OK
Oklahoma House Bill HB2391

Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2391 Compare Versions

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27-STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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29-2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
30-
31-CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
32-SUBSTITUTE
33-FOR ENGROSSED
34-HOUSE BILL NO. 2391 By: Culver of the House
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27+ENGROSSED SENATE AMENDMENT
28+TO
29+ENGROSSED HOUSE
30+BILL NO. 2391 By: Culver of the House
3531
3632 and
3733
3834 Howard of the Senate
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43-
44-
45-CONFERENCE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
46-
47-An Act relating to civil procedure; amending 12 O.S.
48-2021, Section 3226, which relates to general
49-provisions governing discovery; requiring production
50-of commercial litigation funding a greement upon
51-request; prohibiting admissibility of certain
52-information as eviden ce; requiring certain
53-certification with production of agreement; providing
54-exception; defining terms; providing for
55-codification; and providing an effective date.
56-
39+[ civil procedure – consumer litigation funding
40+agreements – effective date ]
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47+AMENDMENT NO. 1. Page 1, strike the stricken title, enacting clause
48+and entire bill and insert
49+
50+
51+“An Act relating to commercial litigation funding
52+agreements; amending 12 O.S. 2021, Section 3226,
53+which relates to general provisions governing
54+discovery; requiring production of commercial
55+litigation funding a greement upon request;
56+prohibiting admissibility of certain information as
57+evidence; requiring certain certification with
58+production of agreement; providing exception;
59+defining terms; providing for codification; and
60+providing an effective date.
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6165 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
6266 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 12 O.S. 2021, Section 3226, is
6367 amended to read as follows:
6468 Section 3226. A. DISCOVERY METHODS; INITIAL DISCLOSURES.
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6594 1. DISCOVERY METHODS. Parties may obtain discovery regarding
6695 any matter that is relevant to any party’s claim or defense by one
6796 or more of the following methods: Depositions upon oral examination
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9397 or written questions; written interrogatories; production of
9498 documents or things or permission to en ter upon land or other
9599 property, for inspection and other purposes; physical and mental
96100 examinations; requests for admission; authorizations for release of
97101 records; and otherwise by court order upon showing of good cause.
98102 Except as provided in this sectio n or unless the court orders
99103 otherwise under this section, the frequency of use of these methods
100104 is not limited.
101105 2. INITIAL DISCLOSURES.
102106 a. Except in categories of proceedings specified in
103107 subparagraph b of this paragraph, or to the extent
104108 otherwise stipulated or directed by order, a party,
105109 without awaiting a discovery request, shall provide to
106110 other parties a computation of any category of damages
107111 claimed by the disclosing party, making available for
108112 inspection and copying the documents or other
109113 evidentiary material, not privileged or protected from
110114 disclosure, on which such computation is based,
111115 including materials bearing on the nature and extent
112116 of injuries suffered. Subject to subsection B of this
113117 section, in any action in which physical or mental
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114143 injury is claimed, the party making the claim shall
115144 provide to the other parties a release or
116145 authorization allowing the parties to obtain relevant
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142146 medical records and bills, and, when relevant, a
143147 release or authorization for employment and scholastic
144148 records.
145149 b. The following categories of proceedings are exempt
146150 from initial disclosure under subparagraph a of this
147151 paragraph:
148152 (1) an action for review of an administrative record,
149153 (2) a petition for habeas corpus or other proceeding
150154 to challenge a criminal convi ction or sentence,
151155 (3) an action brought without counsel by a person in
152156 custody of the United States, a state, or a state
153157 subdivision,
154158 (4) an action to enforce or quash an administrative
155159 summons or subpoena,
156160 (5) an action by the United States to recover be nefit
157161 payments,
158162 (6) an action by the United States to collect on a
159163 student loan guaranteed by the United States,
160164 (7) a proceeding ancillary to proceedings in other
161165 courts, and
162166 (8) an action to enforce an arbitration award.
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163192 c. Disclosures required under thi s paragraph shall be
164193 made at or within sixty (60) days after service unless
165194 a different time is set by stipulation or court order,
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191195 or unless a party objects that initial disclosures are
192196 not appropriate in the circumstances of the action and
193197 states the objection in a motion filed with the court.
194198 In ruling on the objection, the court shall determine
195199 what disclosures, if any, are to be made and set the
196200 time for disclosure. A party shall make its initial
197201 disclosures based on the information then readily
198202 available to it and is not excused from making its
199203 disclosures because it has not fully completed its
200204 investigation of the case or because it challenges the
201205 sufficiency of another party’s disclosures or because
202206 another party has not made its disclosures.
203207 B. DISCOVERY SCOPE AND LIMITS. Unless otherwise limited by
204208 order of the court in accordance with the Oklahoma Discovery Code,
205209 the scope of discovery is as follows:
206210 1. IN GENERAL.
207211 a. Parties may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not
208212 privileged, which is r elevant to any party’s claim or
209213 defense, reasonably calculated to lead to the
210214 discovery of admissible evidence and proportional to
211215 the needs of the case, considering the importance of
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212241 the issues at stake in the action, the amount in
213242 controversy, the partie s’ relative access to relevant
214243 information, the parties’ resources, the importance of
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240244 the discovery in resolving the issues, and whether the
241245 burden or expense of the proposed discovery outweighs
242246 its likely benefit. Information within this scope of
243247 discovery need not be admissible in evidence to be
244248 discoverable.
245249 b. A party shall produce upon request pursuant to Section
246250 3234 of this title, any insurance agreement under
247251 which any person carrying on an insurance business may
248252 be liable to satisfy part or all of a judgment which
249253 may be entered in the action or to indemnify or
250254 reimburse for payments made to satisfy the judgment.
251255 Information concerning the insurance agreement is not
252256 by reason of disclosure admissible in evidence at
253257 trial. For purposes of this sec tion, an application
254258 for insurance shall not be treated as a part of an
255259 insurance agreement.
256-c. A party shall produce upon request , pursuant to
257-Section 3234 of this title, any commercial litigation
258-funding agreement as defined in Section 2 of this act.
260+c. A party shall produce upon request pursuant to Section
261+3234 of this title, any commercial litigation funding
262+agreement as defined in Section 2 of this act.
