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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
SENATE BILL 966 By: Standridge
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to turnpikes; amending 69 O.S. 2021,
Section 1703, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 295,
O.S.L. 2023 (69 O.S. Supp. 2 024, Section 1703), which
relates to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority; updating
statutory references ; updating statutory language;
subjecting Authority to certain oversight; requiring
submission of certain reports; creating the Turnpike
Legislative Oversigh t Board; declaring scope and
purpose; stating composition; setting terms and
conditions for membership; establishing requirements
for conduct of Board business; requiring certain
reports; directing distribution of reports;
authorizing suspension of certain officers under
certain circumstances; establishing procedures for
certain suspension or removal; providing for
codification; and declaring an emergency .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 69 O.S. 2021, Section 1703, as
amended by Section 1, Chapter 295, O.S.L. 2023 (69 O.S. Supp. 2024,
Section 1703), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1703. A. There is hereby created a body corporate and
politic to be known as the “Oklahoma Turnpike Authority ” and by that
name the Authority may sue and be sued, and plead and be impleaded.
The Authority is hereby constituted an instrumentality of the state,
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and the exercise by the Authority of the powers conferred by this
act Section 1701 et seq. of this title in the construction,
operation, and maintenance of turnpi ke projects shall be deemed and
held to be an essential governmental function of the state with all
the attributes thereof. Provided, however, the Turnpike Authority
is authorized to carry and shall carry liability insurance to the
same extent and in the same manner as the Transportation Commission,
and in addition thereto it shall be subject to the workers ’
compensation laws of the state , the same as a private construction
project.
B. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority shall consist of the
Governor, who shall be a member an ex officio member, two (2)
members to be appointed by the Governor, two (2) members to be
appointed by the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives,
and two (2) members to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of
the Oklahoma State Senate. The appointive members shall be
residents of the state, and shall have been qualified electors
therein for a period of at least one (1) year next preceding their
appointment. One appointive member shall be appointed from each of
six districts of the state, such districts to include the area as
follows:
District 1. Oklahoma, Canadian, Cleveland, McClain and Garvin
Counties.
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District 2. Washington, Nowata, Craig, O ttawa, Rogers, Mayes,
Delaware, Wagoner, Cherokee, Adair, Okmulgee, Osage, Muskogee,
Sequoyah, McIntosh and Haskell Counties.
District 3. Coal, Logan, Payne, Lincoln, Creek, Okfuskee,
Pottawatomie, Seminole, Hughes and Pontotoc Counties.
District 4. Kay, Pawnee, Garfield, Noble, Tulsa, Woods,
Woodward, Major, Alfalfa and Grant Cou nties.
District 5. Cimarron, Grady, Texas, Beaver, Harper, Ellis,
Roger Mills, Dewey, Custer, Caddo, Washita, Beckham, Harmon,
Stephens, Jefferson, Greer, Kiowa, Jackson, Tillma n, Comanche,
Cotton, Kingfisher and Blaine Counties.
District 6. Carter, Love, Murray, Johnston, Marshall, Atoka,
Bryan, Pittsburg, Latimer, Le Flore, Pushmataha, Choctaw and
McCurtain Counties.
The Governor shall appoint the members from Districts 1 and 2.
The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives shall appoint
the members from Districts 3 and 4. The President Pro Tempore of
the Oklahoma State Senate shall appoint the members from Districts 5
and 6. Appointive members serving on the Oklahoma Turnpike
Authority on the effective date of this act November 1, 2023, shall
continue to serve as members of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority for
the remainder of the original terms for which they were appointed,
unless sooner removed by the appointing aut hority for their District
district. Thereafter, each appointive member shall be appointed in
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the manner set forth by this section for a term of six (6) years,
except that any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall be
appointed to serve only for the unex pired term, and a member of the
Authority shall be eligible for reappointment. Each appointed
member of the Authority before entering upon the duties of office
shall take an oath as provided by Section 1 of Article XV of the
Oklahoma Constitution of the State of Oklahoma. Any appointive
member of the Authority may be removed at an y time with cause by the
appointing authority.
C. The Authority shall elect one of the appointed members as
chairperson chair and another as vice-chairperson vice chair, and
shall also elect a Secretary secretary and Treasurer treasurer. A
majority of the members of the Authority shall constitute a quorum
and the vote of a majority of the members shall be necessary for any
action taken by the Authority. No vacancy in the member ship of the
Authority shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the
rights and perform all the duties of the Authority.
