Oklahoma 2022 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB362 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/12/2021

                     
 
 
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STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021) 
 
SENATE BILL 362 	By: Thompson 
 
 
 
 
 
AS INTRODUCED 
 
An Act relating to court funding; creating the 
Council on Justice Sy stem Funding; providing a sunset 
date; outlining focus of the Counc il; providing for 
membership; providing for election of the chair; 
requiring certain meeting ; requiring quorum for 
certain action or rec ommendation; requiring certain 
adherence; allowing certain reimburse ment; providing 
for administrative support; requiring certain report 
and findings be provided; providing for codification; 
and providing an effective date . 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOM A: 
SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 983c of Title 22, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
A.  There is hereby created the Council on Justice System 
Funding until December 1, 2023.  The Council shall: 
1.  Study current financial o bligations of criminal defendants 
and how those financial obligations are used to fund and subsidize 
core functions of the court system; 
2.  Study and determine optimal methods of supporting and 
funding the court system without the use of criminal fines and fees;   
 
 
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3.  Research methods for tracking the collective total of fines 
and fees assessed annually to felony defen dants; and 
4.  Research methods for tracking the distribution of crimi nal 
fines, fees and court costs upon collection. 
B.  The Council shall be comprised of fourteen (14) members as 
follows: 
1.  The Administrative Director of the Courts, or designee; 
2.  A District Court Judge, to be appointed by the 
Administrative Director of the Courts; 
3.  A District Attorney, who is currently s erving in that 
capacity, who shall be appointed by the District Attorneys Council; 
4.  A representative of the Probation and Parole Services unit 
of the Department of Corrections , who shall be appointed by the 
Director of the Department of Corrections; 
5.  A public defender, who shall be appointed by the 
Administrative Director of the Courts; 
6.  The Executive Director of the Oklahoma Indigent Defense 
System, or designee; 
7.  The Chair of the Senate Appropriations Commit tee, or 
designee; 
8.  The Chair of the House of Representatives Appropriations and 
Budget Committee, or designee; 
9.  The Governor, or designee;   
 
 
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10.  One current member of the Senate who shall be appointed by 
the President Pro Tempore of the Senate ; 
11.  One current member of the House of Representat ives who 
shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives ; 
12.  A member of a nonprofit organization whose focus is on 
criminal justice reform, who shall be appointed by the President Pro 
Tempore of the Senate; 
13.  A member of a nonprofit organization whose focus is on 
criminal justice refor m, who shall be appointed by the Spe aker of 
the House of Representatives ; and 
14. A member of the business comm unity, who shall be appointed 
by the Governor. 
C. The Chair of the Council shal l be elected by majority vote 
of the Council members . The Chair shall call the f irst meeting no 
later than thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act.  
The Council may meet as often as necessary in order to perform the 
duties imposed upon it.  A quorum of the Council shall be required 
to approve any final action or r ecommendation of the Counci l.  For 
purposes of this section, eight members of the Council shall 
constitute a quorum. 
D. The meetings of the Council shall be subject to the 
provisions of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act. 
E. The members of the Council shall receive no compensation, 
but travel reimbursement may be provided by their respective   
 
 
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organizations within the limits provided for s tate employees in the 
State Travel Reimbursement Act. 
F. Administrative support for the Council shall be provided by 
the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. 
G. The Council shall submit a report of its findings and 
recommendations including fiscal impact statements on all of the 
recommendations of the Council, annually by November 1, 2022, and 
the same day thereafter to the Governor, the President P ro Tempore 
of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives . 
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2021. 
 
58-1-1389 BG 1/12/2021 11:00:16 AM