OK
Oklahoma Senate Bill SB622

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB622 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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5353 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
5454
5555 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
5656
5757 SENATE BILL 622 By: Howard
5858
5959
6060
6161
6262
6363 AS INTRODUCED
6464
6565 An Act relating to open records; creating the Public
6666 Access Counselor Unit within the Office of the
6767 Attorney General; allowing certain pe rsons to file
6868 review of denial of open records requests with the
6969 Public Access Counselor; providing instructions for
7070 filing; prohibiting filings made for a commercial
7171 purpose; establishing procedures for review of
7272 requests; directing Public Access Counselo r to notify
7373 public body; requiring certain furnishing of records;
7474 permitting subpoena by the Attorney General;
7575 prohibiting disclosure of certain protected
7676 information; allowing public body chance to respond
7777 to request; directing for binding opinion to be m ade
7878 within time frame; permitting Attorney General to
7979 choose other means for resolving review requests;
8080 permitting parties to file in district court;
8181 directing for notification of certain proceedings;
8282 permitting the Attorney General to issue advisory
8383 opinions to public bodies regarding compliance;
8484 exempting certain failures to compl y made under good
8585 faith; amending 74 O.S. 2021, Section 18b, as last
8686 amended by Section 170, Chapter 452, O.S.L. 2024 (74
8787 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 18b), which relates to
8888 duties of Attorney General; requiring Attorney
8989 General to investigate and prosecute certain actions;
9090 providing for codification; and declaring an
9191 emergency.
9292
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9696
9797 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
9898
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148148
149149 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
150150 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 24A.41 of Title 51, unless there
151151 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
152152 A. There is hereby established in the Office of the Attorney
153153 General the Public Access Cou nselor Unit.
154154 B. A person whose request to inspect or copy a public record is
155155 denied by a public body, except the Legislature and committees,
156156 commissions, and agencies thereof, may file a request for review
157157 with the Public Access Counselor not later than t hirty (30) calendar
158158 days after the date of the denial. The request for review shall be
159159 in writing on a form prescribed by the Attorney General and signed
160160 by the requester, and shall include:
161161 1. A copy of the request for access to records; and
162162 2. Any responses from the public body.
163163 C. A person whose request to inspect or copy a public record
164164 was treated by the public body as a request for a commercial purpose
165165 may file a request for review with the Public Access Counselor for
166166 the limited purpose of review ing whether the public body properly
167167 determined that the request was made for a commercial purpose.
168168 D. A person whose request to inspect or copy a public record
169169 has not been returned in a prompt or reasonable manner may file a
170170 request for review with the Public Access Counselor.
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222222 E. No person whose request to inspect or copy a public record
223223 is made for a commercial purpose may file a request for review with
224224 the Public Access Counselor.
225225 F. Upon receipt of a request for review, the Public Access
226226 Counselor shall determine whether further action is warranted. If
227227 the Public Access Coun selor determines that the alleged violation is
228228 unfounded, they shall advise the requester and the public body , and
229229 no further action shall be undertaken. In all other cases, the
230230 Public Access Counselor shall forward a copy of the request for
231231 review to the public body within seven (7) business days after
232232 receipt and shall specify the records or other documents that the
233233 public body shall furnish to facilitate the review. Within se ven
234234 (7) business days after receipt of the request for review, the
235235 public body shall fully cooperate and provide a written response to
236236 the Public Access Counselor. To the extent that records or
237237 documents produced by a public body contain information claim ed to
238238 be confidential or exempt from disclosure under the Oklahoma Open
239239 Records Act, the Public Access Counselor shall not further disclose
240240 that information.
241241 G. 1. The Attorney General shall examine the request and
242242 response and shall issue to the public body or public official, or
243243 both, an advisement in response to the request for review within
244244 sixty (60) calendar days after its receipt. Additionally, the
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296296 Attorney General shall notify the requester when the office has
297297 completed its review.
298298 2. Upon receipt of an advisement, the public body shall either
299299 take necessary action promptly and reasonably to comply with the
300300 Oklahoma Open Records Act or shall respond to the requester. If the
301301 advisement concludes that no additional response is required, the
302302 requester may file suit in the proper district court against the
303303 public body of which the request was made.
304304 3. A public body that discloses records in accordance with
305305 advice of the Attorney General is immune from all liabilities by
306306 reason thereof and shall not be liable for penalties under this act.
307307 H. If the requester files suit under Section 24A.17 of Title 51
308308 of the Oklahoma Statutes with respect to the same denial that is the
309309 subject of a pending request for review, the requester shall notify
310310 the Public Access Counselor, and the Public Access Counselor shall
311311 take no further action wi th respect to the request for review and
312312 shall so notify the public body.
