Okla. Bar Ass'n Bylaws art. VIII

LEGISLATIVE STUDIES AND PROPOSALS

Section 1. STUDIES

Studies directed toward ascertaining the present state and operation of rules of law, procedural or substantive, may be made by any committee, section, or related group of this Association. Recommendations for legislative improvement of the law, or for improvement thereof through rule of court, when appropriate, may be made to the Association by filing these recommendations with the Executive Director; such recommendations may be filed by any Association committee, section or related group, or by any member of the Association.

Section 2. LEGISLATIVE OR RULE-MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS BY ASSOCIATION

Action by the Association upon proposals for improvement of the law by legislation or by judicial rule shall consist of: (a) Adoption as part of the Legislative Program of the Association; (b) Endorsement in principle. Only those measures which have become part of the Legislative Program of the Association shall be within the jurisdiction and duties of the Association Committee on Legislation, or be presented to the Legislature as measures actively proposed by the Association. Individual members, or committees, sections, or related groups may present proposals which have been endorsed in principle, and may publicize such endorsement, but may not represent that the measures are part of the Legislative Program of the Association.

Section 3. LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM: SUBJECT MATTER

The Legislative Program of the Association shall be confined to those measures relating to the administration of justice; to court organization, selection, tenure, salary and other incidents of the judicial office; to rules and laws affecting practice and procedure in the courts and in administrative bodies exercising adjudicatory functions; and to the practice of law. However, measures relating to these matters may, at the discretion of the Association, be endorsed in principle rather than be included in the Legislative Program.

Section 4. ENDORSEMENT IN PRINCIPLE: SUBJECT MATTER

Any proposal for the improvement of the law, procedural or substantive, may be endorsed in principle.

Section 5. LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS AND ENDORSEMENTS IN PRINCIPLE: JURISDICTION TO MAKE

Only the House of Delegates shall have authority to place a measure on the Legislative Program or to endorse it in principle. Legislative proposals shall require for adoption the affirmative vote of at least sixty percent (60 percent) of the members of the House of Delegates voting thereon. Endorsements in principle may be made by a simple majority vote. However, the exact vote shall be publicized; and shall be made available in connection with any formal statements made by members of the Association concerning such endorsement. Either an inclusion in the Legislative Program or an endorsement in principle may be made at an annual or a special meeting of the House of Delegates, or, if deemed proper by the Board of Governors, through a poll by mail of the members of the House of Delegates, conducted in accordance with general rules prescribed in advance by the House of Delegates or the Board of Governors, and subject to the regulations established by these Bylaws.

Section 6. PUBLICITY CONCERNING PROPOSALS

Before a proposal to place a measure upon the Legislative Program or to endorse it in principle is submitted to vote, by any method, it shall be published in at least one issue of the Journal of the Oklahoma Bar Association and posted on the OBA website prior to the beginning of the Annual Meeting, together with a notice that it will be submitted to vote, specifying date, time, place and manner.

Section 7. DURATION OF LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMS OR ENDORSEMENTS

When a measure has been made a part of the Legislative Program or has been endorsed in principle, it shall remain so for a period of three (3) years from the date of its approval or endorsement unless it be removed from the Program prior to the end of said period by a majority vote of the delegates voting upon the question or by reason of its enactment into law.

Section 8. RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING POLICY

No recommendation concerning policy to be followed by the State, or by the United States, or by the American Bar Association shall be made except by a majority vote of the members of the House of Delegates voting thereon in any of the methods prescribed by Section 5 hereof; provided that recommendations may be made by the Board of Governors as specified in Section 9 hereof.

Section 9. RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING PENDING LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS

The Board of Governors during the adjournment of the House of Delegates, upon approval by two-thirds of the members of the Board of Governors present and voting, may make recommendations upon any proposal pending before Legislature of the State of Oklahoma or any proposal before the Congress of the United States of America, if such proposal relates to the administration of justice, to court organization, selection, tenure, salary or other incidents of the judicial office; to rules and laws affecting practice and procedure in the courts and in administrative bodies exercising adjudicatory functions; and to the practice of law; provided that such proposal has not been theretofore presented to the House of Delegates for consideration.