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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55	2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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57	57	SENATE BILL 1565 By: Kirt
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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 s 2 and 8, which relate
67	67	to proposed petitions; increasing applicable time
68	68	period on certain form; increasing time period for
69	69	collection of certain sig natures; increasing time
70	70	period for termination of certain circulation; making
71	71	language gender neutral; and providing an effective
72	72	date.
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77	77	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
78	78	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 34 O.S. 2021, Section 2, is
79	79	amended to read as follows:
80	80	Section 2. A. The form of initiative petition shall be
81	81	substantially as follows:
82	82	INITIATIVE PETITION
83	83	To the Honorable ______________, Governor of Oklahoma (or To the
84	84	Honorable ______________, Mayor, Chairman of County Commissioners,
85	85	or other chief executive officers, as the case may be, for the city,
86	86	county or other municipality): We, the undersig ned legal voters of
87	87	the State of Oklahoma (and of the district of _______________,
88	88	county of _______________, or city of ______________ __, as the case
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140	140	may be), respectfully order that the following proposed law (or
141	141	amendment to the constitutio n, ordinance, or amendment to the city
142	142	charter, as the case may be) shall be submitted to the legal voters
143	143	of the State of Oklahoma (or of the district of ______________,
144	144	county of ______________, or city of ______________, as the case may
145	145	be) for their approval or rej ection at the regular general election
146	146	(or regular or special city election), to be held on the ____ _ day
147	147	of _________, 20__, and each for himself or herself says: I have
148	148	personally signed this petition; I am a legal voter of the State of
149	149	Oklahoma (and of the district of ____ _____, county of
150	150	__________________, city of ______________, as the case may be); the
151	151	following data points shall be included on the form: the voter’s
152	152	first name, last name, zip code, house number, and numerical month
153	153	and day of my birth. The time for fi ling this petition expires
154	154	ninety (90) one hundred eighty (180) days from (Secretary of State
155	155	to insert assigned date when petition is to begin signature
156	156	circulation). (This for State initiative. For county, city, or
157	157	other municipality the length of time shall be ninety (90) days.)
158	158	The question we herewith submit to our fellow voters is: Shall the
159	159	following bill (or proposed amendment to the Constitution or
160	160	resolution) be approved? (Insert here an exact copy of the text of
161	161	the measure followed by propo nents of record (not to exceed three
162	162	signatures, complete printe d name and address associated with his or
163	163	her Oklahoma voter registration record).)
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215	215	B. In order for the signature to be approved by the Secretary
216	216	of State, three or more data points described in subsection A of
217	217	this section must be matched to the voter registration file.
218	218	SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 34 O.S. 2021, Section 8, is
219	219	amended to read as follows:
220	220	Section 8. A. When a citizen or citizens desire to circulate a
221	221	petition initiating a proposition of any nature, whether to become a
222	222	statute law or an amendment to the Constitution, or for the purpose
223	223	of invoking a referendum upon legislative enactments, such citizen
224	224	or citizens shall, when such petition is prepared, and bef ore the
225	225	same is circulated or signed by electors, file a true and exact c opy
226	226	of same in the office of the Secretary of State and shall at t he
227	227	same time file a separate ballot title, which shall not be part of
228	228	or printed on the petition.
229	229	B. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of State to cause to
230	230	be published, in at least one newsp aper of general circulation in
231	231	the state, a notice of such filing and the apparent sufficiency or
232	232	insufficiency of the petition, and sh all include notice that any
233	233	citizen or citizens of the state may file a protest as to the
234	234	constitutionality of the petition, by a written notice to the
235	235	Supreme Court and to the prop onent or proponents filing the
236	236	petition. Any such protest must be filed within ten (10) business
237	237	days after publication. A copy of the protest shall be filed with
238	238	the Secretary of State.
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290	290	C. Upon the filing of a protest to the petition, the Supreme
291	291	Court shall then fix a day, not less than ten (10) business days
292	292	thereafter, at which time it will hear testimony and argu ments for
293	293	and against the sufficiency of such petition.
294	294	D. A protest filed by anyone hereunder may, if abandoned by the
295	295	party filing same, be revived within five (5) business days by any
296	296	other citizen. After such hearing the Supreme Court shall decide
297	297	whether such petition is in the form required by the statutes. If
298	298	the Court is at the time adjourned, the Chief Justice shall
299	299	immediately convene the same for such hearing. No objection to the
300	300	sufficiency shall be considered unless it has been made and fil ed as
301	301	herein provided.
