Oklahoma 2023 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2242 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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1		-	An Act
2		-	ENROLLED HOUSE
3		-	BILL NO. 2242 By: Dobrinski, Dollens, and Roe
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	29	+	SENATE FLOOR VERSION
	30	+	April 13, 2023
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	33	+	ENGROSSED HOUSE
	34	+	BILL NO. 2242 By: Dobrinski, Dollens and Roe
4	35		of the House
5	36
6	37		and
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8	39		Pugh of the Senate
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15	45		An Act relating to utilities; exempting persons
16	46		determined to be victims of certain crimes from
17	47		paying initial credit and deposit for utilities;
18	48		directing that certain determination be made by
19	49		certification letter; stating certification letter
20	50		expires after certain time; providing form fo r
21	51		certification letter; requiring utilities keep
22	52		certification letter confidential; amending 11 O.S.
23	53		2021, Section 35-107, which relates to utility
24	54		deposits; requiring municipally owned utility
25	55		providers to waive initial credit and deposit
26	56		requirements for persons determined to be victims of
27	57		certain crimes; directing that certain determination
28	58		be made by certification letter or similar form;
29	59		stating certification letter expires after certain
30	60		time; stating that contents of certification letter
31	61		be kept confidential; providing for codification; and
32	62		declaring an emergency.
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37		-	SUBJECT: Utilities
38		-
39	67		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
40		-
41	68		SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
42	69		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 180.12 of Title 17, unless there
43	70		is created a duplicatio n in numbering, reads as follows:
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45	98		A. A customer or applicant who has been determined to be a
46		-	victim of domestic violence, stalking , or harassment, as defined in ~~ENR. H. B. NO. 2242 Page 2~~
	99	+	victim of domestic violence, stalking , or harassment, as defined in
47	100		Section 109 of Title 43 of the Oklahoma S tatutes or Section 644 of
48	101		Title 21 of the Oklahoma St atutes, by any of the following:
49		-
50	102		1. An existing protective o rder;
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52	103		2. Law enforcement personnel; or
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54	104		3. A designated representative of a certified domestic violenc e
55	105		shelter or certified domestic violence progr am pursuant to Section
56	106		18p-6 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes,
57		-
58	107		shall be exempt from the public utility's initial credit and deposit
59	108		requirements as established by the public utility. This
60	109		determination shall be evidenced by submission of the certification
61	110		letter, provided in subsection B of this section, to the public
62	111		utility. The certification letter exp ires after ninety (90) days.
63		-
64	112		B. Certification Letter for Victim of Domestic Violence for
65	113		Waiver of Initial Utility Deposit:
66		-
67	114		IF A VALID PROTECTIVE ORDER IS ATTACHED TO THIS FORM, A CERTIFYING
68	115		AGENCY OR OFFICER DOES NOT NEED TO COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING SECTIO NS.
69		-
70	116		This letter serves to certify that ___________________________(Name
71	117		of Applicant for Service) is a victim of domestic violence,
72	118		stalking, or harassment, as defined in Section 109 of Title 43 of
73	119		the Oklahoma Statutes or Section 644 of Title 21 of the Ok lahoma
74	120		Statutes, and therefore has demonstr ated satisfactory credit for the
75	121		purposes of establishing se rvice. The requirement of initial
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76	149		deposit shall be waived for the ab ove named customer. (Only one
77	150		Certifying Agency is required.)
78		-
79	151		By my signature, I certify that the following Certifying Agency h as
80	152		determined that, based on the information gathered at th e time of
81	153		intake/assessment/provision of servi ces, the above-named Applicant
82	154		reported experiences of domestic violence and was assessed to be a
83	155		victim of domestic violence.
84		-
85	156		Agency Name: ___________ _________________________________
86		-
87	157		Contact Number: _________ ________________________________
88		-
89	158		Signature: _________________________ _____________________
90		-
91		-	Printed Name: ___________________________________________ ENR. H. B. NO. 2242 Page 3
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	159	+	Printed Name: ___________________________________________
93	160		Title: _________________________________________ _________
94		-
95	161		Date: ___________________________________________ ________
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97	162		By my signature I certify that I have personally responded t o or
98	163		have confirmed via internal records that an officer of the
99	164		_____________________________ Police Department has responded t o an
100	165		incident occurring within the municipal boundaries of t he
101	166		_________________________ ____ (municipality) where the above-named
102	167		Applicant was reported to be a victim of domestic violence.
103		-
104	168		Department Representati ve Signature:
105	169		____________________________ ________________
106		-
107	170		Department Representative Printed Name:
108	171		____________________________________________
109	172
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110	199		Badge Number (if applicable) :
111	200		_____________________ _______________________
112		-
113	201		Date: _______________________________ _______
114		-
115	202		This form expires ninety (90) days from the date of the signature of
116	203		the certifying individual.
117		-
118	204		C. The utility shall deem the certification letter and the
119	205		contents thereof as confidentia l and exempt from disclosure.