259263 Information related to the commercial litigation
260264 funding agreement is not by reason of disclosure
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261290 admissible as evidence at trial. Production of a
262291 commercial litigation funding agreement shall include
263292 a certification by sworn affidavit by the producing
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289293 party as to whether any funds encumbered by the terms
290294 of the agreement have been or will be sourced from a
291295 foreign state or agency or instrumentality of a
292-foreign state as defined in 22 U.S.C., Section 611, or
293-28 U.S.C., Section 1603 as amended. Certification
294-that discloses that a foreign state or agency or
296+foreign state as defined in 28 U.S.C. Section 1603 or
297+22 U.S.C. Section 611, as amended. Certification th at
298+discloses that a foreign state or agency or
295299 instrumentality of a foreign state is such a source
296300 shall include the identity of the foreign state,
297301 agency, or instrumentality that is the source of the
298302 funds. Such certification shall be supplemented or
299303 corrected by the producing party within thirty (30)
300304 days in the event the certification becomes incomplete
301305 or inaccurate in a material respect. A consumer
302306 litigation funding agreement as defined in Section 3 -
303307 801 of Title 14A of the Oklahoma Statutes shall be
304308 exempt from the provisions of this subparagraph.
305-d. If a commercial litigati on funding agreement a s
306-defined in subsection c of this section, has been
307-requested, a party shall also produce, upon request
308-pursuant to Sections 3234 and 3236 of this title, a
309-certification by sworn affidavit by the producing
310-party that identifies whethe r the party is an enti ty
311-controlled by a foreign adversary. The certification
312-shall also include an admission or denial as to
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338-whether the party is under the control or direction of
339-an entity controlled by a fore ign adversary and
340-whether the party will all ow access to any docum ents
341-or information arising in the litigation not generally
342-available to the public to an entity controlled by a
343-foreign adversary. In the event that the producing
344-party admits that an entit y controlled by a foreign
345-adversary may access any documents or i nformation
346-arising in the litigation not generally available to
347-the public, the party shall specify the persons who
348-will have access to such documents or information.
349-Further, if the party re ceives funding pursuant to a
350-commercial litigation funding agree ment as defined in
351-Section 3226.2 of this title, the certification shall
352-include a statement that the funding was not sourced
353-from an entity controlled by a foreign adversary.
354309 2. LIMITATIONS ON FREQUENCY AND EXTENT.
355310 a. By order, the court may alter the limits on the length
356311 of depositions under Section 3230 of this title, on
357312 the number of interrogatories under Section 3233 of
358313 this title, on the number of requests to produce under
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359339 Section 3234 of this title, or on the number of
360340 requests for admission under Section 3236 of this
361341 title.
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387342 b. A party is not required to provide discovery of
388343 electronically stored information from sources t hat
389344 the party identifies as not reasonably accessible
390345 because of undue burden or cost. On motion to compel
391346 discovery or for a protective order, the party from
392347 whom discovery is sought must show that the
393348 information is not reasonably accessible because of
394349 undue burden or cost. If that showing is made, the
395350 court may order discovery from such sources if the
396351 requesting party shows good cause, considering the
397352 limitations of subparagraph c of this paragraph. The
398353 court may specify conditions for the discovery.
399354 c. On motion or on its own, the court shall limit the
400355 frequency or extent of discovery otherwise allowed if
401356 it determines that:
402357 (1) the discovery sought is unreasonably cumulative
403358 or duplicative, or can be obtained from some
404359 other source that is more conve nient, less
405360 burdensome, or less expensive,
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406386 (2) the party seeking discovery has had ample
407387 opportunity to obtain the information by
408388 discovery in the action, or
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434389 (3) the proposed discovery is outside the scope
435390 permitted by subparagraph a of paragraph 1 of
436391 this subsection.
437392 d. If an officer, director or managing agent of a
438393 corporation or a government official is served with
439394 notice of a deposition or subpoena regarding a matter
440395 about which he or she has no knowledge, he or she may
441396 submit at a reasonable time prior to the date of the
442397 deposition an affidavit to the noticing party so
443398 stating and identifying a person within the
444399 corporation or government entity who has knowledge of
445400 the subject matter involved in the pending action.
446401 Notwithstanding such affidavit, the n oticing party may
447402 proceed with the deposition, subject to the noticed
448403 witness’s right to seek a protective order.
449404 3. TRIAL PREPARATION: MATERIALS.
450405 a. Unless as provided by paragraph 4 of this subsection,
451406 a party may not discover documents and tangible th ings
452407 that are prepared in anticipation of litigation or for
453408 trial by or for another party or its representative,
454409 including the other party’s attorney, consultant,
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455435 surety, indemnitor, insurer or agent. Subject to
456436 paragraph 4 of this subsection, such materi als may be
457437 discovered if:
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483438 (1) they are otherwise discoverable under paragraph 1
484439 of this subsection, and
485440 (2) the party shows that it has substantial need for
486441 the materials to prepare its case and cannot,
487442 without undue hardship, obtain their substantial
488443 equivalent by other means.
489444 b. If the court orders discovery of such materials, the
490445 court shall protect against disclosure of the mental
491446 impressions, conclusions, opinions or legal theories
492447 of a party’s attorney or other representative
493448 concerning the litigation .
494449 c. A party or other person may, upon request and without
495450 the required showing, obtain the person’s own previous
496451 statement about the action or its subject matter. If
497452 the request is refused, the person may move for a
498453 court order, and the provisions of par agraph 4 of
499454 subsection A of Section 3237 of this title apply to
500455 the award of expenses. A previous statement is
501456 either:
502457 (1) a written statement that the person has signed or
503458 otherwise adopted or approved, or
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504484 (2) a contemporaneous stenographic, mechanical,
505485 electrical, or other recording, or a
506486 transcription thereof, which recites
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532487 substantially verbatim the person’s oral
533488 statement.
534489 4. TRIAL PREPARATION: EXPERTS.
535490 a. Discovery of facts known and opinions held by experts,
536491 otherwise discoverable under the provis ions of
537492 paragraph 1 of this subsection and acquired or
538493 developed in anticipation of litigation or for trial,
539494 may be obtained only as follows:
540495 (1) a party may, through interrogatories, require any
541496 other party to identify each person whom that
542497 other party expects to call as an expert witness
543498 at trial and give the address at which that
544499 expert witness may be located,
545500 (2) after disclosure of the names and addresses of
546501 the expert witnesses, the other party expects to
547502 call as witnesses, the party, who has requeste d
548503 disclosure, may depose any such expert witnesses
549504 subject to scope of this section. Prior to
550505 taking the deposition the party must give notice
551506 as required in subsections A and C of Section
552507 3230 of this title, and
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553533 (3) in addition to taking the depositions of expert
554534 witnesses the party may, through interrogatories,
555535 require the party who expects to call the expert
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581536 witnesses to state the subject matter on which
582537 each expert witness is expected to testify; the
583538 substance of the facts and opinions to which the
584539 expert is expected to testify and a summary of
585540 the grounds for each opinion; the qualifications
586541 of each expert witness, including a list of all
587542 publications authored by the expert witness
588543 within the preceding ten (10) years; the
589544 compensation to be paid to the expert witness for
590545 the testimony and preparation for the testimony;
