OK
Oklahoma House Bill HB1564

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1564 Compare Versions

OldNewDifferences
11
22
3-ENGR. H. B. NO. 1564 Page 1 1
3+HB1564 HFLR Page 1
4+BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
45 2
56 3
67 4
78 5
89 6
910 7
1011 8
1112 9
1213 10
1314 11
1415 12
1516 13
1617 14
1718 15
1819 16
1920 17
2021 18
2122 19
2223 20
2324 21
2425 22
2526 23
2627 24
2728
28-ENGROSSED HOUSE
29-BILL NO. 1564 By: Duel of the House
29+HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
30+
31+STATE OF OKLAHOMA
32+
33+1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
34+
35+COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
36+FOR
37+HOUSE BILL NO. 1564 By: Duel of the House
3038
3139 and
3240
3341 Howard of the Senate
3442
3543
3644
3745
3846
47+COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
3948
4049 An Act relating to civil procedure; creating the
4150 Oklahoma Expedited Actions Act; providing for
4251 application of expedited actions process; providing
43-for recovery; prescribing process for removal of case
44-from expedited actions process; providing process
52+for recovery; providing process for removal of case
53+from expedited actions proces s; providing process for
4554 governing discovery; providing for trial setting;
46-prescribing time limits for trial; defining term;
47-providing alternative dispute resolution; prescribing
48-procedures related to challenging admissibility of
49-expert testimony; providing for codification; and
50-providing an effective date.
55+providing time limits for trial; providing
56+definition; providing alternative dispute resolution;
57+providing for challenging admissibility of expert
58+testimony; providing for codificat ion; and providing
59+an effective date.
5160
5261
5362
5463
5564
5665 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
5766 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
5867 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1775 of Title 12, unless there
5968 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
60-This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma
61-Expedited Actions Act".
62-SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new secti on of law to be codified
63-in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1776 of Title 12, unless there
64-is created a duplicat ion in numbering, reads as follows:
69+Section 1775 et seq. shall be known and may be cited as the
70+"Oklahoma Expedited Actions Act".
6571
66-ENGR. H. B. NO. 1564 Page 2 1
72+HB1564 HFLR Page 2
73+BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
6774 2
6875 3
6976 4
7077 5
7178 6
7279 7
7380 8
7481 9
7582 10
7683 11
7784 12
7885 13
7986 14
8087 15
8188 16
8289 17
8390 18
8491 19
8592 20
8693 21
8794 22
8895 23
8996 24
9097
98+SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
99+in the Oklahoma Statutes as Sect ion 1776 of Title 12, unless there
100+is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
91101 A. The expedited actions process provided for in Section 1 of
92102 this act applies to a suit in which all claimants, other than
93103 counter-claimants, affirmatively plead that they seek only monetary
94104 relief aggregating Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00)
95105 or less, excluding interest, statutory or punitive damages and
96106 penalties, and attorney fees and costs.
97107 B. In no event may a party who prosecutes a suit under this act
98108 recover a judgment in excess of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars
99109 ($250,000.00), excluding interest, statutory or punitive damages and
100110 penalties, and attorney fees and costs.
101111 SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be c odified
102112 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1777 of Title 12, unless there
103113 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
104114 A. A court shall remove a suit from the expedited actions
105115 process:
106116 1. On motion and a showing of good cause by any party; or
107117 2. If any claimant, other than a counter -claimant, files a
108118 pleading or an amended or supplemental pleading that seeks any
109119 relief other than the monetary relief allowed by Section 2 of this
110120 act.
