An act relating to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act, the official text

1                            STATE OF OKLAHOMA

2   2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)

3 HOUSE BILL 2940                  By: Olsen

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6                               AS INTRODUCED

7   An Act relating to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act;

    creating the First Amendment Open Meetings Protection

8   Act; amending 25 O.S. 2021, Section 312, which

    relates to recording public meeting proceedings;

9   clarifying that personal recordings shall not be

    prohibited unless they interfere with the public

10  meeting; including the Legislature and legislative

    committee meetings in recording permissions; allowing

11  monetary damages for unlawful prohibitions of

    recordings; providing for noncodification; and

12  providing an effective date.

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

16  SECTION 1.      NEW LAW        A new section of law not to be

17 codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:

18  This act shall be known and may be cited as the "First Amendment

19 Open Meetings Protection Act".

20  SECTION 2.      AMENDATORY     25 O.S. 2021, Section 312, is

21 amended to read as follows:

22  Section 312. A. The proceedings of a public body shall be kept

23 by a person so designated by such public body in the form of written

24 minutes which shall be an official summary of the proceedings

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1 showing clearly those members present and absent, all matters

2 considered by the public body, and all actions taken by such public

3 body. The minutes of each meeting shall be open to public

4 inspection and shall reflect the manner and time of notice required

5 by this act.

6   B. In the written minutes of an emergency meeting, the nature

7 of the emergency and the proceedings occurring at such meeting,

8 including reasons for declaring such emergency meeting, shall be

9 included.

10  C. No public bodies nor members, officers, or staff of a public

11 body, nor any law enforcement officer or security personnel present

12 at a public meeting shall prohibit a person attending a public

13 meeting may record from recording the proceedings of said meeting by

14 videotape, audiotape, or by any other method; providing, however,

15 such recording shall not interfere with the conduct of the meeting.

16 Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 304 and 309 of this

17 title, the Oklahoma Legislature shall be considered a public body

18 solely for the purposes of this subsection, and legislative

19 committee meetings shall be considered public meetings solely for

20 the purposes of this subsection unless the committee meeting is

21 confidential or lawfully closed to the public.

22  D. In addition to the civil penalties described in subsection B

23 of Section 314 of this title, any person who was unlawfully

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1 prohibited from recording a public meeting in accordance with this

2 section may bring a civil suit for monetary damages.

3   SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.

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5   60-2-13996      SW  12/01/25

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