Oklahoma 2024 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1576 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/08/2024

                     
 
 
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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   
 
 
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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   
 
 
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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   
 
 
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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   
 
 
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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