Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1968 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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3		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1968 Page 1 1
	3	+	HB1968 HFLR Page 1
	4	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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28		-	ENGROSSED HOUSE
29		-	BILL NO. 1968 By: Williams, Deck, and Stewart
30		-	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. 1968 By: Williams and Deck of the
	38	+	House
31	39
32	40		and
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34	42		Bullard of the Senate
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	47	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
39	48
40	49		[ Pardon and Parole Board – members - Chair –
41	50		training - compensation - voting - effective date ]
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46	55		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
47		-	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 57 O.S. 2021, Section 332.4, is
	56	+	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 57 O.S. 2021, Section 332.1, is
48	57		amended to read as follows:
49		-	Section 332.4. A. Upon the effective date of this act, members
50		-	of the Pardon and Parole Board shall be deemed regular full -time,
51		-	salaried employees of the Pardon and Parole Board.
52		-	B. The Chair of the Pardon and Parole Board shall be selected
53		-	by the Board. The Chair of the Pardon and Parole Board shall
54		-	receive Twenty-four Thousand Eight Hundred Dollars ($24,800.00) per
55		-	annum, payable monthly, in the following allotment:
56		-	1. Four Hundred Dollars ($400.00) for preparation for said
57		-	meeting; and
58		-	2. One Thousand Six Hundred Sixty -seven Dollars ($1,667.00) for
59		-	the regular monthly Board meeting.
	58	+	Section 332.1. A. The Pardon and Parole Board created by
	59	+	Article VI, Section 10, of the Oklahoma Constitution is authorized
	60	+	to employ professional investigators and such clerical and
	61	+	administrative personnel as may be required to carry out the duties
	62	+	and responsibilities under the provisions of this act.
	63	+	B. The Pardon and Parole Board shall be authorized to employ
	64	+	alternate members to serve on the Board.
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61		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1968 Page 2 1
	66	+	HB1968 HFLR Page 2
	67	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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86		-	B. C. The members of the Board shall receive Twenty-two
87		-	Thousand Eight Hundred Dollars ($22,800.00) a salary of Eighty-five
88		-	Thousand Dollars ($85,000.00) per annum, payable monthly in the
89		-	following allotment:
90		-	1. Four Hundred Dollars ($400.00) for preparation for said
91		-	meeting; and
92		-	2. One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) for the
93		-	regular monthly Board meeting .
94		-	C. D. 1. Failure of any member to attend one two Board meeting
95		-	meetings in any calendar year, except for justifiable excuse as
96		-	determined by the Chair pursuant to written policy establ ished by
97		-	the Board, shall preclude the right of the member to receive his or
98		-	her monthly compensation established by subsection A or B of this
99		-	section.
100		-	2. In addition, any member who fails to attend two three or
101		-	more Board meetings in any calendar year ex cept for extraordinary
102		-	circumstances as determined by the Chair pursuant to written policy
103		-	established by the Board shall be deemed to have committed official
104		-	misconduct as such term is defined by Section 93 of Title 51 of the
105		-	Oklahoma Statutes. To initia te a removal from office pursuant to
106		-	this paragraph, the Board shall pass a resolution by a majority of
107		-	the members of the Board detailing the alleged misconduct. Such
108		-	removal shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 3 of Title 51
109		-	of the Oklahoma Statutes.
	92	+	C. The Chair of the Pardon and Parole Board may assign
	93	+	alternate members to serve in the absence of a r egular member and
	94	+	such alternate members shall have all the powers and authority of a
	95	+	regular Pardon and Parole Board member when so assigned.
	96	+	D. Alternate members of the Board shall be appointed as
	97	+	follows:
	98	+	1. One alternate member of the Board shall be appointed by the
	99	+	Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and shall have a minimum of not
	100	+	less than five (5) years of experience as a former prosecutor;
	101	+	2. One alternate member of the Board shall be appointed by the
	102	+	Presiding Judge of the Criminal Court of Appe als and shall have a
	103	+	minimum of:
	104	+	a. not less than five (5) years of experience as a former
	105	+	public defender, or
	106	+	b. not less than ten (10) years of experience handling
	107	+	felony criminal cases as a defense attorney;
	108	+	3. One alternate member of the Board shall b e appointed by the
	109	+	Governor and shall be a former judge of the Oklahoma Court of
	110	+	Criminal Appeals or a former judge of a district court who presided
	111	+	over a criminal court docket;
	112	+	4. One alternate member of the Board shall be appointed by the
	113	+	Governor and shall be a licensed mental health professional with
	114	+	expertise in offender rehabilitation; and
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111		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1968 Page 3 1
	116	+	HB1968 HFLR Page 3
	117	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	142	+	5. One alternate member of the Board shall be appointed by the
	143	+	Governor and shall have a minimum of not less than five (5) years of
	144	+	experience as a parole office r or corrections officer.
	145	+	SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 57 O.S. 2021, Section 332.1A, is
	146	+	amended to read as follows:
	147	+	Section 332.1A. A. Each member and each alternate member of
	148	+	the Pardon and Parole Board shall receive at least twelve ( 12) hours
	149	+	of training for the first year and six (6) hours of training per
	150	+	year thereafter on matters relating to the duties of the Board. The
	151	+	training shall be provided by personnel of the Pardon and Parole
	152	+	Board.