591546 and a listing of any other cases in which the
592547 expert witness has testified as an expert at
593548 trial or by deposition within the preceding four
594549 (4) years. An interrogatory seeking the
595550 information specified above shall be treated as a
596551 single interrogatory for purposes of the
597552 limitation on the number of interrogatories in
598553 Section 3233 of this title.
599554 b. The protection provided by paragraph 3 of this
600555 subsection extends to communications between t he
601556 party’s attorney and any expert witness retained or
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602582 specially employed to provide expert testimony in the
603583 case or whose duties as the party’s employee regularly
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629584 involve giving expert testimony, except to the extent
630585 that the communications:
631586 (1) relate to compensation for the expert’s study or
632587 testimony,
633588 (2) identify facts or data that the party’s attorney
634589 provided and that the expert considered in
635590 forming the opinions to be expressed, or
636591 (3) identify assumptions that the party’s attorney
637592 provided and that the expert relied upon in
638593 forming the opinions to be expressed.
639594 c. A party may not, by interrogatories or deposition,
640595 discover facts known or opinions held by an expert who
641596 has been retained or specially employed by another
642597 party in anticipation of litiga tion or to prepare for
643598 trial and who is not expected to be called as a
644599 witness at trial, except as provided in Section 3235
645600 of this title or upon a showing of exceptional
646601 circumstances under which it is impracticable for the
647602 party to obtain facts or opinio ns on the same subject
648603 by other means.
649604 d. Unless manifest injustice would result:
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650630 (1) the court shall require that the party seeking
651631 discovery pay the expert a reasonable fee for
652632 time spent in responding to discovery under
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678633 division (2) of subparagraph a of this paragraph
679634 and subparagraph c of this paragraph, and
680635 (2) the court shall require that the party seeking
681636 discovery with respect to discovery obtained
682637 under subparagraph c of this paragraph, pay the
683638 other party a fair portion of the fees and
684639 expenses reasonably incurred by the latter party
685640 in obtaining facts and opinions from the expert.
686641 5. CLAIMS OF PRIVILEGE OR PROTECTION OF TRIAL PREPARATION
687642 MATERIALS.
688643 a. When a party withholds information otherwise
689644 discoverable under the Oklahoma Discovery Code by
690645 claiming that it is privileged or subject to
691646 protection as trial preparation material, the party
692647 shall make the claim expressly and shall describe the
693648 nature of the documents, communications, or things not
694649 produced or disclosed in a manner that, without
695650 revealing information itself privileged or protected,
696651 will enable other parties to assess the applicability
697652 of the privilege or protection.
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698678 b. If information produced in discovery is subject to a
699679 claim of privilege or of protection as trial
700680 preparation material, the party making the claim may
701681 notify any party that received the information of the
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727682 claim and the basis for it. After being notified, a
728683 party shall promptly return, sequester, or destroy the
729684 specified information and any copies the party has;
730685 shall not use or disclose the information until the
731686 claim is resolved; shall take reasonable steps to
732687 retrieve the information if the party has disclosed it
733688 before being notified; and may promptly present the
734689 information to the court under seal for a
735690 determination of the claim. The producing party shall
736691 preserve the information until the claim is resolved.
737692 This mechanism is procedural only and does not alter
738693 the standards governing whether the information is
739694 privileged or subject to protection as trial
740695 preparation material or whether such privilege or
741696 protection has been waived.
742697 C. PROTECTIVE ORDERS.
743698 1. Upon motion by a party or by the person from whom discovery
744699 is sought, accompanied by a certification that the movant has in
745700 good faith conferred or attempted t o confer, either in person or by
746701 telephone, with other affected parties in an effort to resolve the
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747727 dispute without court action, and for good cause shown, the court in
748728 which the action is pending or on matters relating to a deposition,
749729 the district court in the county where the deposition is to be taken
750730 may enter any order which justice requires to protect a party or
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776731 person from annoyance, harassment, embarrassment, oppression or
777732 undue delay, burden or expense, including one or more of the
778733 following:
779734 a. that the discovery not be had,
780735 b. that the discovery may be had only on specified terms
781736 and conditions, including a designation of the time,
782737 place or the allocation of expenses,
783738 c. that the discovery may be had only by a method of
784739 discovery other than that s elected by the party
785740 seeking discovery,
786741 d. that certain matters not be inquired into, or that the
787742 scope of the disclosure or discovery be limited to
788743 certain matters,
789744 e. that discovery be conducted with no one present except
790745 persons designated by the court,
791746 f. that a deposition after being sealed be opened only by
792747 order of the court,
793748 g. that a trade secret or other confidential research,
794749 development or commercial information not be disclosed
795750 or be disclosed only in a designated way, and
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796776 h. that the parties simultaneously file specified
797777 documents or information enclosed in sealed envelopes
798778 to be opened as directed by the court.
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824779 2. If the motion for a protective order is denied in whole or
825780 in part, the court may, on such terms and conditions as are just,
826781 order that any party or person provide or permit discovery. The
827782 provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection A of Section 3237 of this
828783 title apply to the award of expenses incurred in relation to the
829784 motion. Any protective order of the court which has the effect o f
830785 removing any material obtained by discovery from the public record
831786 shall contain the following:
832787 a. a statement that the court has determined it is
833788 necessary in the interests of justice to remove the
834789 material from the public record,
835790 b. specific identification of the material which is to be
836791 removed or withdrawn from the public record, or which
837792 is to be filed but not placed in the public record,
838793 and
839794 c. a requirement that any party obtaining a protective
840795 order place the protected material in a sealed manila
841796 envelope clearly marked with the caption and case
842797 number and is clearly marked with the word
843798 “CONFIDENTIAL”, and stating the date the order was
844799 entered and the name of the judge entering the order.
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845825 This requirement may also be satisfied by requiring
846826 the party to file the documents pursuant to the
847827 procedure for electronically filing sealed or
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873828 confidential documents approved for electronic filing
874829 in the courts of this state.
875830 3. No protective order entered after the filing and
876831 microfilming of documents of any kind shall be construed to require
877832 the microfilm record of such filing to be amended in any fashion.
878833 4. The party or counsel which has received the protective order
879834 shall be responsible for promptly presenting the order to
880835 appropriate court clerk personne l for appropriate action.