120		-
121	206		SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 11 O.S. 2021, Section 35-107, is
122	207		amended to read as follows:
123		-
124	208		Section 35-107. A. Money in the municipal treasury which has
125	209		been acquired as a utility depo sit from a customer of a municipal
126	210		utility shall be refunded or credited to the cust omer upon
127	211		termination of the util ity service and payment of all charges due
128	212		and connected with the serv ice, or at an earlier date as may be
129	213		allowed by the municipality. Re funds to the customer s hall be made
130	214		in accordance with the procedures set forth in t his section.
131		-
132	215		B. If a utility deposit is to be refunded to the customer
133	216		instead of being credited to th e account of the customer, a refund
134	217		check or warrant payable to the c ustomer shall be issued by the
135	218		municipal utility within thirty (30) days following t he termination
136		-	of the utility service. ENR. H. B. NO. 2242 Page 4
137		-
	219	+	of the utility service.
138	220		C. Utility deposit refund checks or warrants of Five Dollars
139	221		($5.00) or less shall be cashed by the customer within one (1) year
140	222		of the termination of the utility service. Any such refund check or
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141	250		warrant not cashed by the customer within one (1) y ear of
142	251		termination of the utility service shall be cancelled canceled and
143	252		the amount of the deposit shall be paid in to the fund of the
144	253		municipal utility for which the deposit was collected, or into the
145	254		general fund as may b e determined by the municipal governing b ody.
146	255		No municipal utility customer shall have the right to an y claim or
147	256		refund on the deposit following the expiration of the one -year time
148	257		period as set forth in this subsection.
149		-
150	258		D. If a utility deposit refund ch eck or warrant in excess of
151	259		Five Dollars ($5.00) has not been cashed by a customer within one
152	260		(1) year following termination of the utility service t o the
153	261		customer, the municipality shall send wr itten notice to the customer
154	262		at the last-known address of the customer stating that the refund
155	263		check or warrant shall be cancelled canceled and the deposit will be
156	264		paid over to the municipality unless it is cashed by th e customer
157	265		within ninety (90) days of the date the notice is mailed by the
158	266		municipality. If the check or warrant is not cashed within the
159	267		ninety (90) days, the check or warrant shall be cancelled canceled
160	268		and the amount of the deposit shall be paid into t he fund of the
161	269		municipal utility for which the deposit was collected, or into the
162	270		general fund as may be determined by t he governing body. No
163	271		municipal utility customer shall hav e a right to any claim or refund
164	272		on the deposit after written notice and expi ration of the ninety-day
165	273		period in accordance with this subsection.
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167	301		E. Provided, notwithstanding other provisions of l aw, a
168	302		municipally owned public utility shall waive any initi al credit and
169	303		deposit requirements for a customer or applicant that has been
170	304		determined to be a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or
171	305		harassment, as defined in Section 109 of Title 43 of the Oklahoma
172	306		Statutes or Section 644 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma S tatutes, by
173	307		providing proof of any of the following:
174		-
175	308		1. An existing protective order;
176		-
177	309		2. Law enforcement person nel statement; or
178		-
179	310		3. A statement of a designated representat ive of a certified
180	311		domestic violence shelter or ce rtified domestic violence progra m
181		-	pursuant to Section 18p-6 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statut es. ENR. H. B. NO. 2242 Page 5
182		-
	312	+	pursuant to Section 18p-6 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statut es.
183	313		This determination shall be evidenced by submis sion of a
184	314		certification letter to the utility. The municipality may accept
185	315		the certification letter provided for in Section 1 of this act, or a
186	316		certification letter on a form created by the municipality so long
187	317		as the contents are substantially the same a s the certification
188	318		letter, as provided for in Section 1 of this act. The certification
189	319		letter expires after n inety (90) days. The municipally owned public
190	320		utility shall deem the certification letter and the contents thereof
191	321		as confidential and exempt fr om disclosure, pursuant to subsection D
192	322		of Section 24A.10 of Title 51 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
193		-
194	323		SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the p reservation
195	324		of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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196	352		declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
197	353		be in full force from and after its passage an d approval.
198		-	ENR. H. B. NO. 2242 Page 6
199		-	Passed the House of Representatives the 9th day of March, 2023.
200		-
201		-
202		-
203		-
204		-	Presiding Officer of the House
205		-	of Representatives
206		-
207		-
208		-
209		-	Passed the Senate the 25th day of April, 2023.
210		-
211		-
212		-
213		-
214		-	Presiding Officer of the Sen ate
215		-
216		-
217		-	OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
218		-	Received by the Office of the Governor this ____________________
219		-	day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
220		-	By: _________________________________
221		-	Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _____ ____
222		-	day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
223		-
224		-
225		-	_________________________________
226		-	Governor of the State of Oklahoma
227		-
228		-	OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
229		-	Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this __________
230		-	day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
231		-	By: _________________________________
232		-
	354	+	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON GENERAL GOVERNMENT
	355	+	April 13, 2023 - DO PASS