302	302	E. Signature-gathering Deadline for Initiative Pe titions. When
303	303	an initiative petition has been filed in the office of the Secretary
304	304	of State and all appeals, protests and r ehearings have been resolved
305	305	or the period for such has exp ired, the Secretary of State shall set
306	306	the date for circulation of signatures f or the petition to begin but
307	307	in no event shall the date be less than fifteen (15) days nor more
308	308	than thirty (30) days from the date whe n all appeals, protests and
309	309	rehearings have been resolved or have expired. Notification shall
310	310	be sent to the propo nents specifying the date on which circulation
311	311	of the petition shall begin and that the signatures are due within
312	312	ninety (90) one hundred eighty (180) days of the date set. Each
313	313	elector shall sign his or her name and legibly print his or her
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365	365	name, birth date and address associated with his or her Oklahoma
366	366	voter registration record. Any petition not filed in accordance
367	367	with this provision shall not be considered. The proponents of an
368	368	initiative petition, any time before the final submission of
369	369	signatures, may withdraw the initiat ive petition upon written
370	370	notification to the Secretary of State.
371	371	F. Signature-gathering Deadline for Referendum Petitions. All
372	372	signed signatures supporting a referendum petition shall be filed
373	373	with the Secretary of State not later tha n ninety (90) days after
374	374	the adjournment of the legislative session in which the measure,
375	375	which is the subject of the referendum petition, was enacted.
376	376	G. The proponents of a r eferendum or an initiative petition may
377	377	terminate the circulation period any time during the ninety-day
378	378	circulation period, or the proponents of the initiative petition may
379	379	terminate the circulatio n period any time during the one hundred
380	380	eighty-day circulation period, by certifying to the Secretary of
381	381	State that:
382	382	1. All signed petit ions have already been filed with t he
383	383	Secretary of State;
384	384	2. No more petitions are in circulation; and
385	385	3. The proponents will not circulate any more petitions.
386	386	If the Secretary of State receives such a certification from the
387	387	proponents, the Secretary of State shall begin the counting and
388	388	review process.
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440	440	H. When the signed copies of a petition pamphlet are timely
441	441	filed, the Secretary of State shall file a copy of th e proponent’s
442	442	ballot title with the Attorney General and, after conducting a count
443	443	and review of the filed, signed petition pa mphlets, the Secretary o f
444	444	State shall certify to the Supreme Court of the state:
445	445	1. The total number of signatures counted pursuant to
446	446	procedures set forth in this title; and
447	447	2. The total number of votes cast for the state office
448	448	receiving the highest number of votes cast at the last general
449	449	election.
450	450	The Supreme Court shall make the determination of the numerical
451	451	sufficiency or insufficiency of the signatures counted and reviewed
452	452	by the Secretary of State.
453	453	I. Upon order of the Supreme Court it shall be the duty of the
454	454	Secretary of State to forthwith cause to be published, in at least
455	455	one newspaper of general circulation in the state, a notice of the
456	456	filing of the signed petitions and the apparent sufficiency or
457	457	insufficiency thereof, and shall also publish the text of the ballot
458	458	title as reviewed and approved or, if applicable, as rewritten by
459	459	the Attorney General pursuant to the p rovisions of subsection D of
460	460	Section 9 of this title and notice that any citizen or citizen s of
461	461	the state may file an objectio n to the count made by t he Secretary
462	462	of State, by a written notice to the Supreme Court and to the
463	463	proponent or proponents filing the petition . Any such objection
464	464
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515	515	must be filed within ten (10) business days after publication and
516	516	must relate only to the validity or number of the s ignatures or a
517	517	challenge to the ballot title. A copy of the objection to the count
518	518	or ballot title shall be filed with the Supreme Court, the Attorney
519	519	General and the Secretary of State.
520	520	J. Upon appeal and if ordered or directed by the Supreme Court,
521	521	the Secretary of State shall deliver the bound volumes of signatures
522	522	to the Supreme Court.
523	523	K. Upon the filing of an obj ection to the signature count or
524	524	ballot title, the Supreme Court shall resolve the objection with
525	525	dispatch. The Supreme Court shall adopt rules to govern proceedings
526	526	to apply to the challenge of a measure on the grounds that the
527	527	proponents failed to gather sufficient signatures.
528	528	L. If in the opinion of the Supreme Court, any object ion to the
529	529	count or protest to the petition is frivolous, t he Court may impose
530	530	appropriate sanctions, including an award of costs and attorneys
531	531	fees to either party as the Court deems equitable.
532	532	M. Whenever reference is made in this act to the Supreme Court,
533	533	such reference shall include the members of the Supreme Court or any
534	534	officer constitutionally designated to perform the duties herein
535	535	prescribed.
536	536	SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
537	537
538	538	59-2-2531 TEK 1/5/2024 1:49:15 PM

Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1565 Compare Versions