881836 5. All documents produced or testimony given under a protective
882837 order shall be retained in the office of counsel until required by
883838 the court to be filed in the case.
884839 6. Counsel for the respective parties shall be responsible for
885840 informing witnesses, as necessary, of the contents of the protective
886841 order.
887842 7. When a case is filed in which a party intends to seek a
888843 protective order removing material from the public record, the
889844 plaintiff(s) and defendant(s) shall be initially designa ted on the
890845 petition under pseudonym such as “John or Jane Doe”, or “Roe”, and
891846 the petition shall clearly indicate that the party designations are
892847 fictitious. The party seeking confidentiality or other order
893848 removing the case, in whole or in part, from the public record,
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894874 shall immediately present application to the court, seeking
895875 instructions for the conduct of the case, including confidentiality
896876 of the records.
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922877 D. SEQUENCE AND TIMING OF DISCOVERY. Unless the parties
923878 stipulate or the court orders otherwis e for the convenience of
924879 parties and witnesses and in the interests of justice, methods of
925880 discovery may be used in any sequence. The fact that a party is
926881 conducting discovery, whether by deposition or otherwise, shall not
927882 operate to delay discovery by an y other party.
928883 E. SUPPLEMENTATION OF RESPONSES. A party who has responded to
929884 a request for discovery with a response that was complete when it
930885 was made is under no duty to supplement the response to include
931886 information thereafter acquired, except as foll ows:
932887 1. A party is under a duty seasonably to supplement the
933888 response with respect to any question directly addressed to:
934889 a. the identity and location of persons having knowledge
935890 of discoverable matters, and
936891 b. the identity of each person expected to be c alled as
937892 an expert witness at trial, the subject matter on
938893 which the person is expected to testify, and the
939894 substance of the testimony of the person;
940895 2. A party is under a duty seasonably to amend a prior response
941896 to an interrogatory, request for producti on, or request for
942897 admission if the party obtains information upon the basis of which:
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943923 a. (1) the party knows that the response was incorrect
944924 in some material respect when made, or
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970925 (2) the party knows that the response, which was
971926 correct when made, is no l onger true in some
972927 material respect, and
973928 b. the additional or corrective information has not
974929 otherwise been made known to the other parties during
975930 the discovery process or in writing; and
976931 3. A duty to supplement responses may be imposed by order of
977932 the court, agreement of the parties, or at any time prior to trial
978933 through new requests for supplementation of prior responses.
979934 F. DISCOVERY CONFERENCE. At any time after commencement of an
980935 action, the court may direct the attorneys for the parties to appear
981936 for a conference on the subject of discovery. The court shall do so
982937 upon motion by the attorney for any party if the motion includes:
983938 1. A statement of the issues as they then appear;
984939 2. A proposed plan and schedule of discovery;
985940 3. Any limitations prop osed to be placed on discovery;
986941 4. Any other proposed orders with respect to discovery; and
987942 5. A statement showing that the attorney making the motion has
988943 made a reasonable effort to reach agreement with opposing attorneys
989944 on the matters set forth in the motion.
990945 Each party and his attorney are under a duty to participate in
991946 good faith in the framing of a discovery plan if a plan is proposed
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992972 by the attorney for any party. Notice of the motion shall be served
993973 on all parties. Objections or additions to mat ters set forth in the
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1019974 motion shall be served not later than ten (10) days after service of
1020975 the motion.
1021976 Following the discovery conference, the court shall enter an
1022977 order tentatively identifying the issues for discovery purposes,
1023978 establishing a plan and sch edule for discovery, setting limitations
1024979 on discovery, if any; and determining such other matters, including
1025980 the allocation of expenses, as are necessary for the proper
1026981 management of discovery in the action. In preparing the plan for
1027982 discovery the court s hall protect the parties from excessive or
1028983 abusive use of discovery. An order shall be altered or amended
1029984 whenever justice so requires.
1030985 Subject to the right of a party who properly moves for a
1031986 discovery conference to prompt convening of the conference, th e
1032987 court may combine the discovery conference with a pretrial
1033988 conference.
1034989 G. SIGNING OF DISCOVERY REQUESTS, RESPONSES AND OBJECTIONS.
1035990 Every request for discovery, response or objection thereto made by a
1036991 party represented by an attorney shall be signed by at least one of
1037992 the party’s attorneys of record in the party’s individual name whose
1038993 address shall be stated. A party who is not represented by an
1039994 attorney shall sign the request, response or objection and state the
1040995 party’s address. The signature of the attorney or party constitutes
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10411021 a certification that the party has read the request, response or
10421022 objection, and that it is:
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10681023 1. To the best of the party’s knowledge, information and belief
10691024 formed after a reasonable inquiry consistent with the Oklahoma
10701025 Discovery Code and warranted by existing law or a good faith
10711026 argument for the extension, modification or reversal of existing
10721027 law;
10731028 2. Interposed in good faith and not primarily to cause delay or
10741029 for any other improper purpose; and
10751030 3. Not unreasonable or unduly burdensome or expensive, given
10761031 the nature and complexity of the case, the discovery already had in
10771032 the case, the amount in controversy, and other values at stake in
10781033 the litigation. If a request, response or objection is not signed,
10791034 it shall be deemed ine ffective.
10801035 If a certification is made in violation of the provisions of
10811036 this subsection, the court, upon motion or upon its own initiative,
10821037 shall impose upon the person who made the certification, the party
10831038 on whose behalf the request, response or objection is made, or both,
10841039 an appropriate sanction, which may include an order to pay to the
10851040 amount of the reasonable expenses occasioned thereby, including a
10861041 reasonable attorney fee.
