Oklahoma 2025 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB491 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/10/2025

                     
 
 
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STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) 
 
SENATE BILL 491 	By: Guthrie 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
AS INTRODUCED 
 
An Act relating to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act; 
amending 25 O.S. 2021, Section 307, as last amended 
by Section 3, Chapter 180, O.S.L . 2024 (25 O.S. Supp. 
2024, Section 307), which relates to executive 
sessions; authorizing executive session for 
discussion of certain sale, lease, or acquisition; 
limiting parties allowed to participate in executive 
session for certain purposes; updating statutory 
reference; and providing an effective date . 
 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     25 O.S. 2021, Section 307, as last 
amended by Section 3, Chapter 180, O.S.L. 2024 (25 O .S. Supp. 2024, 
Section 307), is amended to read as follows: 
Section 307. A.  No public body shall hold executive sessions 
unless otherwise specifically provided in this section. 
B.  Executive sessions of public bodies will be permitted only 
for the purpose of:   
 
 
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1.  Discussing the employment, hiring, appointment, promotion, 
demotion, disciplining or resignation of any individual salaried 
public officer or employee; 
2.  Discussing negotiations concerning employees and 
representatives of employee groups; 
3.  Discussing the sale, purchase, lease, acquisition, or 
appraisal of real property by the public body; 
4.  Confidential communications between a public body and its 
attorney concerning a pending investigation, claim, or action if the 
public body, with the ad vice of its attorney, determines that 
disclosure will seriously impair the abi lity of the public body to 
process the claim or conduct a pending investigation, litigation, or 
proceeding in the public interest; 
5.  Permitting district boards of education to hear evidence and 
discuss the expulsion or suspension of a student when requested by 
the student involved or the student ’s parent, attorney or legal 
guardian; 
6.  Discussing matters involving a specific disabled child; 
7.  Discussing any matter where discl osure of information would 
violate confidentiality requirements of state or fe deral law; 
8.  Engaging in deliberations or rendering a final or 
intermediate decision in an individual proceeding pursuant to 
Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act;   
 
 
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9. Discussing matters involving safety and security at state 
penal institutions or correctional facilities used to house state 
inmates; 
10.  Discussing contract negotiations involving contracts 
requiring approval of the State Board of Corrections, which sha ll be 
limited to members of the public body, the attorney for the public 
body, and the immediate staff of the public body.  No person who may 
profit directly or indirectly by a proposed transaction which is 
under consideration may be present or participate in the executive 
session; 
11.  Discussing the following: 
a. the investigation of a plan or scheme to commit an act 
of terrorism, 
b. assessments of the vulnerability of government 
facilities or public improvements to an act of 
terrorism, 
c. plans for deterrence or prevention of or protection 
from an act of terrorism, 
d. plans for response or remediation after an act of 
terrorism, 
e. information technology of the public body but only if 
the discussion specifically identifies:   
 
 
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(1) design or functional schemat ics that demonstrate 
the relationship or connections between devices 
or systems, 
(2) system configuration information, 
(3) security monitoring and response equipment 
placement and configuration, 
(4) specific location or placement of systems, 
components or devices, 
(5) system identification numbers, names, or 
connecting circuits, 
(6) business continuity and disaster planning, or 
response plans, or 
(7) investigation information directly related to 
security penetrations or denial of services, 
f. the investigation of an act of terrorism that has 
already been committed, or 
g. for the purposes of this paragraph, the term 
“terrorism” means any act encompassed by the 
definitions set forth in Section 1268.1 of Title 21 of 
the Oklahoma Statutes; or 
12.  Reviewing and discussing mental health documents related to 
a licensee under investigation o r review by a professional licensing 
board if:   
 
 
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a. the executive session is held only to review or 
discuss mental health documents directly related to 
the licensee or to receive t estimony from relevant 
witnesses as necessary for the board to make a 
determination in the matter, 
b. the documents reviewed or discussed are kept 
confidential, privileged and not discoverable in civil 
actions, and not made available to the public, and 
c. the licensee is given the opportunity to be present 
during any witness testimo ny or discussion of the 
mental health documents. 
C.  Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection B of this 
section, the following public bodies may hold executive sessions: 
1.  The Banking Board, as provided for under Section 306.1 of 
Title 6 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 
2.  The Oklahoma Industrial Finance Authority, as provided for 
in Section 854 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 
3.  The Oklahoma Development Finance Authority, as provided for 
in Section 5062.6 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 
4.  The Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and 
Technology, as provided for in Section 5060.7 of Title 74 of the 
Oklahoma Statutes; 
5.  The Oklahoma Health Research Committe e for purposes of 
conferring on matters pertaining to research and development of   
 
