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Oklahoma Legislature· SB 538Coauthored by Representative West (Kevin) (principal House author)

An act relating to local bond elections, the official text

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                  1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)

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3 SENATE BILL 538                    By: Deevers
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6                               AS INTRODUCED

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7   An Act relating to local bond elections; amending 11

7   O.S. 2021, Section 16-112, which relates to municipal

8   special elections; modifying date when certain

8   special elections may be conducted; amending 70 O.S.

9   2021, Section 15-102, which relates to education bond

9   elections; specifying date on which certain elections

10  may be conducted; updating statutory language;

10  updating statutory reference; providing an effective

11  date; and declaring an 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        11 O.S. 2021, Section 16-112, is

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16 amended to read as follows:
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17  Section 16-112. A. When the municipal governing body shall

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18 deem it advisable, it may, by resolution or ordinance, authorize the
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19 mayor to call a special election on a date established in Section 3-
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20 101 of Title 26 of the Oklahoma Statutes for the purpose of
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21 submitting to the registered voters of the municipality the question
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22 of issuing municipal bonds, of granting any franchise, or for any
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23 other purpose authorized by law.
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    Req. No. 1424                                               Page 1
1  B. Notwithstanding any other law, for purposes of submitting to

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2 the registered voters of the municipality the question of issuing
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3 municipal bonds or of any tax, the governing body may, by resolution
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4 or ordinance, authorize the mayor to call a special election on a
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5 state or federal election day in November in an odd- or even-
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6 numbered year.
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7  SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY   70 O.S. 2021, Section 15-102, is

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8 amended to read as follows:
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9  Section 15-102. The Notwithstanding any other law, the board of

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10 education shall call an election to be held on a state or federal
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11 election day in November in an odd- or even-numbered year, to which
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12 shall be conducted by the county election board in all respects as
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13 other elections, for the purpose of taking the sense of the district
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14 upon the question of issuing such bonds, naming in the proclamation
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15 of such election the amount of bonds to be voted on and the purpose
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16 for which they are to be issued; and it shall cause to be published
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17 in a newspaper of general circulation in said the district the time
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18 and place of such election, such notices to be given at least ten
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19 (10) days before such election. In all instances where
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20 proclamations for elections for boards of education are required by
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21 statute of the mayor of a city, and in all instances where elections
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22 for boards of education are provided for by statute wherein the
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23 mayor and city clerk are denominated, the president of the board of
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24 education shall be substituted for the mayor and the clerk of the
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   Req. No. 1424                                           Page 2
1 board of education shall be substituted for the city clerk. Boards
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2 of education are hereby declared to be free and independent of
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3 cities in all matters relating to school elections legally called
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4 upon all school matters, and presidents of boards of education shall
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5 have full power to issue proclamations calling school elections;
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6 provided, that no election shall be called on the same proposition
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7 within four (4) months after such proposition has been defeated at
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8 an election by the school district electors. The provisions of this
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9 act section as to the waiting period shall not apply where the
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10 school facilities have been destroyed by an act of God. The cost of
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11 such elections, together with the cost of such proclamations,
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12 publication, notices or other expenses required, shall be legal
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13 costs of boards of education.
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14  SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.

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15  SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation

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16 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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17 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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18 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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20  60-1-1424      MSBB  1/19/2025 5:38:15 AM

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    Req. No. 1424                                             Page 3
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