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1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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3 SENATE BILL 708 By: Hines
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to fire protection districts;
7 amending 19 O.S. 2021, Section 901.25a, which relates
8 to inclusion when districts are contiguous; allowing
8 for certain consolidation of fire protection
9 districts; providing for certain hearing; requiring
9 certain vote; and providing an effective date.
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12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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13 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 19 O.S. 2021, Section 901.25a, is
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14 amended to read as follows:
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15 Section 901.25a. A. When the respective territories of any
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16 city or town and any district are contiguous they may be included in
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17 the limits of the district in the same manner as provided for the
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18 organization of fire protection districts. Such territory shall not
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19 be included or added to the territory of the district without the
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20 consent of the board of directors, certified to the board of county
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21 commissioners. In case any such territory is added to the district
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22 the property therein shall immediately become subject to the lien
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23 for the payment of bonds theretofore authorized by the district in
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Req. No. 673 Page 1
1 the same manner as property within the district at the time of
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2 authorization of such bonds.
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3 B. 1. If the board of directors of two or more fire protection
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4 districts should determine that the citizens they serve would be
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5 equally or better served by the mutual consolidation of the
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6 districts into one district, the board of directors of the
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7 consolidating districts shall develop a plan for consolidation,
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8 including combining board members as provided in Section 901.5 of
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9 this title, determining the millage levy of the proposed district,
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10 and changing ownership of assets and indebtedness. The board of
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11 directors shall present the plan with a resolution for consolidation
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12 to the board of county commissioners of any involved counties for
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13 their approval.
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14 2. Upon the presentation of such petition, the board of county
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15 commissioners shall set a hearing for such petition at a time not
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16 less than twenty (20) days nor more than forty (40) days from the
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17 date of the presentation and shall direct the county clerk to give
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18 notice of such hearing by publication in a newspaper of general
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19 circulation in the county in which such proposed district is
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20 located. Such notice shall be published for two (2) consecutive
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21 weeks preceding the date of such hearing. Such notice shall
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22 describe the boundaries of the proposed district, shall state the
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23 time and place of the hearing, and shall state that any person may
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Req. No. 673 Page 2
1 appear and protest the consolidation of the districts or the
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2 boundaries of the proposed district.
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3 3. The board of county commissioners shall have jurisdiction to
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4 hear and determine all protests to the consolidation of the
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5 districts and all matters pertaining to the same. At the conclusion
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6 of such hearing, the board of county commissioners shall determine
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7 whether the consolidation of such districts would be conducive to
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8 the public safety of the area incorporated within the boundaries of
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9 the proposed district. If the board of county commissioners
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10 determines that such district will be conducive to the public safety
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11 of the area incorporated therein, then the board of county
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12 commissioners shall approve the proposed district.
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13 4. Upon approval of the proposed district, the board of county
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14 commissioners shall give such proposed district a name and shall
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15 call an election of the qualified electors in the territory
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16 comprising such proposed district on the question of whether the
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17 proposed district shall be consolidated. The county clerk shall
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18 cause notice of the election to be given by publication once a week
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19 for two (2) successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation
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20 in the territory comprising the proposed district. Such notice
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21 shall state the time and place of holding the election and set forth
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22 the description of the boundaries of the proposed district, its
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23 general purpose and intention, and the proposed millage levy of such
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24 district. Such notice shall require the electors to cast ballots
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Req. No. 673 Page 3
1 which contain the words: "Consolidated Fire Protection District -
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2 Yes", and "Consolidated Fire Protection District � No", or words
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3 equivalent thereto. All persons resident of such proposed district,
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4 who are qualified electors in their respective precincts, shall be
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5 qualified to vote on such proposition.
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6 5. Such elections shall be conducted in accordance with the
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7 general election laws of the state and the regular election
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8 officials shall be in charge at the usual polling place of each
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9 regular precinct, or part of a precinct, which shall include lands
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10 within the boundaries of such proposed district. The returns of
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11 such election shall be made direct to the board of county
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12 commissioners who shall meet on the second Monday following such
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13 election and proceed to canvass the vote cast. If, upon canvass, it
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14 appears that at least three-fifths (3/5) of all the votes cast are
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15 "Consolidated Fire Protection District � Yes", the board of county
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16 commissioners shall, by order, declare such territory duly organized
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17 as a single fire protection district under the designated name.
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18 Such order shall be filed for record in the office of the county
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19 clerk by the board of county commissioners and from that date such
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20 district shall be complete.
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21 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
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23 60-1-673 MSBB 1/19/2025 5:41:46 AM
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Req. No. 673 Page 4Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.