313313 I. The Attorney General may issue advisory opinions to advise
314314 public bodies regarding compliance with t his act. A review may be
315315 initiated upon receipt of a written request from the head of the
316316 public body or its attorney, which shall contain sufficient ,
317317 accurate facts from which a determination can be made. The Public
318318 Access Counselor may request addition al information from the public
319319 body in order to assist in the review. A publi c body that relies in
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371371 good faith on the advice of the Attorney General in responding to a
372372 request is not liable for penalties under this act if the facts upon
373373 which the advice is based have been fully and fairly disclosed to
374374 the Public Access Counselor.
375375 J. If the Public Access Counselor finds that a person
376376 requesting review of an agency ’s action pursuant to subsection B, C,
377377 or D of this section has submitted multiple frivolous re quests, the
378378 Public Access Counselor may deny future requests for review.
379379 K. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, the Attorney
380380 General shall not be required to produce pursuant to Section 24A.5
381381 of Title 51 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the following:
382382 1. Any records provided under this section to the Office of the
383383 Attorney General by another public body;
384384 2. Any correspondence between the Office of the Attorney
385385 General and the public body related to advice under this section; or
386386 3. Any work papers or p roduct of the Office of the Attorney
387387 General in carrying out the duties requir ed by this section.
388388 L. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the
389389 Attorney General from enforcing or taking action regarding the
390390 Oklahoma Open Records Act.
391391 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 74 O.S. 2021, Section 18b, as last
392392 amended by Section 170, Chapter 452, O.S.L. 2024 (74 O.S. Supp.
393393 2024, Section 18b), is amended to read as follows:
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445445 Section 18b. A. The duties of the Attorney General as the
446446 chief law officer of the state shall be:
447447 1. To appear for the state and prosecute a nd defend all actions
448448 and proceedings, civil or criminal, in the Supreme Court and Court
449449 of Criminal Appeals in which the state is interested as a party;
450450 2. To appear for the st ate and prosecute and defend all actions
451451 and proceedings in any of the federal courts in which the state is
452452 interested as a party;
453453 3. To initiate or appear in any action in which the interests
454454 of the state or the people of the state are at issue, or to ap pear
455455 at the request of the Governor, the Legislature, or either branch
456456 thereof, and prosecute and defend in any court or before any
457457 commission, board or officers any cause or proceeding, civil or
458458 criminal, in which the state may be a party or interested; a nd when
459459 so appearing in any such cause or proceeding, the Attorney General
460460 may, if the Attorney General deems it advisable and to the best
461461 interest of the state, take and assume control of the prosecution or
462462 defense of the state ’s interest therein;
463463 4. To consult with and advise district attorneys, when
464464 requested by them, in all mat ters pertaining to the duties of their
465465 offices, when the district attorneys shall furnish the Attorney
466466 General with a written opinion supported by citation of authorities
467467 upon the matter submitted;
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519519 5. To give an opinion in writing upon all questions of law
520520 submitted to the Attorney General by the Legislature or either
521521 branch thereof, or by any state officer, board, commission or
522522 department, provided, that the Attorney General sha ll not furnish
523523 opinions to any but district attorneys, the Legislature or eith er
524524 branch thereof, or any other state official, board, commission or
525525 department, and to them only upon matters in which they are
526526 officially interested;
527527 6. At the request of the Governor, State Auditor and Inspector,
528528 State Treasurer, or either branch of the Legislature, to prosecute
529529 any official bond or any contract in which the state is interested,
530530 upon a breach thereof, and to prosecute or defend for the state all
531531 actions, civil or criminal, relating to any matter connected with
532532 either of their Department s;
533533 7. Whenever requested by any state officer, board or
534534 commission, to prepare proper drafts for contracts, forms and other
535535 writing which may be wanted for the use of the state;
536536 8. To prepare drafts of bills and resolutions for individual
537537 members of the Legislature upon their written request stating the
538538 gist of the bill or resolution desired;
539539 9. To enforce the proper application of monies appropriated by
540540 the Legislature and to prosecute breaches of trust in the
541541 administration of such funds;
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593593 10. To institute actions to recover state monies illegally
594594 expended, to recover state property and to prevent the illegal use
595595 of any state property, upon the request of the Governor or the
596596 Legislature;
597597 11. To pay into the State Treasury, immediately upon its
598598 receipt, all monies received by the Attorney General belonging to
599599 the state;
600600 12. To settle, compromise and dispose of an action in which the
601601 Attorney General represents the interests of the state, so long as
602602 the consideration negotiated for such settlement, compr omise or
603603 disposition is payable to the state or one of its agencies which is
604604 a named party of the action and any monies, any property or other
605605 item of value is paid first to the State Treasury;
606606 13. To keep and file copies of all opinions, contracts, forms
607607 and letters of the office, and to keep an index of all opinions,