10871042 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
10881043 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3226.2 of Title 12, unless there
10891044 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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10901070 A. As used in the Oklahoma Discovery Code:
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11161071 1. “Commercial litigation funder ” means any person or entity,
11171072 other than an attorney p ermitted to charge a contingent fee
11181073 representing a party, that enters into a contract establishing a
11191074 right to receive compensation that is contingent on and sourced from
11201075 any proceeds of the civil action by settlement, judgment, or
11211076 otherwise. Commercial li tigation funder shall not include a
11221077 consumer litigation funder as defined in Section 3 -801 of Title 14A
11231078 of the Oklahoma Statutes; and
11241079 2. “Commercial litigation funding agreement ” means an agreement
11251080 under which the commercial litigation funder is granted a right to
11261081 receive compensation contingent on and sourced from any proceeds of
11271082 a civil action by settlement, judgment, or otherwise. A commercial
11281083 litigation funding agreement shall not include:
1129-a. funding provided by an attorney to a cli ent as
1130-authorized by the Oklahoma Rules of Professional
1131-Conduct, Appendix 3–A of Chapter 1 of Title 5 of the
1132-Oklahoma Statutes, unless such funds are encumbered
1133-pursuant to a commercial litigation funding agreement;
1134-or
1135-b. a consumer litigation funding agreement as defined in
1084+a. legal representation services provided on a
1085+contingency fee basis or legal costs advanced by a
1086+legal representative where such services or costs are
1087+provided to or on behalf of a client by an attorney
1088+representing the party in the dispute and in
1089+accordance with the Oklahoma Rules of Professional
1090+Conduct,
1091+b. an agreement entered into between an attorney or law
1092+firm and a commercial litigation funder or any other
1093+entity. Sharing of fees by an attorney or law firm
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1119+shall be in accordance with the Oklahoma Rules of
1120+Professional Conduct including but not limited to
1121+Rules 1.5 and 5.4 of Appendix 3 -A of Title 5 of the
1122+Oklahoma Statutes, or
1123+c. a consumer litigation funding agreement as defined in
11361124 Section 3-801 of Title 14A of the Oklahoma Statutes.
1137-3. “Entity controlled by a foreign adversary” means, with
1138-respect to a person, whether a human being or bodies politic or
1139-corporate, that such person is:
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1165-a. a foreign person that is a national of, is
1166-headquartered in, has its principal place of business
1167-in, or is organized under the law of a foreign
1168-adversary country,
1169-b. a body corporate with respect to which a foreign
1170-person or combination of foreign persons described in
1171-subsection a directly or indirectly own s at least 20
1172-percent (20%) of such body, or
1173-c. a person subject to the direction or control of a
1174-foreign person or entit y described in subsections a or
1175-b.
1176-4. “Foreign adversary country” means a country identified in 10
1177-U.S.C., Section 4872(d)(2).
1178-SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 202 4.
1179-
1180-59-2-11166 AO 05/23/24
1125+SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 202 4.”
1126+Passed the Senate the 22nd day of April, 2024.
1127+
1128+
1129+
1130+ Presiding Officer of the Senate
1131+
1132+
1133+Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________,
1134+2024.
1135+
1136+
1137+
1138+ Presiding Officer of the House
1139+ of Representatives
1140+ENGR. H. B. NO. 2391 Page 1 1
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1165+ENGROSSED HOUSE
1166+BILL NO. 2391 By: Culver of the House
1167+
1168+ and
1169+
1170+ Howard of the Senate
1171+
1172+
1173+
1174+
1175+
1176+
1177+[ civil procedure – consumer litigation funding
1178+agreements – effective date ]
1179+
1180+
1181+
1182+
1183+BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLA HOMA:
1184+SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 12 O.S. 2021, Sectio n 3226, is
1185+amended to read as follows:
1186+Section 3226. A. DISCOVERY METHODS; INITIAL DISCLOSURES.
1187+1. DISCOVERY METHODS. Parties may obtain dis covery regarding
1188+any matter that is relevant to any party 's claim or defense by one
1189+or more of the following met hods: Depositions upon oral examination
1190+or written questions; written interrogatories; production of
1191+documents or things or permission to enter upon land or other
1192+property, for inspection and other pur poses; physical and mental
1193+examinations; requests for admission; authorizations for release of
1194+records; and otherwise by court order upon showing of good cause.
1195+Except as provided in this section o r unless the court orders
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1221+otherwise under this section, th e frequency of use of these methods
1222+is not limited.
1223+2. INITIAL DISCLOSURES.
1224+a. Except in categories of proceedings specified in
1225+subparagraph b of this paragraph, or to the e xtent
1226+otherwise stipulated or directed by order, a party,
1227+without awaiting a disco very request, shall provide to
1228+other parties a computa tion of any category of damages
1229+claimed by the disclosing party, making available for
1230+inspection and copying the documen ts or other
1231+evidentiary material, not privileged or protected from
1232+disclosure, on which such computation is based,
1233+including materials b earing on the nature and extent
1234+of injuries suffered. Subject to subsection B of this
1235+section, in any action in which p hysical or mental
1236+injury is claimed, the party making the claim shall
1237+provide to the other parties a release or
1238+authorization allowing t he parties to obtain relevant
1239+medical records and bills, and, when relevant, a
1240+release or authorization for employment a nd scholastic
1241+records.
1242+b. The following categories of proceedings are exempt
1243+from initial disclosure under subparagraph a of this
1244+paragraph:
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1270+(1) an action for review of an administrative record,
1271+(2) a petition for habeas corpus or other proceeding
1272+to challenge a criminal convicti on or sentence,
1273+(3) an action brought without counsel by a person in
1274+custody of the United States, a state, or a state
1275+subdivision,
1276+(4) an action to enforce or quash an administrative
1277+summons or subpoena,
1278+(5) an action by the United States to recover benef it
1279+payments,
1280+(6) an action by the United States to collect on a
1281+student loan guaranteed by the United States,
1282+(7) a proceeding ancillary to proceedings in other
1283+courts, and
1284+(8) an action to enforce an arbitration award.
1285+c. Disclosures required under this p aragraph shall be
1286+made at or within sixty (60) days after service unless
1287+a different time is set by stipulation or court order,
1288+or unless a party objects that initial disclosures are
1289+not appropriate in the circumstances of the actio n and
1290+states the objection in a motion filed with the court.
1291+In ruling on the obj ection, the court shall determine
1292+what disclosures, if any, are to be made and set the
1293+time for disclosure. A party shall make its initial
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1319+disclosures based on the informati on then readily
1320+available to it and is not excused from making its
1321+disclosures because it has not fully completed its
1322+investigation of the case or because it challenges the
1323+sufficiency of another party 's disclosures or because
1324+another party has not made it s disclosures.
1325+B. DISCOVERY SCOPE AND LIMITS. Unless otherwise limited by
1326+order of the court in accordance with the Oklahoma Discovery Code,
1327+the scope of discovery is as follows:
1328+1. IN GENERAL.
1329+a. Parties may obtain discovery regarding any matter, not
1330+privileged, which is rele vant to any party's claim or
1331+defense, reasonably calculate d to lead to the
1332+discovery of admissible evidence and proportional to
1333+the needs of the case, considering the importance of
1334+the issues at stake in the action, the amount in
1335+controversy, the parties ' relative access to relevant
1336+information, the parties ' resources, the importance of
1337+the discovery in resolving th e issues, and whether the
1338+burden or expense of the proposed discovery outweighs
1339+its likely benefit. Information within this scope of
1340+discovery need not be admissible in evidence to be
1341+discoverable.