 
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products, if public disclosure of the matter discussed would 
interfere with the development of patents, copyrights, products, or 
services; 
6.  The Oklahoma Workers ’ Compensation Commission for the 
purposes provided for in Section 22 of Title 85A of the Oklahoma 
Statutes; 
7.  A review committee, as provided for in Section 855 of Title 
62 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 
8.  The Child Death Review Board for purposes of receiving and 
conferring on matters pertaining to materials declared confidential 
by law; 
9.  The Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board as provided in 
Section 1601 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 
10.  The Opioid Overdose Fatality Review Board, as provided in 
Section 2-1001 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes; 
11.  All nonprofit foundations , boards, bureaus, commissions, 
agencies, trusteeships, authorities, councils, committees, public 
trusts, task forces or study groups supported in whole or part by 
public funds or entrusted with the expenditure of public funds for 
purposes of conferring on matters pertaining to economic development 
including the transfer of property, financing, or the creation of a 
proposal to entice a business to remain or to locate within their 
jurisdiction if public disclosure of the matter discussed would   
 
 
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interfere with the development of products or services or if public 
disclosure would violate the confidentiality of the business; 
12.  The Oklahoma Indigent Defense System Board for purposes o f 
discussing negotiating strategies in connection with making possible 
counteroffers to offers to contract to provide legal representation 
to indigent criminal defendants and indigent juveniles in cases for 
which the System must provide representation purs uant to the 
provisions of the Indigent Defense Act; 
13.  The Quality Investmen t Committee for purposes of discussing 
applications and confidential materials pursuant to the terms of the 
Oklahoma Quality Investment Act; 
14.  The Oklahoma Municipal Power Aut hority established pursuant 
to Section 24-101 et seq. of Title 11 of the Oklahoma Statutes and 
in its role as an electric utility regulated by the federal 
government, for purposes of discussing security plans and procedures 
including, but not limited to, c ybersecurity matters; 
15.  The Oklahoma Tax Commission for purposes of discuss ing 
confidential taxpayer matters as provided in Section 205 of Title 68 
of the Oklahoma Statutes, and in compliance with subsection E of 
this section; and 
16.  The Sexual Assaul t Forensic Evidence (SAFE) Board as 
provided in Section 1 143 of this act Title 21 of the Oklahoma 
Statutes.   
 
 
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D.  Except as otherwise specified in this subsection, an 
executive session for the purpose of discussing the sale, purchase, 
lease, acquisition, or appraisal of real property shall be limited 
to members of the public body, th e attorney for the public body and 
the immediate staff of the public body.  No landowner, real estate 
salesperson, broker, developer or any other person who may profit 
directly or indirectly by a proposed transaction concerning real 
property which is under consideration may be present or participate 
in the executive session, unless they are operating under an 
existing agreement to represent the public body. 
E.  No public body may go into an executive session unless the 
following procedures are strictly comp lied with: 
1.  The proposed executive session is noted on the agenda as 
provided in Section 311 of this title; 
2.  The executive session is authorized by a majority vote of a 
quorum of the members present and the vote is a recorded vote; and 
3.  Except for matters considered in executive sessions of the 
Banking Board and the Oklahoma Tax Commission, and which are 
required by state or federal law to be confidential, any vote or 
action on any item of business considered in an executive session 
shall be taken in public meeting with the vote of each member 
publicly cast and recorded. 
F.  A willful violation of the provisions of this section shall:   
 
 
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1.  Subject each member of the public body to criminal sanctions 
as provided in Section 314 of this title; and 
2.  Cause the minutes and all other records of the executive 
session including tape recordings, to be immediately made public. 
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effect ive November 1, 2025. 
 
60-1-326 TEK 1/10/2025 1:55:23 PM