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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
SENATE BILL 1697 By: Dahm
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to the Administrative Direct or of the
Courts; amending 20 O.S. 20 21, Section 16.11, which
relates to annual re ports; requiring electronic
submission of annual report to Legislature;
specifying information required for inclusion in
certain reports; requiring submission of copies of
certain written and electronic communications;
establishing certification requirements for certain
reports; updating statutory language; and declaring
an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 20 O.S. 2021, Section 16.11, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 16.11. A. The Administrative Director of the Courts is
requested to shall submit a report electronically to the Legislature
by January 15 of each year commencing in January, 1970 (an d in each
January thereafter), on the following subjects:
(a) 1. Whether or not the boundaries o f the district court
judicial districts should be chan ged. If a change is recommended,
the report should indicate the counties that should be included in
each district.;
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(b) 2. The number of district judges and associate district
judges that should be authorized for each judicial district .;
(c) 3. If the formula for the number of sp ecial judges to be
allowed to each judicial administrative district should be changed.;
(d) 4. The case load pending in each district court judicial
district.;
(e) 5. The number of cases heard on their merits by each judge
of the district court during the preceding year .; and
(f) 6. In making the above report, said the Administrative
Director shall, along with whatever o ther criteria he uses used in
making the report, consider the area involved in the judicial
district and the distances inv olved between the places where court
is held in said the district.
B. In addition to the re port required by subse ction A of this
section, the Administrative Director of the Courts shall submi t a
report electronically to the Legislature by October 15 of each year
that contains the following information from the prior year :
1. A list of each case in which the Supreme Court or the Court
of Civil Appeals considered a challenge to the constitutiona lity of
or invalidated a statute passed by the Legislature. For each such
case, the report shall include the case name, case number, statute
challenged or invalidated, and a concise statement of the holding of
the Court;
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2. A detailed accounting of the caseload of the Supreme Court,
the Court of Civil Appeals, and the Court of Criminal Appeals,
including the total number of cases appealed to each Court, the
number of opinions issued, the number of cases pending b efore each
Court as of the date of the report , and the number of opinions
authored by each justice or judge;
3. A list of each case decided by the Supreme Court in which a
special justice took part in the decis ion. For each such ca se, the
report shall include the case name, case number, special justice,
and a concise statement of the holding of the Court;
4. A report detailing the management of the Judicial Nominating
Commission including expenses incurred supporting the Commission,
all meetings of the Commission and the matters considered at each
meeting, judicial vacancies for which the Commission submitted
nominees to the Governor, and copies of all written or electronic
communications between employees of the A dministrative Office o f the
Courts and Justices of the Supreme Court regarding the Jud icial
Nominating Commission ;
5. A list of each insta nce in which a member of the Judicial
Nominating Commission recused or was disqualified from participating
in the nomination process to fill a judicial vacancy. For each such
instance, the report shall include the name of the Commissioner, the
vacancy for which the Commissioner recused or was disqualified, and
the reason for the recusal or disqualification ;
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6. Copies of all written or electronic communications between
employees of the Administrative Office of the Courts and Justices of
the Supreme Court regarding any bill proposed in the Legislature ;
and
7. Any other information the Administrative Dir ector of the
Courts believes would assist the Legislature in conducting oversi ght
of the Administrative Office of the Courts and the courts of this
state.
C. The Administrative Director of the Courts shall certify
under oath that the report described in s ubsection B of this section
is true to the best of his or her knowledge and information, that
the report contains no material misrepresentations or omissions, and
that the report was prepared after the exercise of reasonable
diligence to obtain the informa tion required by this section.
SECTION 2. It being immediatel y necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
59-2-3189 TEK 1/16/2024 3:13:25 PM