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1367+b. A party shall produce upon request pursuant to Section
1368+3234 of this title, any insurance agreement under
1369+which any person carrying on an insurance business may
1370+be liable to satisfy part or all of a judgment which
1371+may be entered in the action or to indemnif y or
1372+reimburse for payments made to satisfy the judgme nt.
1373+Information concerning the insurance agreement is not
1374+by reason of disclosure admissible in evidence at
1375+trial. For purposes of this sectio n, an application
1376+for insurance shall not be treated as a part of an
1377+insurance agreement.
1378+c. Production and Disclosure of Consumer Litigation
1379+Funding Agreements.
1380+(1) Except as otherwise stipulated or ordered by a
1381+court of competent jurisdiction, a consumer or
1382+the consumer's legal representative shall,
1383+without awaiting a discovery request, disclo se
1384+and deliver to the following persons the consumer
1385+litigation funding agreement:
1386+(a) each party to the civil action,
1387+administrative proceeding, claim or cause of
1388+action, or to each party's legal
1389+representative,`
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1415+(b) the court, agency or tribunal in which the
1416+civil action, administrative proceeding,
1417+claim or cause of action may be pending , and
1418+(c) any known entity or insurer with a
1419+preexisting contractual obligation to
1420+indemnify or defend a party to the civil
1421+action, administrative proceeding, clai m or
1422+cause of action.
1423+This is a continuing obligation and within thir ty
1424+(30) days of entering into a litigation financing
1425+contract, the consumer or the consumer 's legal
1426+representative must disclose and deliver any
1427+subsequently entered into li tigation funding
1428+agreements.
1429+(2) The existence of consumer litigation funding
1430+agreements and all participants or parties to
1431+such a litigation funding agreement are
1432+permissible subjects of discovery in any civil
1433+action, administrative proceeding, claim or cause
1434+of action to which consumer l itigation financing
1435+is provided under the litigation funding
1436+agreement.
1437+(3) Litigation funding provided to commercial
1438+enterprises in support of litigation strictly
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1464+between commercial enterprises is subject to the
1465+requirements of 12-3226(c) and Section 14A 3-809
1466+–3-817. The funded commercial enterprise and its
1467+legal representative shall also have the duties
1468+set forth in 12-3226(c). A commercial enterprise
1469+does not include a law firm or attorney
1470+prosecuting or defending litigation .
1471+2. LIMITATIONS ON FREQUENCY AND EXTENT.
1472+a. By order, the court may alter the limits on the length
1473+of depositions under Section 3230 of this title, on
1474+the number of interrogatories under Section 3233 of
1475+this title, on the number of requests to produce under
1476+Section 3234 of this title, or on the number of
1477+requests for admission under Section 3236 of this
1478+title.
1479+b. A party is not required to provide discovery of
1480+electronically stored information from sources that
1481+the party identifies as not reasonably ac cessible
1482+because of undue burden or cost. On motion to compel
1483+discovery or for a protective order, the party from
1484+whom discovery is sought must show that the
1485+information is not reasonably accessible because of
1486+undue burden or cost. If that showing is mad e, the
1487+court may order discovery from such sources if the
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1513+requesting party shows good cause, considering the
1514+limitations of subparagraph c of this paragraph. The
1515+court may specify conditions for the discovery.
1516+c. On motion or on its own, the court shall l imit the
1517+frequency or extent of discovery otherwise allowed if
1518+it determines that:
1519+(1) the discovery sought is unreasonably cumulative
1520+or duplicative, or can be obtained from some
1521+other source that is more convenient, less
1522+burdensome, or less expensive,
1523+(2) the party seeking dis covery has had ample
1524+opportunity to obtain the information by
1525+discovery in the action, or
1526+(3) the proposed discovery is outside the scope
1527+permitted by subparagraph a of paragraph 1 of
1528+this subsection.
1529+d. If an officer, director or ma naging agent of a
1530+corporation or a government official is served with
1531+notice of a deposition or subpoena regarding a matter
1532+about which he or she has no knowledge, he or she may
1533+submit at a reasonable time prior to the dat e of the
1534+deposition an affidavit t o the noticing party so
1535+stating and identifying a person within the
1536+corporation or government entity who has knowledge of
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1562+the subject matter involved in the pending action.
1563+Notwithstanding such affidavit, the noticing par ty may
1564+proceed with the deposition , subject to the notice d
1565+witness's right to seek a protective order.
1566+3. TRIAL PREPARATION: MATERIALS.
1567+a. Unless as provided by paragraph 4 of this subsection,
1568+a party may not discover documents and tangible things
1569+that are prepared in anticipation of lit igation or for
1570+trial by or for another party or its representative,
1571+including the other party 's attorney, consultant,
1572+surety, indemnitor, insurer or agent. Subject to
1573+paragraph 4 of this subsection, such materials may be
1574+discovered if:
1575+(1) they are otherwise discoverable under paragraph 1
1576+of this subsection, and
1577+(2) the party shows that it has substantial need for
1578+the materials to prepare its case and cannot,
1579+without undue hardship, obtain their substantial
1580+equivalent by other means.
1581+b. If the court orders discovery of such mate rials, the
1582+court shall protect against disclosure of the mental
1583+impressions, conclusions, opinions or legal theories
1584+of a party's attorney or other representative
1585+concerning the litigation.
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1611+c. A party or other person may, upon reques t and without
1612+the required showing, obtain the person 's own previous
1613+statement about the action or its subject matter. If
1614+the request is refused, the person may move for a
1615+court order, and the provisions of paragraph 4 of
1616+subsection A of Section 3237 of t his title apply to
1617+the award of expenses. A previous statement is
1618+either:
1619+(1) a written statement that the person has signed or
1620+otherwise adopted or approved, or
1621+(2) a contemporaneous stenographic, mechanical,
1622+electrical, or other recording, or a
1623+transcription thereof, which re cites
1624+substantially verbatim the person 's oral
1625+statement.
1626+4. TRIAL PREPARATION: EXPERTS.
1627+a. Discovery of facts known and opinions held by experts,
1628+otherwise discoverable under the provisions of
1629+paragraph 1 of this subsection and ac quired or
1630+developed in anticipation of litigation or for trial,
1631+may be obtained only as follows:
1632+(1) a party may, through interrogatories, require any
1633+other party to identify each person whom that
1634+other party expects to ca ll as an expert witness
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1660+at trial and give the address at which that
1661+expert witness may be located,
1662+(2) after disclosure of the names and addresses of
1663+the expert witnesses, the other party expects to
1664+call as witnesses, the party, who has requested
1665+disclosure, may depose any such expert witn esses
1666+subject to scope of this section. Prior to
1667+taking the deposition the party must give notice
1668+as required in subsections A and C of Section
1669+3230 of this title, and
1670+(3) in addition to taking the depositions of expert
1671+witnesses the party may, through in terrogatories,
1672+require the party who expects to call the expert
1673+witnesses to state the subject matter on which
1674+each expert witness is expected to testify; the
1675+substance of the facts and opinions to which the
1676+expert is expected to testify and a summary of
1677+the grounds for each opi nion; the qualifications
1678+of each expert witness, including a list of all
1679+publications authored by the expert witness
1680+within the preceding ten (10) years; the
1681+compensation to be paid to the expert wit ness for
1682+the testimony and prepara tion for the testimony;
1683+and a listing of any other cases in which the
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1709+expert witness has testified as an expert at
1710+trial or by deposition within the preceding four
1711+(4) years. An interrogatory seeking the
1712+information specified above shall be treated as a
1713+single interrogatory for purposes of the
1714+limitation on the number of interrogatories in
1715+Section 3233 of this title.
1716+b. The protection provided by paragraph 3 of this
1717+subsection extends to communications between the
1718+party's attorney and any expert witness re tained or
1719+specially employed to provide expert testimony in the
1720+case or whose duties as the party 's employee regularly
1721+involve giving expert testimony, except to the extent
1722+that the communications:
1723+(1) relate to compensati on for the expert's study or
1724+testimony,
1725+(2) identify facts or data that the party's attorney
1726+provided and that the expert considered in
1727+forming the opinions to be expressed, or
1728+(3) identify assumptions that the party 's attorney
1729+provided and that the expert relied upon in
1730+forming the opinions to be expressed.
1731+c. A party may not, by interrogatories or deposition,
1732+discover facts known or opinions held by an expert who
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1758+has been retained or specially employed by another
1759+party in anticipation of litigation or to prepare for
1760+trial and who is not e xpected to be called as a
1761+witness at trial, except as provided in Section 3235
1762+of this title or upon a showing of exceptional
1763+circumstances under which it is impracticable for the
1764+party to obtain facts or opinions on the s ame subject
1765+by other means.
1766+d. Unless manifest injustice would result:
1767+(1) the court shall require that the party seeking
1768+discovery pay the expert a reasonable fee for
1769+time spent in responding to discovery under
1770+division (2) of subparagraph a of this parag raph
1771+and subparagraph c of this pa ragraph, and
1772+(2) the court shall require that the party seeking
1773+discovery with respect to discovery obtained
1774+under subparagraph c of this paragraph, pay the
1775+other party a fair portion of the fees and
1776+expenses reasonably in curred by the latter party
1777+in obtaining facts and opinion s from the expert.
1778+5. CLAIMS OF PRIVILEGE OR PROTECTION OF TRIAL PREPARATION
1779+MATERIALS.
1780+a. When a party withholds information otherwise
1781+discoverable under the Oklahoma Discovery Code by
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1807+claiming that it is privileged or subject to
1808+protection as trial prep aration material, the party
1809+shall make the claim expressly and shall describe the
1810+nature of the documents, communications, or things not
1811+produced or disclosed in a manner that, without
1812+revealing information itself privileged or prote cted,
1813+will enable other parties to assess the applicability
1814+of the privilege or protection.
1815+b. If information produced in discovery is subject to a
1816+claim of privilege or of protection as trial
1817+preparation material, the par ty making the claim may
1818+notify any party that received th e information of the
1819+claim and the basis for it. After being notified, a
1820+party shall promptly return, sequester, or destroy the
1821+specified information and any copies the party has;
1822+shall not use or disclose the information until the
1823+claim is resolved; shal l take reasonable steps to
1824+retrieve the information if the party has disclosed it
1825+before being notified; and may promptly present the
1826+information to the court under seal for a
1827+determination of the cl aim. The producing party shall
1828+preserve the information until the claim is resolved.
1829+This mechanism is procedural only and does not alter
1830+the standards governing whether the information is
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1856+privileged or subject to protection as trial
1857+preparation material or whether such privilege or
1858+protection has been waived.
1859+C. PROTECTIVE ORDERS.
1860+1. Upon motion by a party or by the person from whom discovery
1861+is sought, accompanied by a certification that the movant has in
1862+good faith conferred or attempted to confer, e ither in person or by
1863+telephone, with other affected part ies in an effort to resolve the
1864+dispute without court action, and for good cause shown, the court in
1865+which the action is pending or on matters relating to a deposition,
1866+the district court in the coun ty where the deposition is to be t aken
1867+may enter any order which justice requires to protect a party or
1868+person from annoyance, harassment, embarrassment, oppression or
1869+undue delay, burden or expense, including one or more of the
1870+following:
1871+a. that the discovery not be had,
1872+b. that the discovery may be had only o n specified terms
1873+and conditions, including a designation of the time,
1874+place or the allocation of expenses,
1875+c. that the discovery may be had only by a method of
1876+discovery other than that selected by the party
1877+seeking discovery,
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1903+d. that certain matters not be inquired into, or that the
1904+scope of the disclosure or discovery be limited to
1905+certain matters,
1906+e. that discovery be conducted with no one present except
1907+persons designated by the court,
1908+f. that a deposition after being sealed be o pened only by
1909+order of the court,
1910+g. that a trade secret or other confidential research,
1911+development or commercial information not be disclosed
1912+or be disclosed only in a designated way, and
1913+h. that the parties simultaneous ly file specified
1914+documents or information enclosed in se aled envelopes
1915+to be opened as directed by the court.
1916+2. If the motion for a protective order is denied in whole or
1917+in part, the court may, on such terms and conditions as are just,
1918+order that any party or person provide or permit d iscovery. The
1919+provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection A of Section 3237 of this
1920+title apply to the award of expenses incurred in relation to the
1921+motion. Any protective order of the court which has the effect of
1922+removing any material obtained by discovery from the public record
1923+shall contain the following:
1924+a. a statement that the court has determined it is
1925+necessary in the interests of justice to remove the
1926+material from the public record,
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1952+b. specific identification of the material which is to be
1953+removed or withdrawn from the pu blic record, or which
1954+is to be filed but not placed in the public record,
1955+and
1956+c. a requirement that any party obtaining a protective
1957+order place the protected material in a sealed manila
1958+envelope clearly marked with the caption and c ase
1959+number and is clearly marked with the word
1960+"CONFIDENTIAL", and stating the date the order was
1961+entered and the name of the judge entering the order.
