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 2083 By: Jett
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to attorneys; amending 5 O.S. 2021,
7 Section 18, which relates to the Oklahoma Bar
8 Association; making bar membership voluntary;
8 prohibiting payment of dues to become an active
9 member; authorizing the Legislature to request or
9 require certain information; authorizing the
10 Legislature to hold hearings and subpoena certain
10 information or persons; requiring disciplinary bodies
11 to have at least one lay member; making language
11 gender neutral; providing for codification; and
12 providing an effective date.
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15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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16 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 5 O.S. 2021, Section 18, is
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17 amended to read as follows:
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18 Section 18. A. The requirement for payment of annual dues
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19 pursuant to Section 1 of Article VIII of the Oklahoma Bar
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20 Association Rules shall be voluntary. Any payment of such dues
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21 shall be made solely at the discretion of a person who has been
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22 admitted to practice as an attorney in this state. The Supreme
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23 Court shall promulgate rules related to the practice of law in this
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24 state including, but not limited to, requirements for continuing
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Req. No. 3105 Page 1
1 education, annual registration and any fees necessary to cover costs
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2 of such education, registration or other requirements imposed by the
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3 Court. Any fees required by such rules shall be used only for core
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4 association functions and shall not be used for lobbying or other
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5 political purposes.
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6 B. Any person who has been admitted to practice as an attorney
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7 in this state, who is a member in good standing of the bar of this
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8 state, and who meets all requirements for licensure in this state
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9 may apply for status as an inactive member of the bar.
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10 B. C. The application for such status shall contain:
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11 1. The person's name, bar number, residence address, telephone
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12 number or numbers where he or she can be reached;
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13 2. The reason or reasons he or she desires such status;
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14 3. A statement that he or she understands that, while on such
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15 status, he or she may not do anything which constitutes the practice
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16 of law while in this state;
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17 4. A statement that he or she has notified all of his or her
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18 clients in this state that he or she is no longer practicing in this
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19 state; and
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20 5. An affidavit that the information given is true and correct.
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21 C. D. Immediately upon receipt of the application, the Supreme
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22 Court or its designee shall acknowledge the application and enter
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23 the person's name on a roll of inactive attorneys.
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Req. No. 3105 Page 2
1 D. E. While on inactive status, an attorney shall not be
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2 required to complete any continuing legal education requirements and
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3 shall be required to pay only twenty percent (20%) of the annual
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4 dues of an active member.
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5 E. F. While on inactive status, an attorney shall not receive
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6 the Oklahoma Bar Journal or any other services from the Oklahoma Bar
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7 Association except upon such terms and conditions, including payment
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8 of charges and fees, as shall be established by the Association.
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9 F. G. Once on inactive status, an attorney may reactivate his
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10 or her license to practice upon payment of the equivalent of one
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11 year's annual dues to the Association and upon successful completion
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12 of one year's mandatory continuing legal education requirement.
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13 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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14 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 70 of Title 5, unless there is
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15 created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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16 A. The Legislature shall have the power to request or otherwise
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17 require information about complaints filed with and disciplinary
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18 actions taken by the Oklahoma Bar Association. The Legislature may
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19 hold hearings for the purpose of inquiring about misconduct by
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20 lawyers, judges, or Oklahoma Bar Association employees or officials
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21 that is relevant to the legal profession. The Legislature shall
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22 have the power to subpoena documents, records, or persons to attend
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23 such hearings.
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1 B. Any disciplinary action or proceeding taken or held by the
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2 Oklahoma Bar Association shall permit public representation in the
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3 interest of transparency. Disciplinary bodies of the Oklahoma Bar
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4 Association shall have at least one member that is not a licensed
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5 attorney.
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6 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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8 60-2-3105 BLB 1/15/2026 12:10:12 PM
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Req. No. 3105 Page 4Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.