Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1270 By: Nice
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5 AS INTRODUCED
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6 An Act relating to state government; creating the
6 Oklahoma Commission on Race and Equality; providing
7 for membership, appointment, terms, removal,
7 vacancies, and reimbursement; providing certain
8 administrative support; establishing powers and
8 duties; establishing the Oklahoma Commission on Race
9 and Equality Revolving Fund; providing for
9 codification; and providing an effective date.
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1 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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13 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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1 4 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 13001 of Title 74, unless there
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1 5 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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16 A. There is hereby created the Oklahoma Commission on Race and
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1 7 Equality. The Commission shall be appointed as follows:
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18 1. Three members shall be appointed by the Governor;
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19 2. Three members shall be appointed by the President Pro
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2 0 Tempore of the Senate;
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21 3. Three members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House
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2 2 of Representatives; and
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23 4. Four members shall be appointed by the Oklahoma Legislative
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2 4 Black Caucus.
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1 B. 1. The members appointed by the Governor shall serve an
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2 initial term of one (1) year, and subsequently a term of three (3)
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3 years, commencing upon the date that the previous appointee's term
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4 expired.
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5 2. The members appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the
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6 Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall serve
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7 an initial term of two (2) years, and subsequently a term of three
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8 (3) years, commencing upon the date that the previous appointee's
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9 term expired.
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10 3. The members appointed by the Oklahoma Legislative Black
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1 1 Caucus shall serve for a term of three (3) years commencing upon the
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1 2 date that the previous appointee's term expired.
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13 4. Each member shall serve no more than three terms. Each
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1 4 member shall only serve two consecutive terms and shall be inactive
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1 5 for a period of one (1) year prior to serving the maximum three-term
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1 6 limit.
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17 C. In making such appointments, consideration shall be given to
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1 8 making the membership broadly representative of the geographic areas
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1 9 of this state and the racial and ethnic groups residing in this
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2 0 state.
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21 D. Each member shall hold office until the successor of the
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2 2 member is appointed and has qualified. A member appointed to fill a
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2 3 vacancy occurring before the expiration of a term of a member who
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2 4 resigned or is removed from the Commission for cause shall be
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Req. No. 2686 Page 2
1 appointed for the remainder of the term of the member whose office
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2 has been vacated.
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3 E. A member of the Commission may be removed by the appropriate
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4 appointing authority for cause.
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5 F. Members of the Commission shall receive no salary but shall
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6 be entitled to travel reimbursement as provided by the State Travel
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7 Reimbursement Act from funds available to the appropriate appointing
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8 authority.
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9 G. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services shall
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1 0 provide staff support to the Oklahoma Commission on Race and
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1 1 Equality and make arrangements for a suitable meeting space for the
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1 2 Commission as needed.
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13 H. The initial chair shall be appointed by the Oklahoma
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1 4 Legislative Black Caucus, with the approval of the Governor,
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1 5 President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and Speaker of the House of
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1 6 Representatives. After the initial chair's first term ends, the
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1 7 President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall name the chair of the
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1 8 Oklahoma Commission on Race and Equality, and the Speaker of the
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1 9 House of Representatives shall name the vice chair. Any other
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2 0 officers deemed necessary shall be elected from among the members at
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2 1 the first meeting of the Commission. Thereafter, at the first
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2 2 meeting of each fiscal year, the Commission shall elect a chair, a
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2 3 vice chair, and such other officers deemed necessary to conduct the
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2 4 business of the Commission from among its members. A majority of
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Req. No. 2686 Page 3
1 the members present shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of
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2 conducting the business of the Commission. The Commission shall
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3 meet at least once every three (3) months and at such other times as
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4 called by the chair or by a majority of the Commission.
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5 I. The Oklahoma Commission on Race and Equality shall have the
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6 power and duty to:
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7 1. Advise on equality issues relating to racial discrimination
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8 and bias, state agencies and employees, communities, organizations,
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9 and businesses of this state which desire the service of the
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1 0 Commission;
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11 2. Monitor legislation to determine whether legislation is
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1 2 discriminatory toward one race or ethnicity or whether the race or
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1 3 ethnicity of an individual would have an effect on the enforcement
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1 4 of the legislation;
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15 3. Act as a resource and a clearinghouse for research on issues
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1 6 related to racial discrimination and bias;
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17 4. Act as a resource in any state appointments to commissions
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1 8 and boards for diversity;
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19 5. Conduct meetings and seminars within the state as
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2 0 appropriate to support the goals and duties of the Commission; and
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21 6. Electronically submit an annual report to the Governor, the
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2 2 President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
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2 3 Representatives on its activities. The report may include
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Req. No. 2686 Page 4
1 recommendations concerning needed legislation or regulatory change
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2 relating to racial discrimination and bias.
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3 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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4 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 13002 of Title 74, unless there
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5 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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6 There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
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7 for the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to be
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8 designated the "Oklahoma Commission on Race and Equality Revolving
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9 Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal
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1 0 year limitations, and shall consist of all monies received by the
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1 1 Office of Management and Enterprise Services from all gifts and
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1 2 donations provided for the purpose of supporting the work of the
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1 3 Oklahoma Commission on Race and Equality. All monies accruing to
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1 4 the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted
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1 5 and expended by the Director of the Office of Management and
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1 6 Enterprise Services on behalf of the Oklahoma Commission on Race and
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1 7 Equality for the purpose provided for in this section. Expenditures
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1 8 from the fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State
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1 9 Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the
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2 0 Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for
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2 1 approval and payment.
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22 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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24 60-2-2686 MSBB 12/17/2025 2:47:17 PM
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Req. No. 2686 Page 5Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.