considered confidential and shall not be subject to the Oklahoma Open Records Act; or 34. The disclosure of aggreg ate data and other specific information to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce for the purpose of evaluating economic trends, the efficacy of agency in itiatives and administering economic incentives. Information provided to the Department of Commerce p ursuant to this paragraph shall be considered confidential and shall not be subject to the Oklahoma Open Records Act. D. The Tax Commission shall cause to be prepared and made available for public inspection in the office of the Tax Commission in such manner as it may determine an annual list containing the name and post office address of each person, whether individual, corporate, or otherwise, making and filing an income tax retu rn with the Tax Commission. It is specifically provided that no liability whats oever, civil or criminal, shall attach to any member of the Tax Commission or any employee thereof for any error or omission of any name or address in the preparation and public ation of the list. E. The Tax Commission shall prepare or cause to be prepared a report on all provisions of state tax law that reduce state revenue through exclusions, deductions, credits, exemptions, deferrals or other preferential tax treatments. The report shall be prepared not later than October 1 of each even -numbered year and shall be Req. No. 1082 Page 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 submitted to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Tax Commission may prepare and submit supplem ents to the report at other times of the year if additional or updated informat ion relevant to the report becomes available. The report shall include, for the previous fiscal year, the Tax Commission ’s best estimate of the amount of state revenue that wou ld have been collected but f or the existence of each such exclusion, deduction, credit, exemption, deferral or other preferential tax treatment allowed by law. The Tax Commission may request the assistance of other state agencies as may be needed to prepare the report. The Tax Comm ission is authorized to require any recipient of a tax incentive or tax expenditure to report to the Tax Commission such information as requested so that the Tax Commission may fulfill its obligations as required by this subsection. The Tax Commission may require this information to be submitted in an electronic format. The Tax Commission may disallow any claim of a person for a tax incentive due to its failure to file a report as required under the authority of this subsection . F. It is further provided that the provisions of this section shall be strictly interpreted and shall not be construed as permitting the disclosure of any other information contained in the records and files of the Tax Commission relating to income tax or to any other taxes. Req. No. 1082 Page 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 G. Unless otherwise provided for in this section, any v iolation of the provisions of this section shall constitute a misdemeanor and shall be punishable by the imposition of a fine not exceeding One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or b y imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding one (1) year, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and the offender shall be removed or dismissed from office. H. Offenses described in Section 2376 of this title shall be reported to the approp riate district attorney of t his state by the Tax Commission as soon as the offe nses are discovered by the Tax Commission or its agents or employees. The Tax Commission shall make available to the appropriate district attorney or to the authorized agent of the district attorney its r ecords and files pertinent to prosecutions, and suc h records and files shall be fully admissible as evidence for the purpose of such prosecutions. SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021. 58-1-1082 QD 1/9/2021 2:28:04 PM