HB 2083: Dual-office-holding; adding exemption for campus police officers serving in certain office; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 10 edits

MAJOR

The bill was amended to expand the list of exemptions from Oklahoma's dual office-holding restrictions, allowing more public officials to hold multiple positions simultaneously. The Senate version significantly broadened eligibility compared to the House version by adding numerous new categories of employees and adding specific conditions for existing categories.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a limited set of exemptions to a much broader list, including new exemptions for campus security, tourism rangers, utility directors, and various reserve law enforcement roles.

ELIGIBILITY

Added exemptions for campus police and public safety officers serving under the Oklahoma Campus Security Act, allowing them to hold local elected office.

Added exemptions for part-time or seasonal rangers and peace officers working for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department or the Grand River Dam Authority.

Added exemptions for directors or officers of rural water districts and chiefs of municipal or rural fire departments.

Added exemptions for members of the University Hospitals Authority and reserve law enforcement officers (deputy sheriffs, special agents, municipal police).

Added exemptions for special assistant district attorneys serving without compensation and assistant district attorneys serving as municipal judges or prosecutors.

Added exemptions for local school board members who are also members of municipal planning commissions or volunteer fire departments.

Added exemptions for park rangers, game wardens, and reserve game wardens employed by the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Added exemptions for members of the Oklahoma State University Medical Center.

Added exemptions for law enforcement officers operating under cross-deputization agreements with Indian tribes or federal branches.

Reorganized and expanded the list of exemptions from 10 items in the House version to 27 items in the Senate version, incorporating many new categories and clarifying existing ones.

Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill → Floor (House) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to simplify the text and reorganize the list of exemptions from dual office-holding restrictions. The primary substantive change is the addition of new exemptions for campus police officers and deputy sheriffs serving in positions outside their primary jurisdiction, while removing specific exemptions for tribal law enforcement and certain state agency rangers. The bill also clarifies the language regarding municipal law enforcement officers to better define their eligibility for additional elected roles.

Scope change

The scope of exemptions was expanded to include campus police officers and deputy sheriffs serving in non-primary jurisdictions, while the scope was narrowed by removing exemptions for tribal law enforcement and specific state rangers.

ELIGIBILITY

Added exemptions for campus police officers employed by colleges or universities to serve in elected or appointed positions for counties, cities, or towns.

Added exemptions for deputy sheriffs serving in elected or appointed positions for counties or cities outside their primary jurisdiction.

Removed exemptions for law enforcement officers operating under cross-deputization agreements with Indian tribes or federal branches.

Removed exemptions for state law enforcement officers serving as part-time or seasonal rangers for the Tourism and Recreation Department or Grand River Dam Authority.

TEXT

Reorganized the statutory language to consolidate similar exemptions and update the bill title to reflect the specific groups covered.

Enrolled (final version) → Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted to include a 'Committee Substitute' header and updated page numbering, but the substantive legal content regarding dual office-holding exemptions remained identical. No new exemptions, eligibility criteria, or policy changes were introduced.

Scope change

No change in scope or applicability; the bill's legal effect is unchanged.

TECHNICAL

Added a 'Committee Substitute' designation and updated the header to reflect the 1st Session of the 60th Legislature, while retaining the original Enrolled text content.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 5 edits · May 27, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was finalized and slightly reorganized to clarify its purpose and update statutory references. The core exemptions for dual office-holding remain largely the same, but the list of specific exemptions was renumbered and expanded to include new categories like volunteer fire department members and state employees serving in military judicial roles.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded by adding new exemptions for volunteer fire department officers, rural water district directors, and state employees serving as military judges, while retaining most previous exemptions for law enforcement and campus police.

SCOPE

The bill's title was updated to reflect that it adds new exemptions and updates statutory language, rather than just providing an exemption.

The list of exempted officials was renumbered and reorganized; for example, exemptions for campus police and law enforcement officers were consolidated and clarified.

New exemptions were added for directors of rural water districts, volunteer fire department members, and state employees serving as military trial judges.

The exemption for reserve deputies and special agents was clarified to include those serving as reserve municipal police officers.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for cross-deputization agreements was updated to explicitly mention agreements with Indian tribes or federal government branches.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 3 edits · May 7, 2025

MINOR

The bill was amended to streamline the text and reorganize the list of exemptions from the dual office-holding restriction. The primary change involves removing redundant language and renumbering the list of exempt positions to create a clearer, more logical structure. This improves readability and ensures the statutory language accurately reflects the intended exemptions without unnecessary repetition.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains the same; it still exempts specific law enforcement and public officials from the general prohibition against holding multiple offices. However, the list of exempted positions has been reorganized and condensed for clarity.

TECHNICAL

Removed the 'Amended Senate Amendment' header and updated the bill title to reflect the final 'Engrossed House' version, indicating the legislative process is complete.

Consolidated the list of exempt positions by removing duplicate entries and renumbering items sequentially (e.g., merging overlapping categories of law enforcement exemptions) to improve clarity.

Adjusted the bill's summary description to focus on 'dual office-holding' and 'exemptions' rather than the previous broader phrasing, aligning the title with the substantive content.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 4 edits · May 7, 2025

MODERATE

The Senate amended the bill to completely rewrite the text of Section 6, replacing the original list of exemptions with a new, reorganized list. The primary change is the addition of specific exemptions for campus police officers serving in certain local offices and for part-time/seasonal rangers under the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, while also updating the language for other existing exemptions to clarify eligibility.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to explicitly include campus police officers and tourism rangers as eligible for dual office holding exemptions, whereas the original version did not list these specific roles in the same manner.

ELIGIBILITY

Added exemptions for campus police officers serving in elected or appointed positions for counties, cities, or towns, provided the terms are mutually approved by the municipality and the institution of higher education.

Added exemptions for part-time or seasonal rangers and peace officers under the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department or the Grand River Dam Authority.

Reorganized and updated the list of exempted positions, including clarifying exemptions for reserve deputies, volunteer fire department members, and school board members to ensure no conflict of interest exists.

TECHNICAL

Changed the bill title and enacting clause to reflect the updated statutory language and the specific focus on campus police exemptions.

Dual-office-holding; adding exemption for campus police officers serving in certain office; effective date.

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors