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 1459 By: Bergstrom
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to abstracting; amending 1 O.S. 2021,
7 Section 22, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 85,
8 O.S.L. 2023 (1 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 22), which
8 relates to the Oklahoma Abstractors Board; extending
9 sunset date; updating statutory language; requiring
9 electronic submission of certain report; providing an
10 effective date; and declaring an emergency.
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12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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13 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 1 O.S. 2021, Section 22, as
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14 amended by Section 1, Chapter 85, O.S.L. 2023 (1 O.S. Supp. 2025,
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15 Section 22), is amended to read as follows:
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16 Section 22. A. There is hereby re-created to continue until
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17 July 1, 2026 July 1, 2036, in accordance with the Oklahoma Sunset
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18 Law, the Oklahoma Abstractors Board. Beginning January 1, 2008, the
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19 Oklahoma Abstractors Board shall have the total responsibility of
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20 administering and enforcing the Oklahoma Abstractors Act.
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21 B. The Board shall have the power and duty to prescribe,
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22 promulgate, and implement rules as deemed necessary to implement all
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23 the provisions of the Oklahoma Abstractors Act.
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Req. No. 2800 Page 1
1 C. The Board shall have the power and duty to obtain and secure
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2 an office in Oklahoma City, and employ, direct, discharge, and
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3 define the duties and set the salaries of employees of the Board,
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4 including an executive director, as are necessary to implement the
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5 provisions of the Oklahoma Abstractors Act.
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6 D. The Board shall consist of nine (9) members who shall be
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7 appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate:
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8 1. Six of the members shall be residents of this state who are
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9 either a holder of a current valid Certificate of Authority
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10 certificate of authority or an employee of a holder of a current
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11 valid Certificate of Authority certificate of authority for not less
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12 fewer than five (5) years in a county in the district from which the
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13 member is appointed prior to appointment. One member shall be
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14 appointed from each of the following districts:
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15 District 1: Alfalfa, Beaver, Blaine, Cimarron, Custer, Dewey,
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16 Ellis, Garfield, Grant, Harper, Kingfisher, Major, Roger Mills,
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17 Texas, Woods, and Woodward Counties.
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18 District 2: Beckham, Caddo, Carter, Comanche, Cotton, Garvin,
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19 Grady, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Jefferson, Kiowa, Love, McClain,
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20 Murray, Stephens, Tillman, and Washita Counties.
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21 District 3: Canadian, Cleveland, Logan, and Oklahoma Counties.
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22 District 4: Adair, Cherokee, Craig, Delaware, Kay, Mayes,
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23 Muskogee, Noble, Nowata, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Payne,
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24 Sequoyah, and Washington Counties.
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Req. No. 2800 Page 2
1 District 5: Creek, Lincoln, Rogers, Tulsa, and Wagoner
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2 Counties.
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3 District 6: Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, Coal, Haskell, Hughes,
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4 Johnston, Latimer, LeFlore Le Flore, McIntosh, Marshall, McCurtain,
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5 Okfuskee, Pittsburg, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, Pushmataha, and
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6 Seminole Counties;
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7 2. One member shall be a resident of this state who has been a
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8 licensed real estate broker in Oklahoma this state for not less
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9 fewer than five (5) years;
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10 3. One member shall be an attorney who is a resident of this
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11 state who has been licensed to practice in Oklahoma this state for
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12 not less fewer than five (5) years; and
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13 4. One member shall be a resident of this state who has been an
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14 officer in a bank in Oklahoma this state for not less fewer than
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15 five (5) years.
