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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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55	55	2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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57	57	HOUSE BILL 3810 By: Dollens
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63	63	AS INTRODUCED
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65	65	An Act relating to initiative and referendum ;
66	66	amending 34 O.S. 2021, Section 8, which relates to
67	67	signature gathering; increasing number of days for
68	68	signatures of initiative petitions; and providing an
69	69	effective date.
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75	75	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
76	76	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 34 O.S. 2021, Section 8, is
77	77	amended to read as follows :
78	78	Section 8. A. When a citizen or citizens desire to circulate a
79	79	petition initiating a proposition of any nature, whether to become a
80	80	statute law or an amendment to the Constitution, or for the purpose
81	81	of invoking a referendum upon legislative enactments, such ci tizen
82	82	or citizens shall, when such petition is prepared, and before the
83	83	same is circulated or signed by electors, file a true and exact c opy
84	84	of same in the office of the Secretary of State and shall at the
85	85	same time file a separate ballot title, which shal l not be part of
86	86	or printed on the petition.
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138	138	B. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to cause to
139	139	be published, in at least one newspaper of general circulation in
140	140	the state, a notice of such filing and the apparent sufficiency or
141	141	insufficiency of the petition, and sh all include notice that any
142	142	citizen or citizens of the state may file a protest as to the
143	143	constitutionality of the petition, by a written notice to the
144	144	Supreme Court and to the proponent or proponents filing the
145	145	petition. Any such pr otest must be filed wi thin ten (10) business
146	146	days after publication. A copy of the protest shall be filed with
147	147	the Secretary of State.
148	148	C. Upon the filing of a protest to the petition, the Supreme
149	149	Court shall then fix a day, not less than ten (10) busines s days
150	150	thereafter, at which time it will hear testimony and arguments for
151	151	and against the sufficiency of such petition.
152	152	D. A protest filed by anyone hereunder may, if abandoned by the
153	153	party filing same, be revived within five (5) business days by any
154	154	other citizen. After such hearing the Supreme Court shall decide
155	155	whether such petition is in the form required by the statutes. If
156	156	the Court is at the time adjourned, the Chief Justice shall
157	157	immediately convene the same for such hearing. No objection to the
158	158	sufficiency shall be considered unless it has been made and filed as
159	159	herein provided.
160	160	E. Signature-gathering Deadline for Initiative Pe titions. When
161	161	an initiative petition has been filed in the office of the Secretary
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213	213	of State and all appeals, protests and rehearings have be en resolved
214	214	or the period for such has expired, the Secretary of State shall set
215	215	the date for circulation of signat ures for the petition to begin but
216	216	in no event shall the date be less than fifteen (15) days nor more
217	217	than thirty (30) days from the date whe n all appeals, protests and
218	218	rehearings have been resolved or have expired. Notification shall
219	219	be sent to the propo nents specifying the date on which circulation
220	220	of the petition shall begin and that the signatures are due within
221	221	ninety (90) one hundred eighty (180) days of the date set. Each
222	222	elector shall sign his or her name and legibly print his or her
223	223	name, birth date and address associa ted with his or her Oklahoma
224	224	voter registration record. Any petition not filed in accordance
225	225	with this provision shal l not be considered. The proponents of an
226	226	initiative petition, any time before the final submission of
227	227	signatures, may withdraw the initi ative petition upon written
228	228	notification to the Secretary of State.
229	229	F. Signature-gathering Deadline for Referendum Pe titions. All
230	230	signed signatures supporting a referendum petition shall be filed
231	231	with the Secretary of State not later than ninety (90) day s after
232	232	the adjournment of the legislative session in which the measure,
233	233	which is the subject of the referendum petiti on, was enacted.
234	234	G. The proponents of a referendum or an initiative petition may
235	235	terminate the circulation period any time during the nin ety-day
236	236	circulation period by certifying to the Secretary of State that:
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288	288	1. All signed petition s have already been fi led with the
289	289	Secretary of State;
290	290	2. No more petitions are in circulation; and
291	291	3. The proponents will not circulate any more petitions.
292	292	If the Secretary of State receives such a certification from the
293	293	proponents, the Secretary of Sta te shall begin the cou nting and
294	294	review process.
295	295	H. When the signed copies of a petition pamphlet are timely
296	296	filed, the Secretary of State shall file a copy of the proponent's
297	297	ballot title with the Attorney General and, after conducting a count
298	298	and review of the filed, signed p etition pamphlets, the Secretary of
299	299	State shall certify to the Supreme Court of the state:
300	300	1. The total number of signatures counted purs uant to
301	301	procedures set forth in this title; and
302	302	2. The total number of votes cast for the state office
303	303	receiving the highest number of votes cast at the last general
304	304	election.
305	305	The Supreme Court shall make the determination of the numerical
306	306	sufficiency or insufficiency of the signatures counted and reviewed
307	307	by the Secretary of State.
308	308	I. Upon order of the Supreme Court it shall be the duty of the
309	309	Secretary of State to forthwith cause to be published, in at least
310	310	one newspaper of general circulation in the s tate, a notice of the
311	311	filing of the signed petitions and the apparent sufficiency or
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363	363	insufficiency thereof, and shall also publish the text of the ballot
364	364	title as reviewed and approved or, if applicable, as rewritten by
365	365	the Attorney General pursuant to the provisions of subsection D of
366	366	Section 9 of this title and notice that any citizen or citizens o f
367	367	the state may file a n objection to the count made by the Secretary
368	368	of State, by a written notice to the Supreme Court and to the
369	369	proponent or proponents filin g the petition. Any such objection
370	370	must be filed within ten (10) business days after publicatio n and
371	371	must relate only to the validity or number of the signatures or a
372	372	challenge to the ballot title. A copy of the objection to the count
373	373	or ballot title shall be filed with the Supreme Court, the Attorney
374	374	General and the Secretary of State.
375	375	J. Upon appeal and if ordered or directed by the Supreme Court,
376	376	the Secretary of State shall deliver the bound volumes of signatures
377	377	to the Supreme Court.
378	378	K. Upon the filing of an objection to the signature count or
379	379	ballot title, the Supreme Court shall resolve the objection with
380	380	dispatch. The Supreme Court shall adopt rules to govern proceedings
381	381	to apply to the challenge of a measure on the grounds that the
382	382	proponents failed to gather sufficient signatures.
383	383	L. If in the opinion of the Supreme Court, any objection to the
384	384	count or protest to the petition is frivolous, the Court may impose
385	385	appropriate sanctions, including an award of costs and attorneys
386	386	fees to either party as the Court deems equitable.
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438	438	M. Whenever reference is made in this act to the Supreme Court,
439	439	such reference shall include the members of the Supreme Court or any
440	440	officer constitutionally designated to perform the duties herein
441	441	prescribed.
442	442	SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
443	443
444	444	59-2-8577 LRB 12/04/23

Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB3810 Compare Versions