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 1743 By: Green
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to state government; amending 74 O.S.
7 2021, Section 18c, as amended by Section 5, Chapter
8 199, O.S.L. 2025 (74 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 18c),
8 which relates to the employment of attorneys by
9 certain officers, boards, or commissions; adding the
9 State Board of Career and Technology Education to
10 certain exception; updating statutory language;
10 providing an effective date; and declaring an
11 emergency.
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14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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15 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 74 O.S. 2021, Section 18c, as
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16 amended by Section 5, Chapter 199, O.S.L. 2025 (74 O.S. Supp. 2025,
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17 Section 18c), is amended to read as follows:
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18 Section 18c. A. 1. Except as otherwise provided by this
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19 subsection, no state officer, board, or commission shall have
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20 authority to employ or appoint attorneys to advise or represent said
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21 such officer, board, or commission in any matter.
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22 2. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to the
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23 Corporation Commission, the Council on Law Enforcement Education and
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24 Training, the Consumer Credit Commission, the Board of Managers of
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Req. No. 2823 Page 1
1 the State Insurance Fund, the Oklahoma Tax Commission, the
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2 Commissioners of the Land Office, the Oklahoma Public Welfare
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3 Commission also known as the Commission for Human Services, the
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4 State Board of Corrections, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the
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5 Department of Public Safety, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics
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6 and Dangerous Drugs Control, the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement
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7 Commission, the Transportation Commission, the Oklahoma Energy
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8 Resources Board, the Oklahoma Merit Protection Commission, the
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9 Office of Management and Enterprise Services, the Oklahoma Water
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10 Resources Board, the Department of Labor, the Department of
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11 Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, the Northeast Oklahoma Public
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12 Facilities Authority, the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and
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13 Retirement System, the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System,
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14 the Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges, the Oklahoma
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15 Conservation Commission, the Office of Juvenile Affairs, the State
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16 Board of Pharmacy, the State Board of Career and Technology
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17 Education, and the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs.
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18 3. The provisions of paragraph 2 of this subsection shall not
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19 be construed to authorize the Office of Juvenile Affairs to employ
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20 any attorneys that are not specifically authorized by law.
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21 4. All the legal duties of such officer, board, or commission
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22 shall devolve upon and are hereby vested in the Attorney General;
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23 provided that:
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1 a. the Governor shall have authority to employ special
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2 counsel to protect the rights or interest of the state
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3 as provided in Section 6 of this title, and
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4 b. liquidation agents of banks shall have the authority
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5 to employ local counsel, with the consent of the Bank
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6 Commissioner and the Attorney General and the approval
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7 of the district court.
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8 B. At the request of any state officer, board, or commission,
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9 except the Corporation Commission, the Oklahoma Tax Commission and
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10 the Commissioners of the Land Office, the Grand River Dam Authority,
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11 the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control,
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12 the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission, the Oklahoma
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13 Firefighters Pension and Retirement System, the Oklahoma Public
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14 Employees Retirement System, the Uniform Retirement System for
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15 Justices and Judges, and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact
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16 Commission, the Attorney General shall defend any action in which
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17 they may be sued in their official capacity. At the request of any
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18 such state officer, board, or commission, the Attorney General shall
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19 have authority to institute suits in the name of the State of
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20 Oklahoma on their relation, if after investigation the Attorney
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21 General is convinced there is sufficient legal merit to justify the
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22 action. Any officer, board, or commission which has the authority
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23 to employ or appoint attorneys may request that the Attorney General
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1 defend any action arising pursuant to the provisions of The
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2 Governmental Tort Claims Act.
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3 C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to repeal or
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4 affect the provisions of the statutes of this state pertaining to
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5 attorneys and legal advisors of the several commissions and
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6 departments of state specified in subsection B of this section, and
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7 all acts and parts of acts pertaining thereto shall be and remain in
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8 full force and effect.
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9 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
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10 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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11 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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12 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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13 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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15 60-2-2823 EB 1/14/2026 2:36:49 PM
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Req. No. 2823 Page 4Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.