Source: http://bvrcowchipnews.com/open_meeting_act.htm
Timestamp: 2017-04-27 14:53:16
Document Index: 283472129

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 301', '§ 305', '§ 306', '§ 307', '§ 307', '§ 308', '§ 309', '§ 310', '§ 311', '§ 312', '§ 313', '§ 314']

Title 25, Oklahoma Statutes §§ 301-314
(As Amended Through Close of Forty-Seventh Oklahoma Legislature, Second Regular Session and First Extraordinary Session, 2000)
[Editor’s Note: Bold face, italics and underlines were added for emphasis and clarity. Comments and explanations not part of the act are enclosed in brackets.]
7. “Teleconference” means a conference among members of a public body remote from one another who are linked by interactive telecommunication
devices permitting both visual and auditory communication between and
among members of the public body and members of the public.
§ 305. Recording of votes. — In all meetings of public bodies, the vote of each member must be publicly cast and recorded.
§ 306. Circumvention of act — Teleconferences excepted.
— No informal gatherings or any electronic or telephonic communications, except teleconferences as authorized by Section 3 of this act, among a majority of the members of a public body shall be used to decide any action or to take any vote on any matter.
§ 307. Executive sessions.
4. Confidential communications between a public body and its attorney concerning
a pending investigation, claim, or action if the public body, with the advice of its attorney, determines that disclosure will seriously impair the ability of the public body to process the claim or conduct a pending investigation, litigation, or proceeding in the public interest;
5. Permitting district boards of education to hear evidence and discuss the expulsion or suspension of a student when requested by the student involved or his parents, attorney or legal guardian;
7. Discussing any matter where disclosure of information would violate confidentiality requirements of state or federal law; or
8. Engaging in deliberations or rendering a final or intermediate decision in an individual proceeding pursuant to Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act.
C. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection
B of this section, the following public bodies may hold executive sessions:
2. The Oklahoma Industrial Finance Authority, as provided for in Section 854 of Title 74 of the
Oklahoma Statutes;
3. The Oklahoma Development Finance Authority, as provided for in Section 5062.6 of Title 74
of the Oklahoma Statutes;
6. The Oklahoma Health Resource Committee for purposes of conferring on matters pertaining to
research and development of products, if public disclosure of the matter discussed would interfere with the development of patents, copyrights, products, or services;
[A “review committee” may be appointed by a city, town, or county to study and recommend action on proposed projects for such things as neighborhood renewal, economic development and other plans. It determines project eligibility, appropriateness, and financing. Financial statements, marketing plans, trade secrets or other proprietary information submitted to the committee are confidential, except where the person submitting the material consents to disclosure.]
8. The Child Death Review Board for purposes of receiving and conferring on matters pertaining to materials declared confidential by law; and
9. All nonprofit foundations, boards, bureaus, commissions, agencies, trusteeships, authorities,
councils, committees, public trusts, task forces or study groups supported
in whole or part by public funds or entrusted with the expenditure of public funds for purposes of conferring on matters pertaining to economic development, including the transfer of property, financing, or the creation of a proposal to entice a business to locate within their jurisdiction if public disclosure of the matter discussed would interfere with the development of products or services or if public disclosure would violate the confidentiality of the business; and 10. The Oklahoma Indigent Defense System Board for purposes of discussing negotiating strategies in connection with making possible counteroffers to offers to contract to provide legal representation to indigent criminal defendants and indigent juveniles in cases for which the System must provide r
epresentation pursuant to the provisions of the Indigent Defense System Act, Section 1355 et seq. of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
3. Except for matters considered in executive sessions of the State Banking Board and the Oklahoma Savings and Loan Board, and which
are required by state or federal law to be confidential, any vote or action on any item of business considered in an executive session shall be
taken in public meeting with the vote of each member publicly cast and recorded.
1. Subject each member of the public body to criminal sanctions as provided in Section 214 of this title; and
§ 307.1. Teleconferences.
A. No public body shall hold meetings by teleconference except:
1. Oklahoma Futures;
2. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education;
3. The Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision;
4. The State Board of Osteopathic Examiners;
5. The Board of Dentistry;
6. The Variance and Appeals Boards created in Sections 1021.1, 1697 and 1850.16 of Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
7. A public trust whose beneficiary is a municipality; however, no more than twenty percent (20%) of a quorum of the trustees may participate by teleconference and during any such meetings all votes shall be roll call votes;
8. The Native American Cultural and Education Authority;
9. The Corporation Commission; and
10. The State Board of Vocational and Technical Education.
B. No public body authorized to hold meetings by teleconference shall conduct an executive session by teleconference.
§ 308. Meeting between Governor and majority of members of public body. —
§ 309. Legislature. — The Legislature shall conduct open meetings in accordance with rules to be adopted by each house thereof.
