Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1415 Latest Draft

Bill / Engrossed Version Filed 03/12/2025

                             
 
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ENGROSSED HOUSE 
BILL NO. 1415 	By: West (Josh), Hefner and 
Fugate of the House 
 
   and 
 
  Thompson of the Senate 
 
 
 
 
 
An Act relating to trusts and pools; amending 79 O.S. 
2021, Sections 205 and 206, which relate to the 
Oklahoma Antitrust Reform Act; provi ding for accrual 
of cause of action; providing for enforcement of 
provisions by Attorney General; authorizing civil 
penalty; providing for apportionment of revenue to 
General Revenue Fund; prescribing standards for 
determination of penalty amount; and prov iding 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 att orney 
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   
 
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directly or indirectly , for appropriate injunctive or ot her 
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 a ny amount of 
monetary damages: 
a. which duplicates amounts which 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 hereafter injured in its 
business or property by anything forbidden in this act, it may 
obtain appropriate injunctive or other equitable relief a nd monetary 
damages therefor and shall recover actual damages by it sustained 
and the cost of suit including a reasonable 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 
beginning on the date of service of such person's or the state's 
pleading setting forth a claim under this act and ending on the date 
of judgment, or for any shorter period therein, if the court finds   
 
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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 anything 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 be half an 
action is brought may elect to exclude from adjudication the portion 
of the claim for monetary damages attributable 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 n otice within the period specified in 
the notice given pursuant 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 
damages in a suit under this section based on substantially the same 
conduct that was the subject of the federal suit.   
 
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C.  Any action to recover damages under this section is barred 
unless commenced within four (4) years af ter 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 discovered in the ex ercise 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 viol ation of the Oklahoma An titrust 
Reform Act. 
SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY     79 O.S. 2021, Section 206, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 206. A.  Any person, other than a municipal 
corporation, who violates Section 3, 4, or 8 of Enroll ed 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 committed prior to t he effective date of Sec tion 
20.1 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the crime shall be 
punishable by incarceration in the custody of the Department of 
Corrections for not more than ten (10) years.  A violator shall,   
 
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upon conviction, be subject to a fin e 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 Reform 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 
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.   
 
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Passed the House of Representatives the 11th day of March, 2025. 
 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the House 
 	of Representatives 
 
 
 
Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2025. 
 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the Senate