D. Appointed members of the Authority shall be prohibited from
voting on any issue in which the member has a direct financial
interest.
E. Before the issuance of any turnpike revenue bonds under the
provisions of this act Section 101 et seq. of this title , each
appointed member of the Authority shall execute a surety bond in the
penal sum of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000 .00) and the
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secretary and treasurer shall execute a surety bond in the penal sum
of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), each such surety bond
to be conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of the
office, to be executed by a surety c ompany authorized to transact
business in the State of Oklahoma this state as surety and to be
approved by the Governor and filed in the office Office of the
Secretary of State.
F. The members of the Authority shall not be entitled to
compensation for the ir services, but each member shall be reimbursed
for actual expenses necessari ly incurred in the performance of the
duties of such member. All expenses incurred in carrying out the
provisions of this act Section 101 et seq. of this title shall be
payable solely from funds provided under the authority of this act
Section 101 et seq. of this title and no liability or obligation
shall be incurred by the Authority hereunder beyond the extent to
which monies shall have been provided under the authority of this
act.
G. Whenever the terms “Oklahoma Transportation Authority ”,
“Transportation Authority”, or “Authority”, when used in reference
to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, appear in the Oklahoma Statutes,
such terms shall mean the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.
H. The conduct of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority shall be
subject to and not exercised contrary to the provisions of Section 2
of this act.
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I. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority shall annually provide a
copy of its most recent annual report to the members of the Turnpike
Legislative Oversight Board, in addition to any information
requested pursuant to the provisions of Section 2 of this act.
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 17 03.1 of Title 69, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. There is hereby created the Turnpike Legislative Oversight
Board for the purpose of overseeing the functions, activities,
policies, procedures, and expenditures per formed by the Oklahoma
Turnpike Authority and any related issues the Board dee ms
appropriate. Members of the Board shall be appointed in January of
each year following a state general election for two -year terms, and
shall continue to serve until new memb ers are appointed. The
President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall appoint six members from
the Senate, to be from each of the six districts of the state as
provided for in subsection B of Section 1703 of Title 69 of the
Oklahoma Statutes, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives
shall appoint six members from the House of Rep resentatives, to be
from each of the six districts of the state as provided for in
subsection B of Section 1703 of Title 69 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
B. The President Pro Tempor e of the Senate and the Speaker of
the House of Representatives shall each designate one of their
appointees to serve as co -chair of the Board. The Board shall meet
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at least once annually. Additional meetings may be called as the
co-chairs deem necessary . Meetings of the Board shall be called by
the co-chairs. A majority of the appointed members shall constitute
a quorum for any meeting of the Board.
C. The Board may conduct hearings, studies, and any other
meetings necessary to fulfill the duties of t he Board. The Board
may compel the production of witnesses, experts, data, and any non -
privileged information from the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority as
necessary for the performance of the Board ’s oversight duties. The
Board shall produce an annual written report on the activities of
the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority including informa tion regarding the
conduct and quality of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority ’s management,
administration, and transparency. Such report shall be approved by
a majority of the memb ers and distributed electronically to the
Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of
the House of Representatives, the members of the Oklahoma Turnpike
Authority, and the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Turnpike
Authority.
D. The Board may, through a majority vote of all members
present in person, temporar ily suspend any non ex officio member of
the board of directors or executive staff of the Oklahoma Turnpike
Authority for thirty (30) days for the purpose of an investigation.
Causes for suspension include, but are not limited to:
1. Refusal to cooperate with the requests of the Board;
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2. Mismanagement of Oklahoma Turnpike Authority funds;
3. Professional misconduct; or
4. Violation of any applicable administrative rule.
E. If the thirty (30) days have elapsed and no investigation
has been conducted, the suspended member of the board of directors
or executive staff shall be immediately reinstated.
F. After the thirty (30) days have elapsed and an investigation
has been conducted, the Board may vote to reinstate the suspended
member of the board of directors or executive staff, or, through a
two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Board, with all members present, send
the question of retaining the services of the suspended member to
the Senate and the House of Representatives. If two -thirds (2/3) of
both houses of the Legislature vote to remove the suspended member,
the member is removed from his or her position, regardless of the
appointing officer.
SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
60-1-747 MSBB 1/16/2025 1:19:25 PM