§ 310. Legislative committee members attending executive sessions. — Any member of the Legislature
appointed as a member of a committee of either house of the Legislature or joint committee thereof shall be permitted to attend any executive session authorized by the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act of any state agency, board or
commission whenever the jurisdiction of such committee includes the actions of the public body involved.
§ 311. Public bodies — Notice.
3. All county public bodies, including, but not limited to, public trusts and any other bodies with the county a
s beneficiary, shall give such notice to the county clerk of the county wherein they are
principally located.
5. All multicounty, regional, area wide or district public bodies, including, but not limited to, district boards of education, shall give such notice to the county clerk of the county wherein they are principally located, or if no office exists, to the county clerk of the county or counties served by such public body.
6. All governing boards of state institutions of higher education, and committees and subcommittees thereof, shall give such notice to the Secretary of State. All other public bodies covered by the provisions of this act which exist under the auspices of a state institution of higher education, but a majority of whose members are not members of the institution’s governing board, shall give such notice to the county clerk of the county wherein the institution is principallylocated.
8. If any change is to be made of the date, time or place of regularly scheduled meetings of public
bodies, then notice in writing shall be given to the Secretary of State or county clerk or municipal clerk, as required herein, not less than ten (10) days prior to the implementation of any such change.
9. In addition to the advance public notice in writing required to be filed for regularly scheduled meetings, all public bodies shall, at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to such meetings, display public notice of said meeting, setting forth thereon the date, time, place and agenda for said meeting, such twenty-four (24) hours prior public posting shall exclude Saturdays and Sundays and holidays legally declared by the State of Oklahoma; provided, however, the posting of an agenda shall not preclude a public body from considering at its regularly scheduled meeting any new business. Such public notice shall be posted in prominent public view at the principal office of the public body or at the location of said meeting if no office exists. “New business,” as used herein, shall mean any matter not known about or which could not have been reasonably foreseen prior to the time of posting.
11. Special meetings of public bodies shall not be held without public notice being given at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to said meetings. Such public notice of date, time and place shall be given in writing, in person or by telephonic means to the Secretary of State or to the county clerk or to the municipal clerk by public bodies in the manner set forth in paragraphs 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of this section. The public body also shall cause written notice of the date, time and place of the meeting to be mailed or delivered to each person, newspaper, wire service, radio station, and television station that has filed a written request for notice of meetings of the public body with the clerk or secretary of the public body or with some other person designated by the public body. Such written notice shall be mailed or delivered at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the special meeting. The public body may charge a fee of up to Eighteen Dollars ($18.00) per year to persons or entities filing a written request for notice of meetings, and may require such persons or entities to renew the request for notice annually. In addition, all public bodies shall, at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to such special meetings, display public notice of said meeting, setting forth thereon the date, time, place and agenda for said meeting. Only matters appearing on the posted agenda may be considered at said special meeting. Such public notice shall be posted in prominent public view at the principal office of the public body or at the location of said meeting if no office exists. Twenty-four (24) hours prior public posting shall exclude Saturdays and Sundays and holidays legally declared by the State of Oklahoma.
§ 312. Minutes of meetings —
Recording of Proceedings.
A. The proceedings of a public body shall be kept by a person so designated by such public body in the form of written minutes which shall be an official summary of the proceedings showing clearly those members present and absent, all matters considered by the public body, and all actions taken by such public body. The minutes of each meeting shall be open to public inspection and shall reflect the manner and time of notice required by this act. B. In the written minutes of an emergency meeting, the nature of the emergency and the proceedings occurring at such meeting, including reasons for declaring such emergency meeting, shall be included.
C. Any person attending a public meeting may record the proceedings of said meeting by videotape, audiotape, or by any other method; provided, however, such recording shall not interfere with the conduct of the meeting.
§ 313. Actions taken in willful violation of act. —
Any action taken in willful violation of this act shall beinvalid.
§ 314. Violations — Misdemeanor — Penalty. — Any person or persons willfully violating any of the provisions of this act shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine not exceeding Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for a period not exceeding one (1) year or by both such fine and imprisonment