Oklahoma SB 362: Court funding; creating the Council on Justice System Funding to study fines and fees. Effective date.

Bill Text

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STATE OF OKLAHOMA

1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)

SENATE BILL 362 By: Thompson

AS INTRODUCED

An Act relating to court funding; creating the
Council on Justice System Funding; providing a sunset
date; outlining focus of the Council; providing for
membership; providing for election of the chair;
requiring certain meeting; requiring quorum for
certain action or recommendation; requiring certain
adherence; allowing certain reimbursement; providing
for administrative support; requiring certain report
and findings be provided; providing for codification;
and providing an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 983c of Title 22, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. There is hereby created the Council on Justice System
Funding until December 1, 2023. The Council shall:
1. Study current financial obligations of criminal defendants
and how those financial obligations are used to fund and subsidize
core functions of the court system;
2. Study and determine optimal methods of supporting and
funding the court system without the use of criminal fines and fees;

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3. Research methods for tracking the collective total of fines
and fees assessed annually to felony defendants; and
4. Research methods for tracking the distribution of criminal
fines, fees and court costs upon collection.
B. The Council shall be comprised of fourteen (14) members as
follows:
1. The Administrative Director of the Courts, or designee;
2. A District Court Judge, to be appointed by the
Administrative Director of the Courts;
3. A District Attorney, who is currently serving in that
capacity, who shall be appointed by the District Attorneys Council;
4. A representative of the Probation and Parole Services unit
of the Department of Corrections, who shall be appointed by the
Director of the Department of Corrections;
5. A public defender, who shall be appointed by the
Administrative Director of the Courts;
6. The Executive Director of the Oklahoma Indigent Defense
System, or designee;
7. The Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, or
designee;
8. The Chair of the House of Representatives Appropriations and
Budget Committee, or designee;
9. The Governor, or designee;

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10. One current member of the Senate who shall be appointed by
the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
11. One current member of the House of Representatives who
shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
12. A member of a nonprofit organization whose focus is on
criminal justice reform, who shall be appointed by the President Pro
Tempore of the Senate;
13. A member of a nonprofit organization whose focus is on
criminal justice reform, who shall be appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives; and
14. A member of the business community, who shall be appointed
by the Governor.
C. The Chair of the Council shall be elected by majority vote
of the Council members. The Chair shall call the first meeting no
later than thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act.
The Council may meet as often as necessary in order to perform the
duties imposed upon it. A quorum of the Council shall be required
to approve any final action or recommendation of the Council. For
purposes of this section, eight members of the Council shall
constitute a quorum.
D. The meetings of the Council shall be subject to the
provisions of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act.
E. The members of the Council shall receive no compensation,
but travel reimbursement may be provided by their respective

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organizations within the limits provided for state employees in the
State Travel Reimbursement Act.
F. Administrative support for the Council shall be provided by
the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
G. The Council shall submit a report of its findings and
recommendations including fiscal impact statements on all of the
recommendations of the Council, annually by November 1, 2022, and
the same day thereafter to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore
of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.

58-1-1389 BG 1/12/2021 11:00:16 AM