HB 1120: Elections; prohibiting implementation; federal election guidance; legislative approval; notice; State Election Board; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended during Senate review to expand notification requirements, clarify what counts as new federal election funds, and add specific officials who must be notified when new federal election directives are received. The Senate version also added requirements for publishing federal fund balances annually and expanded the list of officials who must be notified when implementing new federal election guidance.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include additional state agencies beyond just the State Election Board and county election boards, and to require notification to more state officials including the Attorney General.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the notification requirement from only the State Election Board and county election board secretaries to include the director of any state agency when receiving new federal election directives.

Added requirement that written notice of new federal election directives must be sent to the Attorney General, in addition to the Governor, legislative leaders, and other officials.

Added requirement that notice must be provided within ten business days of receiving new federal election directives.

Added requirement for the Secretary of the State Election Board to publish federal fund balances annually on the State Election Board's website by January 15 of each year.

Added requirement that notice of litigation threats or complaints against election boards must be sent to the Attorney General within ten business days.

FISCAL

Added clarification that new federal election funds do not include funding under the Help America Vote Act, other federally authorized grants, or Cybersecurity or Physical Security subgrants from the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security.

APPROVAL

Modified the legislative approval requirement for new federal election funds to include the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the Chair of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee when the Legislature is not in session.

Engrossed → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was significantly rewritten by the Oversight Committee to clarify and strengthen oversight of federal election guidance and funding. The committee version removes the original requirement for legislative approval before implementing federal directives, replacing it with a notice requirement to state officials. It also clarifies that certain federal funds (like those under the Help America Vote Act) do not require legislative approval and adds specific reporting requirements for federal funds held by the State Election Board.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed regarding federal directive implementation - the original version required legislative approval before any federal election guidance could be implemented, while the committee version only requires notification to state officials after receiving such guidance.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the requirement for legislative approval before implementing federal election guidance to a notice requirement to state officials instead.

Added specific notification requirements for litigation threats and complaints against election officials.

Added requirement to publish federal fund balances on the State Election Board website by January 15 each year.

FISCAL

Clarified that certain federal funds (Help America Vote Act, authorized state grants, cybersecurity grants) do not require legislative approval.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified penalty provisions to extend penalties to the State Election Board itself, not just individual members or employees.

Introduced → Engrossed · 3 edits · Mar 17, 2025

MINOR

The bill was reformatted from an 'Introduced' version to an 'Engrossed' version, which typically means it passed both legislative chambers. The substantive policy content remains largely the same, though some text was reorganized and page numbering was updated. The core provisions regarding federal election guidance approval, notice requirements, and funding oversight were preserved.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; changes are primarily formatting and structural reorganization between legislative stages.

TECHNICAL

The bill title and header were updated from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed' to reflect its passage through both legislative chambers.

Page numbering and formatting were reorganized to match standard engrossed bill formatting conventions.

Some text was reorganized across pages, particularly in the notice requirements section, but the substantive content remained unchanged.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to remove the 'Proposed Policy Committee' designation and reclassify it as a standard Committee Substitute. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new section that requires the State Election Board to publish information about federal election funds it possesses, including amounts and sources, by January 15 of each year. Additionally, the amendment extends the penalty for failure to perform duties to include the State Election Board itself, rather than just individual members or employees.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include the State Election Board as a subject of enforcement penalties, and new transparency requirements were added regarding federal election funding.

TECHNICAL

Removed 'Proposed Policy Committee' designation from the bill title and section headers, changing it to standard 'Committee Substitute' language.

Updated bill tracking numbers from 'Req. No. 12519' to 'Req. No. 13281' and adjusted page numbering throughout the document.

REQUIREMENT

Added new Section 2 requiring the Secretary of the State Election Board to publish federal election fund information annually by January 15, including amounts and sources, with provisions for weekend/holiday scheduling.

ENFORCEMENT

Added Section 3 amending 26 O.S. 2021 Section 16-114 to extend misdemeanor penalties for failure to perform duties to include the State Election Board itself, not just individual members or employees.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renamed from 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute' to 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute,' indicating a shift in the committee's role from oversight to policy development. The substantive content of the bill remains largely the same, with minor formatting adjustments and a change in the request number from 12744 to 12519.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability. The changes are primarily administrative and formatting-related.

TECHNICAL

The bill title was changed from 'PROPOSED OVERSIGHT' to 'PROPOSED POLICY' to reflect the committee's designation.

The request number was updated from 12744 to 12519.

Minor formatting adjustments were made throughout the document, including line spacing and paragraph numbering.

REQUIREMENT

A new requirement was added to Section 1, subsection C, Paragraph 2, requiring the Secretary of the State Election Board to publish on the website the balance of all federal funds possessed by the State Election Board for the previous two years, along with a description of the source of those funds, with a deadline of January 15, 2026, and each year thereafter.

Elections; prohibiting implementation; federal election guidance; legislative approval; notice; State Election Board; effective date.

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