111-B. A pleading, amended pleading, or supplemental pleading that
112-removes a suit from the expedited actions process may not be filed
113-without leave of court unless it is filed before the earlier of
114-thirty (30) days after the discovery period is closed or thirt y (30)
115121
116-ENGR. H. B. NO. 1564 Page 3 1
122+HB1564 HFLR Page 3
123+BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
117124 2
118125 3
119126 4
120127 5
121128 6
122129 7
123130 8
124131 9
125132 10
126133 11
127134 12
128135 13
129136 14
130137 15
131138 16
132139 17
133140 18
134141 19
135142 20
136143 21
137144 22
138145 23
139146 24
140147
148+B. A pleading, amended pleading, or supplemental pleading that
149+removes a suit from the expedited actions process may not be filed
150+without leave of court unless it is filed before the earlier of
151+thirty (30) days after the discovery period is closed or thirty (30)
141152 days before the date is set for trial. Leave to a mend may be
142153 granted only if good cause for filing the pleading outweighs any
143154 prejudice to an opposing party.
144155 C. If a suit is removed from the expedited actions process, the
145156 court shall reopen discovery.
146157 SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new sec tion of law to be codified
147158 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1778 of Title 12, unless there
148159 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
149-A. Every case that follows the expedited actions process shall
160+A. Every case that follows the expediated actions process shall
150161 be governed by the discovery control pla n provided for in this
151162 Section. Discovery is subject to the limitations provided for in
152163 Section 3226 of Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes and to the
153164 following additional limitations:
154165 1. In a suit not governed by Title 43 of the Oklahoma
155166 Statutes, all discovery must be conducted during the discovery
156167 period, which begins when the first initial disclosures are due and
157168 continues for one hundred eighty (180) days. In a suit governed by
158169 Title 43 of the Oklahoma Statutes, all discovery must be conducted
159170 during the discovery period, which begins when the suit is filed and
160-continues until one hundred eighty (180) days after the first
161-request for discovery of any kind is served on a party;
162-2. Each party may h ave no more than twenty (20) hours in total
163-to examine and cross -examine all witnesses in oral depositions. The
164171
165-ENGR. H. B. NO. 1564 Page 4 1
172+HB1564 HFLR Page 4
173+BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
166174 2
167175 3
168176 4
169177 5
170178 6
171179 7
172180 8
173181 9
174182 10
175183 11
176184 12
177185 13
178186 14
179187 15
180188 16
181189 17
182190 18
183191 19
184192 20
185193 21
186194 22
187195 23
188196 24
189197
198+continues until one hundred eighty (180) days after the first
199+request for discovery of any kind is served on a party;
200+2. Each party may have no more than twenty (20) hours in total
201+to examine and cross-examine all witnesses in oral depositions. The
190202 court may modify the deposition hours so that no party is given
191203 unfair advantage;
192204 3. Any party may serve on any other party no more than fifteen
193-written interrogatories, excluding interrogatories asking a party
194-only to identify or authenticate specific do cuments. Each discrete
195-subpart of an interrogatory is considered a separate interrogatory;
205+(15) written interrogatories, excluding interrogatori es asking a
206+party only to identify or authenticate specific documents. Each
207+discrete subpart of an interrogatory is considered a separate
208+interrogatory;
196209 4. Any party may serve on any other party no more than fifteen
197-written requests for production. Each discrete subpart of a request
198-for production is considered a separate request for production; and
210+(15) written requests for production. Each discrete subpart of a
211+request for production is considered a separate request for
212+production; and
199213 5. Any party may serve on any other party no more than fifteen
200-written requests for admissions. Each dis crete subpart of a request
201-for admission is considered a separate request for admission.
214+(15) written requests for admissions. Each discrete subpart of a
215+request for admission is considered a separate request for
216+admission.
202217 B. If a suit is removed from the expedited actions process or,
203218 in a divorce, the filing of a pleading renders this subdivision no
204219 longer applicable, the discovery period reopens, and discovery must
205220 be completed within the limitations provided in Section 3226 of
206221 Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Any person previously deposed
207-may be redeposed. On motion of any party, the court should continue
208-the trial date if necessa ry to permit completion of discovery.
209-SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codif ied
210-in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1779 of Title 12, unless there
211-is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
212-On any party's request, the court shall set the case for a trial
213-date that is within ninety (90) days after the discovery period
214222
215-ENGR. H. B. NO. 1564 Page 5 1
223+HB1564 HFLR Page 5
224+BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
216225 2
217226 3
218227 4
219228 5
220229 6
221230 7
222231 8
223232 9
224233 10
225234 11
226235 12
227236 13
228237 14
229238 15
230239 16
231240 17
232241 18
233242 19
234243 20
235244 21
236245 22
237246 23
238247 24
239248
249+may be redeposed. On motion of any party, the court should continue
250+the trial date if necessary to permit completion of discovery.
