HB1415 HFLR Page 1 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) HOUSE BILL 1415 By: West (Josh) and Hefner of the House and Thompson of the Senate AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to trusts and po ols; amending 79 O.S. 2021, Sections 205 and 206, which relate to the Oklahoma Antitrust Reform A ct; providing for accrual of cause of action; providing for enforcement of provisions by Attorney General; authorizing civil penalty; providing for apportionme nt of revenue to General Revenue Fund; prescribing standards for determination of penalty amount; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 79 O.S. 2021 , Section 205, is amended to read as follows: Section 205. A. 1. Any person who is injured , either directly or indirectly, in his or her business or property by a violation of this act, may obtain appropriate injunctive or other equitable relief and monetary damages and shall recover threefold the damages sustained, and the cost of suit, including a reasonable attorney HB1415 HFLR Page 2 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 fee. The Attorney General may bring an a civil action in the name of the state, any governmental entity, or as parens patriae on behalf of natural persons residing in the state injured, either directly or indirectly , for appropriate injunctive or other equitable relief and to secure monetary damages for injury sustained by such natural persons to their business or property by reason of any violation of this act. The court shall exclude from the amount of the monetary damages awarded in such action any amount of monetary damages: a. which duplicates amounts wh ich have been awarded for the same injury, or b. which is properly allocable to: (1) natural persons who have excluded their claims, and (2) any other persons. The court shall award the state as parens patriae threefold the total damages sustained and the cost of suit, including a reasonable attorney fee. Whenever the state is hereafte r injured in its business or property by anything forbidden in this act, it may obtain appropriate injunctive or other equitable relief and monetary damages therefor and shal l recover actual damages by it sustained and the cost of suit including a reasonab le attorney fee. The court may award under this section, pursuant to a motion by such person or the state, simple interest on actual damages for the period HB1415 HFLR Page 3 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 beginning on the date of service of such person's or the state's pleading setting forth a claim und er this act and ending on the date of judgment, or for any shorter period therein, if the court finds that the award of such interest for such period is just in the circumstances. The Attorney General may bring an action on behalf of either the state or a political subdivision of the state when either is injured in its business or property by anythi ng forbidden by the provisions of this act. 2. In any civil action brought by the Attorney General as parens patriae, the Attorney General shall, at such times , in such manner, and with such content as the court may direct, cause notice thereof to be given by publication. Any person on whose behalf an action is brought may elect t o exclude from adjudication the portion of the claim for monetary damages attribut able to him or her by filing notice of this election with the court within the time specified in the notice given pursuant to this paragraph. 3. In a civil action brought by the Attorney General as parens patriae, the final judgment shall be res judicata as to any claim under this section by any person on behalf of whom the action was brought and who fails to give notice within the period specified in the notice given pursuan t to paragraph 2 of this subsection. B. Any person or governmental entity who or which obtains a judgment for damages under 15 U.S.C., Section 15 or any other provision of federal law comparable to this section may not recover HB1415 HFLR Page 4 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 damages in a suit under this section based on substantially the same conduct that was the subject of the feder al suit. C. Any action to recover damages under this section is barred unless commenced within four (4) years after the claim accrued or was discovered, whichever is later. For purposes of the Oklahoma Antitrust Reform Act, a cause of action accrues: 1. When the circumstances giving rise to the cause of actio n are discovered or should have been dis covered in the exercise of reasonable diligence; or 2. On the date that the last in a series of acts or practices in violation of the Oklahoma Antitrust Reform Act occurred, including any acquisitions or series of acquisitions that, in the aggregate, may constitute a violation of the Oklahoma Antitrust Reform Act. SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 79 O.S. 2021, Section 206, is amended to read as fol lows: Section 206. A. Any person, other than a municipal corporation, who violates Section 3, 4, or 8 of Enrolled Senate Bill No. 1357 of the 2nd Session of the 46th Oklahoma Legislature is guilty of a Schedule G felony, if the offense occurs on or after the effective date of Section 20.1 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes. If the offense is com mitted prior to the effective date of Section 20.1 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the crime shall be HB1415 HFLR Page 5 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 punishable by incarceration in the custody of the De partment of Corrections for not more than ten (10) years. A violator shall, upon conviction, be subject to a fine not to exceed Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) per violation. B. The Attorney General or any district attorney may file a criminal information or seek a criminal indictment to enforce the provisions of subsection A of this section. C. The Attorney General may bring a civil action on behalf of the state to seek the imposition of a civil penalty for any violation of the Oklahoma Antitrust Re form Act. The court, upon finding a violation of the Oklahoma Antitrust Reform Act, shall impose a civil penalty to be paid to the General Revenue Fund of the state in an amount not to exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) for each such violation. In determining the amount of a civil penalty, the court shall consider, among other things: 1. The nature and extent of the violation; 2. The number of consumers affected by the violation; 3. Whether the violation was an isolated incident or a continuous pattern and practice of behavior; 4. Whether the violation was the result of willful conduct; 5. Whether the defendant took affirmative steps to conceal such violations; and HB1415 HFLR Page 6 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 6. Whether, given the size and wealth of the defendant, the civil penalty will be an effective deterrent against future violations. SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025. COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY OVERSIGHT, dated 03/05/2025 - DO PASS, As Coauthored.