An act relating to the Department of Rehabilitation Services, the official text

1                   STATE OF OKLAHOMA

2   1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)

3 HOUSE BILL 2387                    By: Hill

4

5

6                               AS INTRODUCED

7   An Act relating to the Department of Rehabilitation

    Services; amending 74 O.S. 2021, Section 166.2, which

8   relates to Commission of Rehabilitation Services,

    creation, and members; increasing the number of

9   members; and providing an effective date.

10

11

12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

13  SECTION 1.      AMENDATORY       74 O.S. 2021, Section 166.2, is

14 amended to read as follows:

15  Section 166.2. A. Effective July 1, 1993, there is hereby

16 created the Commission for Rehabilitation Services, an agency of the

17 State of Oklahoma, a body corporate and politic, with powers of

18 government and with the authority to exercise the rights, privileges

19 and functions as herein specified, with its lawful operations deemed

20 to be an essential governmental function of the State of Oklahoma

21 with all the attributes thereof.

22  B. The Commission shall appoint and remove the Director of the

23 Department of Rehabilitation Services, approve programs, policy and

24

    Req. No. 11474                                                  Page 1
1 budget, and perform the necessary functions of a governing board for

2 the State Department of Rehabilitation Services.

3   C. l. The Commission shall consist of three (3) seven (7)

4 members, to be appointed by June 15, 1993, as follows:

5   a. one member two members shall be appointed by the

6   President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate for

7   a three-year term,

8   b. one member two members shall be appointed by the

9   Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives for a

10  three-year term, and

11  c. one member three members shall be appointed by the

12  Governor for a three-year term.

13  2. Thereafter, beginning with the expiration of the terms of

14 the three members initially appointed, the Commission shall consist

15 of three (3) members, appointed as follows:

16  a. one member shall be appointed by the President Pro

17  Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate and shall serve a

18  term of one (1) year,

19  b. one member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the

20  Oklahoma House of Representatives and shall serve a

21  term of two (2) years, and

22  c. one member shall be appointed by the Governor and

23  shall serve a term of three (3) years Except as

24  otherwise provided by this subsection, members shall

    Req. No. 11474                                        Page 2
1   be appointed for terms of three (3) years. Each term

2   shall begin on July 1 of the respective year and end

3   on June 30 three (3) years later.

4   3. The current appointee of the Speaker of the House of

5 Representatives shall serve until June 30, 2025. The current

6 appointee of the Governor shall serve until June 30, 2026. The

7 current appointee of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall

8 serve until June 30, 2027.

9   4. For the purpose of expanding the Commission to seven (7)

10 members, the following additional members shall be appointed:

11  a. one member shall be appointed by the President Pro

12  Tempore of the Senate for a term beginning on July 1,

13  2025 and ending on June 30, 2027,

14  b. two members shall be appointed by the Governor, each

15  for a term beginning on July 1, 2025 and ending on

16  June 30, 2026, and

17  c. one member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the

18  House of Representatives for a term beginning on July

19  1, 2025 and ending on June 30, 2028, in addition to

20  the member the Speaker shall appoint to fill the seat

21  of the current member whose term expires on June 30,

22  2025.

23  3. 5. Thereafter, at the expiration of the term, or termination

24 of the member's service for any reason, the original appointing

    Req. No. 11474                                                  Page 3
1 authority shall appoint a successor for a term of three (3) years,

2 or for the remainder of an unexpired term.

3   D. Members of the Commission shall be knowledgeable of and have

4 concern for rehabilitation issues and disability issues; provided,

5 that such requirement shall not exclude participation of lay persons

6 as Commission members. All members shall be residents of the state

7 and qualified electors at the time of their appointment. Before

8 entering upon the duties of their office, members of the Commission

9 shall take the Constitutional oath of office and the same shall be

10 filed with the Secretary of State. A member of the Commission may

11 be reappointed to succeed himself or herself. Commission members

12 shall be reimbursed for travel expenses incurred in the performance

13 of their duties as provided in the State Travel Reimbursement Act.

14  E. The original appointing authority may remove any

15 commissioner for misconduct, incompetency or neglect of duty, after

16 giving such commissioner a written statement of charges, and

17 opportunity for a hearing.

18  SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.

19

20  60-1-11474      TJ         01/07/25

21

22

23

24

    Req. No. 11474                                               Page 4