Req. No. 3347 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024) SENATE BILL 1576 By: Howard AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to the Oklahoma Discovery Co de; amending 12 O.S. 2021, Section 3234, which relates to production of documents; imposing limitation upon requests to produce certain documents or other items; establishing procedures for additional reque sts for production; and providing an effective date . BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 12 O.S. 2021, Section 3234, is amended to read as foll ows: Section 3234. A. IN GENERAL. A party may serve on any other party a request within the scope of Section 3226 of this title: 1. To produce and permit the requesting part y or its representative to inspect, copy, test or sample the following items in the possession, custody or control of the responding party: a. any designated documents or electronically stored information - including writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, sound recordings, images and other data or data compilations – stored in any medium from which information can be obtained either directly Req. No. 3347 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 or, if necessary, after translation by the responding party into a reasonably usable form, or b. any designated tangible things; or 2. To permit entry onto designated land or other property possessed or controlled by the responding party so that the requesting party may inspect, measure, survey, photograph, test or sample the property or any designated obje ct or operation on it. B. PROCEDURE. 1. The request: a. shall describe with rea sonable particularity each item or category of items to be inspected, b. shall specify a reasonable time, place and manner for the inspection and for performing the related acts , and c. may specify the form or forms in which electronically stored information is to be produced. 2. The number of requests to produce or permit inspection or copying shall not exceed thirty in number. If counsel for a party believes that more than thirty requests to produce or permit inspection or copying are necessary, counsel shall consult with opposing counsel promptly and attempt to reach a written stipulation as to a reasonable number of additional requests. Counsel are expected to comply with this requirement in good f aith. In the event a written stipulation cannot be agreed upon, the party seeki ng Req. No. 3347 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 to submit such additional requests for production or inspection shall file a motion with the court : a. showing that counsel have conferred in good faith but sincere attempts to resolve the issue have been unavailing, b. showing reasons establishing good cau se for their use, and c. setting forth the proposed additional requests for production or inspection. 3. a. The request may be served, without leav e of court, upon any party after the filing of a petition. The party to whom the request is directed shall respond in writing within thirty (30) days after being served. The thirty-day response period shall not commence until an answer to the petition is filed. However, upon leave of court or otherwise agreed to in writing by the parties subject to Section 3229 of this title, the response to the request may be required prior to the filing of an answer to the pet ition. b. For each item or category, the re sponse shall either state that inspection and related activities will be permitted as requested or state wi th specificity the grounds for objecting to the request, including the reasons. The responding party may state that it will Req. No. 3347 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 produce copies of docume nts or of electronically stored information instead of permitting inspection. The production shall be completed no later than the time for inspection specified in the request, or another reasonable time specified in the response. c. An objection shall sta te whether any responsive materials are being withheld on the basis of that objection. An objection to par t of a request shall specify the part and permit inspection of the rest. d. The response may state an objection to a requested form for producing ele ctronically stored information. If the responding party objects to a requested form, or if no form was specified in the request, the party shall state the form or forms it intends to use. e. Unless otherwise stip ulated or ordered by the court, these procedures apply to producing documents or electronically stored information: (1) a party shall produce document s as they are kept in the usual course of business or shall organize and label them to correspond to the categories in the request, (2) if a request does not specify a form for producing electronically stored information, a party shall produce it in a form or forms in Req. No. 3347 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 which it is ordinarily maintained or in a reasonably usable form or forms, and (3) a party need not produce the same electronically stored information in more than one form. C. NONPARTIES. A nonparty may be compelled to produce documents and tangible things or to permit an inspection as provided in Section 2004.1 of this title. SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024. 59-2-3347 TEK 1/8/2024 10:51:13 AM