	153	+	B. Each member and each alternate membe r of the Pardon and
	154	+	Parole Board shall complete annual training based on guidance from
	155	+	organizations that provide training and technical assistance related
	156	+	to the probation and parole process. Annual training curriculum
	157	+	shall include, but not be limited t o, identifying, understanding and
	158	+	targeting criminogenic needs, the principles of effective
	159	+	intervention, core correctional practices and how to support and
	160	+	encourage offender behavior change.
	161	+	SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 57 O.S. 2021, S ection 332.4, is
	162	+	amended to read as follows:
	163	+	Section 332.4. A. Upon the effective date of this act, members
	164	+	of the Pardon and Parole Board shall be deemed regular full -time,
	165	+	salaried employees of the Pardon and Parole Board.
	166	+
	167	+	HB1968 HFLR Page 4
	168	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	193	+	B. The Chair of the Pardon a nd Parole Board shall be selected
	194	+	by the Board. The Chair of the Pardon and Parole Board shall
	195	+	receive Twenty-four Thousand Eight Hundred Dollars ($24,800.00) per
	196	+	annum, payable monthly, in the following allotment:
	197	+	1. Four Hundred Dollars ($400.00) for p reparation for said
	198	+	meeting; and
	199	+	2. One Thousand Six Hundred Sixty -seven Dollars ($1,667.00) for
	200	+	the regular monthly Board meeting.
	201	+	B. C. 1. The members of the Board shall receive Twenty-two
	202	+	Thousand Eight Hundred Dollars ($22,800.00) a salary of Eighty-five
	203	+	Thousand Dollars ($85,000.00) per annum, payable monthly in the
	204	+	following allotment:
	205	+	1. Four Hundred Dollars ($400.00) for preparation for said
	206	+	meeting; and
	207	+	2. One Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($1,500.00) for the
	208	+	regular monthly Board meeting .
	209	+	2. The alternate members of the Board shall receive a salary of
	210	+	Forty-two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($42,500.00) per annum,
	211	+	payable monthly.
	212	+	C. D. 1. Failure of any member to attend one two Board meeting
	213	+	meetings in any calendar year, except for justif iable excuse as
	214	+	determined by the Chair pursuant to written policy established by
	215	+	the Board, shall preclude the right of the member to receive his or
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	217	+	HB1968 HFLR Page 5
	218	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	243	+	her monthly compensation established by subsection A or B of this
	244	+	section.
	245	+	2. In addition, any member who fails to attend two three or
	246	+	more Board meetings in any calendar year except for extraordinary
	247	+	circumstances as determined by the Chair pursuant to written policy
	248	+	established by the Board shall be deemed to have committed official
	249	+	misconduct as such term is defined by Section 93 of Title 51 of the
	250	+	Oklahoma Statutes. To initiate a removal from office pursuant to
	251	+	this paragraph, the Board shall pass a resolution by a majority of
	252	+	the members of the Board detailing the alleged misconduct. Such
	253	+	removal shall be subject to the provisions of Chapter 3 of Title 51
	254	+	of the Oklahoma Statutes.
136	255		3. Failure to attend meetings of the Board, pursuant to the
137	256		policy established by the Board, shall constitute cause for removal
138	257		pursuant to Section 10 of Article VI of the Okl ahoma Constitution.
139		-	SECTION 2. This act shall become eff ective November 1, 2025.
140		-	Passed the House of Representatives the 27th day of March, 2025.
	258	+	SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 57 O.S. 2021, Section 332.15, is
	259	+	amended to read as follows:
	260	+	Section 332.15. A. From and after the effective date of this
	261	+	act, no member or alternate member of the Pardon and Parole Boar d
	262	+	and/or or their law firm or law partners or associate may represent
	263	+	in a legal capacity any inmate incarcerated in any state penal
	264	+	institution. If a member or alternate member of the Pardon and
	265	+	Parole Board, or his or her law partners or associate or an y member
	266	+	of his or her law firm undertakes the representation of an inmate in
	267	+
	268	+	HB1968 HFLR Page 6
	269	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	294	+	violation of this prohibition , the member or alternate member of the
	295	+	Board shall forfeit his or her office. In any case in which an
	296	+	inmate requesting a pardon or parole was repr esented in a legal
	297	+	capacity by any member or alternate member of the Pardon and Parole
	298	+	Board and/or or their law firm or law partners or associate prior to
	299	+	imposition of a prison term, the Board member or alternate Board
	300	+	member who represented such inmate shall be disqualified from voting
	301	+	on such inmate's the request of the inmate for a pardon or parole.
	302	+	B. A member or alternate member of the Pardon and Parole Board
	303	+	shall uphold and promote the independence, impartiality, fairness,
	304	+	and integrity of the Boa rd, and should avoid impropriety or the
	305	+	appearance of impropriety.
	306	+	C. If any Pardon and Parole Board member or alternate member
	307	+	determines circumstances would cause a reasonable person with
	308	+	knowledge of all the relevant facts to question his or her
	309	+	impartiality in a specific matter, or creates the appearance of
	310	+	impropriety, the Pardon and Parole Board member shall disclose any
	311	+	potential conflict of interest and shall withdraw from participation
	312	+	in the matter.
	313	+	SECTION 5. This act shall beco me effective November 1, 2025.
	314	+
	315	+	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET, dated
	316	+	03/06/2025 - DO PASS, As Amended and Coauthored.
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143		-
144		-
145		-	Presiding Officer of the House
146		-	of Representatives
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150		-	Passed the Senate the _____ day of __________, 2025.
151		-
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154		-
155		-	Presiding Officer of the Senate