1962+This requirement may also be satisfied by requiring
1963+the party to file the documents pursuant to the
1964+procedure for electronical ly filing sealed or
1965+confidential documents approved for electronic filing
1966+in the courts of this state.
1967+3. No protective order entered after the filing and
1968+microfilming of documents of any kind shall be construed to require
1969+the microfilm record of such fil ing to be amended in any fashion.
1970+4. The party or counsel which has received the protective order
1971+shall be responsible for promptly presenting the order to
1972+appropriate court clerk personnel for appro priate action.
1973+5. All documents produced or testimony g iven under a protective
1974+order shall be retained in the office of counsel until required by
1975+the court to be filed in the case.
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2001+6. Counsel for the respective parties shall be responsible for
2002+informing witnesses, as necessary, of the co ntents of the protecti ve
2003+order.
2004+7. When a case is filed in which a party intends to seek a
2005+protective order removing material from the public record, the
2006+plaintiff(s) and defendant(s) shall be initially designated on the
2007+petition under pseudonym such as "John or Jane Doe", or "Roe", and
2008+the petition shall clearly indicate that the party designations are
2009+fictitious. The party seeking confidentiality or other order
2010+removing the case, in whole or in part, from the public rec ord,
2011+shall immediately present app lication to the court, seeking
2012+instructions for the conduct of the case, including confidentiality
2013+of the records.
2014+D. SEQUENCE AND TIMING OF DISCOVERY. Unless the parties
2015+stipulate or the court orders otherwise for the c onvenience of
2016+parties and witnesse s and in the interests of justice, methods of
2017+discovery may be used in any sequence. The fact that a party is
2018+conducting discovery, whether by deposition or otherwise, shall not
2019+operate to delay discovery by any other par ty.
2020+E. SUPPLEMENTATION OF RESPONS ES. A party who has r esponded to
2021+a request for discovery with a response that was complete when it
2022+was made is under no duty to supplement the response to include
2023+information thereafter acquired, except as follows:
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2049+1. A party is under a duty seasonably t o supplement the
2050+response with respect to any question directly addressed to:
2051+a. the identity and location of persons having knowledge
2052+of discoverable matters, and
2053+b. the identity of each person expected to be called as
2054+an expert witness at trial, the subj ect matter on
2055+which the person is expected to testify, and the
2056+substance of the testimony of the person;
2057+2. A party is under a duty seasonably to amend a prior response
2058+to an interrogatory, request for production, or requ est for
2059+admission if the party obt ains information upon the basis of which:
2060+a. (1) the party knows that the response was incorrect
2061+in some material respect when made, or
2062+(2) the party knows that the response, which was
2063+correct when made, is no longer true in some
2064+material respect, and
2065+b. the additional or corre ctive information has not
2066+otherwise been made known to the other parties during
2067+the discovery process or in writing; and
2068+3. A duty to supplement responses may be imposed by order of
2069+the court, agreement of the parties, or at any time prior to trial
2070+through new requests for supplementation of prior responses.
2071+F. DISCOVERY CONFERENCE. At any time after commencement of an
2072+action, the court may direct the attorneys for the parties to appear
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2098+for a conference on the subject of discovery. The court shall do so
2099+upon motion by the attorney for any party if the motion includes:
2100+1. A statement of the issues as they then appear;
2101+2. A proposed plan and schedule of discovery;
2102+3. Any limitations proposed to be placed on discovery;
2103+4. Any other proposed orders with respect to discovery; and
2104+5. A statement showing that the attorney making the motion has
2105+made a reasonable effort to reach agreement with opposing attorneys
2106+on the matters set forth in the motion.
2107+Each party and his attorney are unde r a duty to participat e in
2108+good faith in the framing of a discovery plan if a plan is proposed
2109+by the attorney for any party. Notice of the motion shall be served
2110+on all parties. Objections or additions to matters set fo rth in the
2111+motion shall be served not later than ten (10 ) days after service of
2112+the motion.
2113+Following the discovery conference, the court shall enter an
2114+order tentatively identifying the issues for discovery purposes,
2115+establishing a plan and schedule for d iscovery, setting limitations
2116+on discovery, if any; and determining such other matters, including
2117+the allocation of expenses, as are necessary for the proper
2118+management of discovery in the action. In preparing the plan for
2119+discovery the court shall protec t the parties from excessive or
2120+abusive use of discovery . An order shall be altered or amended
2121+whenever justice so requires.
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2147+Subject to the right of a party who properly moves for a
2148+discovery conference to prompt convening of the conference, the
2149+court may combine the discovery conference with a pretrial
2150+conference.
2151+G. SIGNING OF DISCOVERY REQUESTS, RESPONSES AND OBJECTIONS.
2152+Every request for discovery, response or objection thereto made by a
2153+party represented by an attorney shall be signed by at least one of
2154+the party's attorneys of record in the party 's individual name whose
2155+address shall be stated. A party who is not represented by an
2156+attorney shall sign the request, response or objection and state the
2157+party's address. The signature of the attorney or party constitutes
2158+a certification that the party has re ad the request, response or
2159+objection, and that it is:
2160+1. To the best of the party 's knowledge, information and belief
2161+formed after a reasonable inquiry co nsistent with the Oklahoma
2162+Discovery Code and warranted by existing law or a good faith
2163+argument for the extension, modification or reversal of existing
2164+law;
2165+2. Interposed in good faith and not primarily to cause delay or
2166+for any other improper purpose; a nd
2167+3. Not unreasonable or unduly burdensome or expensive, given
2168+the nature and complexity of the ca se, the discovery already had in
2169+the case, the amount in controversy, and other values at stake in
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2195+the litigation. If a request, response or objection is n ot signed,
2196+it shall be deemed ineffective.
2197+If a certification is made in violation of the provisions of
2198+this subsection, the court, upon motion or upon its own initiative,
2199+shall impose upon the person who made the certification, the party
2200+on whose behalf the request, response or objection is made, or both,
2201+an appropriate sanction, which may include an or der to pay to the
2202+amount of the reasonable expenses occasioned thereby, including a
2203+reasonable attorney fee.
2204+SECTION 5. This act shall beco me effective November 1, 2023.
2205+Passed the House of Representatives the 14th day of March, 2023.
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2210+ Presiding Officer of the House
2211+ of Representatives
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2214+Passed the Senate the ___ day of _________, 2023.
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2219+ Presiding Officer of the Senate
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