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16 E. The Governor shall make the initial appointments to the
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17 Board within ninety (90) days of July 1, 2007:
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18 1. The initial appointments for the members of the Board shall
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19 be as follows:
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20 a. members appointed from Districts 1 and 3 shall serve
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21 until July 1, 2008,
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22 b. members appointed from Districts 2 and 4 shall serve
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23 until July 1, 2009,
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1 c. members appointed from Districts 5 and 6 shall serve
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2 until July 1, 2010,
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3 d. the real estate broker member shall serve until July
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4 1, 2010,
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5 e. the attorney member shall serve until July 1, 2009,
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6 and
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7 f. the bank officer member shall serve until July 1,
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8 2010; and
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9 2. Thereafter, all members shall serve four-year terms.
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10 F. Each member shall hold office until the expiration of the
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11 term of office for which appointed or until a successor has been
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12 appointed and confirmed:
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13 1. Vacancies on the Board due to death, resignation, or removal
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14 occurring during a term shall be filled by the Governor for the
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15 unexpired portion of the term in a manner as provided for regular
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16 appointments to the Board;
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17 2. Members filling the remainder of an unexpired term shall
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18 assume office immediately upon appointment by the Governor and shall
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19 serve until confirmation or denial of confirmation by the Senate;
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20 and
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21 3. A member may be reappointed to the Board, but shall not
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22 serve more than two consecutive terms. A member that has previously
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23 served two consecutive terms may be reappointed after the expiration
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24 of at least one full term.
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Req. No. 2800 Page 4
1 G. Members of the Board shall receive no salary or compensation
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2 for service on the Board, but shall be reimbursed for travel
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3 expenses incurred on behalf of their service on the Board pursuant
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4 to the State Travel Reimbursement Act.
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5 H. Members may be removed from office by the Governor:
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6 1. For inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office
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7 in the manner provided for by law for the removal of officers not
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8 subject to impeachment;
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9 2. For cause which shall include, but not be limited to:
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10 a. the member has ceased to be qualified. A member of
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11 the Board is no longer qualified to serve if that
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12 member:
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13 (1) is a member whose Certificate of Authority
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14 certificate of authority, license, or permit
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15 pursuant to the laws of this state has become
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16 void or has been revoked or suspended, or
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17 (2) is a member who has moved from this state,
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18 b. the member has been convicted, or pled guilty or nolo
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19 contendere to a felony pursuant to the laws of the
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20 United States or any jurisdiction,
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21 c. the member has become medically incapacitated as
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22 determined in writing by a medical doctor upon request
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23 by the Board, or
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1 d. the member has been absent from three meetings, or is
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2 absent for more than one-half (1/2) the number of
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3 minutes for which a meeting is conducted of three
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4 meetings as determined by the Board during any twelve-
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5 month period, unless such absence is determined to be
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6 unavoidable in the opinion of a majority of the
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7 remaining members;
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8 3. Upon being found guilty, through due process, of
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9 malfeasance, misfeasance, or nonfeasance in relation to Board
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10 duties; or
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11 4. Upon being found mentally incompetent by a court of
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12 competent jurisdiction.
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13 I. Removal pursuant to the provisions of subsection H of this
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14 section shall be accomplished in the following manner:
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15 1. After a majority vote of the remaining members setting out
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16 the dates of absences or other grounds for removal and the fact of
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17 the disqualification of the member, a written notification of the
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18 said vote shall be electronically sent to the Governor; and
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19 2. Upon receipt of the written notification, the Governor,
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20 after a hearing conducted in accordance with the provisions of the
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21 Administrative Procedures Act, may remove any member of the Board
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22 for any of the reasons set out in the notice from the Board or for
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23 any other reason specified in this act section, provided:
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Req. No. 2800 Page 6
1 a. removal pursuant to the provisions of this subsection
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2 shall occur upon the Governor filing a written
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3 statement of findings after the hearing as to the
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4 reasons and basis for removal of the member with the
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5 secretary of the Board, and
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6 b. the Governor shall appoint another member in the
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7 manner provided for appointments to the Board.
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8 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
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9 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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10 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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11 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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12 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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14 60-2-2800 EB 1/8/2026 1:45:47 PM
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Req. No. 2800 Page 7Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.