251+SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
252+in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1779 of Title 12, unless there
253+is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
254+On any party's request, the court shall set the case for a trial
255+date that is within ninety (90) days after the discovery period
240256 ends. The court may continue the case twice, not to exceed a total
241257 of sixty (60) days.
242258 SECTION 6. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
243259 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1780 of Title 12, unless there
244260 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
245261 A. Each side is allowed no more than eight (8) hours to
246262 complete jury selection, opening statements, presentation of
247263 evidence, examination and cros s-examination of witnesses, and
248264 closing arguments. On motion and a showing of good cause by any
249265 party, the court may extend the time limit to no more than twelve
250266 (12) hours per side.
251267 B. The term "side" is not synonymous with "party", "litigant",
252268 or "person". Rather, "side" means one or more litigants who have
253269 common interests on the matters with which the jury is concerned.
254270 C. Time spent on objections, bench conferences, bills of
255271 exception, and challenges for cause to a juror are not included in
256272 the time limit.
257-SECTION 7. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
258-in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1781 of Title 12, unless there
259-is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
260-A. Unless the parties have agreed not to engage in alternative
261-dispute resolution, the court may refer the case to an alternative
262-dispute resolution procedure once, and the procedure shall:
263273
264-ENGR. H. B. NO. 1564 Page 6 1
274+HB1564 HFLR Page 6
275+BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
265276 2
266277 3
267278 4
268279 5
269280 6
270281 7
271282 8
272283 9
273284 10
274285 11
275286 12
276287 13
277288 14
278289 15
279290 16
280291 17
281292 18
282293 19
283294 20
284295 21
285296 22
286297 23
287298 24
288299
300+SECTION 7. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
301+in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1781 of Title 12, unless there
302+is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
303+A. Unless the parties have agreed not to en gage in alternative
304+dispute resolution, the court may refer the case to an alternative
305+dispute resolution procedure once, and the procedure shall:
289306 1. Not exceed a half -day in duration, excluding scheduling
290307 time;
291308 2. Not exceed a total cost of twice the am ount of applicable
292309 civil filing fees; and
293310 3. Be completed no later than sixty (60) days before the
294311 initial trial setting.
295312 B. The court shall consider objections to the referral unless
296313 prohibited by statute.
297314 C. The parties may agree to engage in alternat ive dispute
298315 resolution other than that provided for in subsection A of this
299316 section.
300317 SECTION 8. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
301318 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1782 of Title 12, unless there
302319 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
303320 Unless requested by the party sponsoring the expert, a party may
304321 only challenge the admissibility of expert testimony as an objection
305322 to summary judgment evidence during a pretrial conference or during
306-the trial on the merits. This section does not apply to a motion to
307-strike for late designati on.
308-SECTION 9. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
309323
310-ENGR. H. B. NO. 1564 Page 7 1
324+HB1564 HFLR Page 7
325+BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
311326 2
312327 3
313328 4
314329 5
315330 6
316331 7
317332 8
318333 9
319334 10
320335 11
321336 12
322337 13
323338 14
324339 15
325340 16
326341 17
327342 18
328343 19
329344 20
330345 21
331346 22
332347 23
333348 24
334349
335-Passed the House of Representatives the 17th day of March, 2025.
350+the trial on the merit s. This section does not apply to a motion to
351+strike for late designation.
352+SECTION 9. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
336353
337-
338-
339-
340- Presiding Officer of the House
341- of Representatives
342-
343-
344-
345-Passed the Senate the _____ day of __________, 2025.
346-
347-
348-
349-
350- Presiding Officer of the Senate
351-
352-
354+COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY
355+OVERSIGHT, dated 03/04/2025 – DO PASS, As Amended and Coauthored.
353356
354357