608608 contracts and forms according to subject and section of the law
609609 construed or applied;
610610 14. To keep a register or docket of all actions, demands and
611611 investigations prosecuted, defended or con ducted by the Attorney
612612 General in behalf of the state. The register or docket shall give
613613 the style of the case or investigation, where pending, court number,
614614 office number, the gist of the matter, result and the names of the
615615 assistants who handled the matter;
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667667 15. To keep a complete office file of all cases and
668668 investigations handled by the Attorney General on behalf of the
669669 state;
670670 16. To report to the Legislature or either branc h thereof
671671 whenever requested upon any business relating to the duties of the
672672 Attorney General’s office;
673673 17. To institute civil actions against members of any state
674674 board or commission for failure of such members to perform their
675675 duties as prescribed by th e statutes and the Constitution and to
676676 prosecute members of any state board or commission for violation of
677677 the criminal laws of this state where such violations have occurred
678678 in connection with the performance of such members ’ official duties;
679679 18. To respond to any request for an opinion of the Attorney
680680 General’s office, submitted by a member of the Legislature,
681681 regardless of subject matter, by written opinion determinative of
682682 the law regarding such subject matter;
683683 19. To convene multicounty grand juries in such manner and for
684684 such purposes as provided by law; provided, such grand juries are
685685 composed of citizens from each of the counties on a pro rata basis
686686 by county;
687687 20. To investigate any report by the State Auditor and
688688 Inspector filed with the Attorney General pursuant to Section 223 of
689689 this title and prosecute all actions, civi l or criminal, relating to
690690 such reports or any irregularities or derelictions in the management
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742742 of public funds or property which are violations of the laws of this
743743 state;
744744 21. To represent and protect the collective interests of all
745745 utility consumers of this state in rate -related proceedings before
746746 the Corporation Commission or in any other state or federal judicial
747747 or administrative proceeding;
748748 22. To represent and protect the collective interests of
749749 insurance consumers of this state in rate -related proceedings before
750750 the Insurance Commissioner or in any other state or federal judicial
751751 or administrative proceeding;
752752 23. To investigate and prosecute any criminal action relating
753753 to insurance fraud, if in the opinion of the Attorney General a
754754 criminal prosecution is warranted, or to refer such matters to the
755755 appropriate district attorney;
756756 24. To monitor and evaluate any action by the federal
757757 government including, but not limited to , executive orders by the
758758 President of the United States, rules or regulations promulgated by
759759 an agency of the federal government or acts of Congress to determine
760760 if such actions are in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the
761761 Constitution of the United Sta tes;
762762 25. To cross-deputize police officers of the police department
763763 of any municipality or any officer deputized by the county sheriff
764764 or a designee subject to an interlocal governmental agreement with
765765 the Attorney General ’s Office in an effort to combine city, county,
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817817 and state law enforcement efforts and to encourage cooperation
818818 between city, county, and state law enforcement officials.
819819 Liability for the conduct of any municipal police officer cross -
820820 deputized under the terms and conditions of an interlo cal
821821 governmental agreement or any officer deputized by the county
822822 sheriff under the terms and conditions of an interlocal governmental
823823 agreement shall remain the responsibility of the respective employer
824824 for that officer; and
825825 26. To maintain data related to human trafficking and to assist
826826 law enforcement, social service agencies, a nd victim services
827827 programs in identifying and supporting victims of human trafficking ;
828828 and
829829 27. To investigate and prosecute any civil or criminal action
830830 relating to violations of the Oklahoma Open Records Act, Section
831831 24A.1 et seq. of Title 51 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or the Oklahoma
832832 Open Meeting Act, Section 301 et seq. of Title 25 of the Oklahoma
833833 Statutes, if the Attorney General determines that a civil or
834834 criminal prosecution is warranted or to defer such matters to a
835835 district attorney.
836836 B. Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring the
837837 Attorney General to appear and defend or prosecute in any court any
838838 cause or proceeding for or on behalf of the Oklahoma Tax Com mission,
839839 the Board of Managers of the State Insurance Fund, or the
840840 Commissioners of the Land Office.
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892892 C. In all appeals from the Corporation Commission to the
893893 Supreme Court of Oklahoma in which the state is a party, the
894894 Attorney General shall have the righ t to designate counsel of the
895895 Corporation Commission as the Attorney General ’s legally appointed
896896 representative in such appeals, and it shall be the duty of the
897897 Corporation Commission counsel to act when so designated and to
898898 consult and advise with the Att orney General regarding such appeals
899899 prior to taking action therein.
900900 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
901901 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
902902 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
903903 be in full force from and after its passage and approva l.
904904
905905 60-1-902 TEK 1/14/2025 11:38:09 AM