Monday, Feb. 14 to Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2011

Monday, February 14

• With attention still focused on committee activity, the Senate approved one resolution on Monday.

-SCR 4 by Sen. Brian Bingman, establishes joint rules for the 53rd Oklahoma Legislature.

• Senate committees approved the following measures on Monday:

-SB 2 by Sen. John Ford, directs the State Board of Education to adopt high school graduation growth targets, identifies 2010-2011 as the “basline year” and states that schools must improve graduation rates by a minimum of 20 percent per year until they reach 100 percent.

-SB 89 by Sen. Clark Jolley, directs the Oklahoma Educational Television Authority to develop the Oklahoma Public Events Network.

-SB 209 by Sen. Susan Paddack, requires that the State Board of Career and Technology Education increase the number of Dropout Recovery Programs contingent upon the amount of funding appropriated between CareerTech districts and school districts.

-SB 264 by Sen. Clark Jolley, alters the Quality Assessment and Accountability Board’s Task Force, establishing new assessment requirements and modifying the membership structure of the Task Force.

-SB 278 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, adds online charter schools to the Oklahoma Charter School Act and allows for the school to not have a physical location if it is sponsored by the State Board of Education.

-SB 346 by Sen. Clark Jolley, requires that students not reading at grade 4 level be retained and offered special instruction until the deficiency is remedied.

-SB 348 by Sen. Clark Jolley, requires the State Department of Education to prepare and distribute to parents an annual report on student achievement assessments in their district.

-SB 426 by Sen. Bill Brown, gives the governing body of technology centers the authority to approve change orders to public contracts.

-SB 435 by Sen. John Ford, allows the boards of two or more school districts to contract with one superintendent to serve as superintendent of the school districts.

-SB 509 by Sen. Ralph Shortey, allows school districts to contract for the sale of ads on transportation equipment and requires the establishment of an advertising review board.

-SB 536 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, establishes the Task Force on Creating Administrative Efficiencies to examine ways to reduce administrative costs and the impact of the reduction on school district operation and student learning.

-SB 160 by Sen. David Holt, creates the Municipal Motor Vehicle Racing Act, allowing municipalities with greater than 300,000 persons to issue permits to allow racing events on city property.

-SB 73 by Sen. Judy Eason-McIntyre, establishes “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” as the official state gospel song.

-SB 170 by Sen. David Holt, removes the prohibition of transferring surplus county property during specific election dates if the incumbent county commissioner runs unopposed or if he or she wins reelection.

-SB 127 by Sen. Jerry Ellis, provides a definition for public construction contract and provides penalties for violating the Public Competitive Bidding Act of 1974.

-SB 96 by Sen. Harry Coates, raises construction contract negotiation limits to $5000, and allows the Conservation Commission Director to declare an emergency and allocate funds for abandoned coal mines or damaged floodwater retarding structures.

-SB 10 by Sen. Cliff Aldridge, removes the requirement for county treasurers to complete additional training or continuing education if they also serve as school district treasurers.

-SB 102 by Sen. Cliff Aldridge, allows for foreclosure as the exclusive method of enforcing a lien for non-payment on a loan and specifies that loan repayment terms shall be agreed upon by the property owner and the County Energy District Authority.

-SB 266 by Sen. Cliff Aldridge, authorizes municipalities to adopt ordinances, resolutions, or regulations for the collection of fees for new development.

-SB 359 by Sen. Susan Paddack, requires professional development procedures for teachers to continue their education beyond initial licensing and certification.

-SB 186 by Sen. Cliff Aldridge, extends the sunset of the Polygraph Examiners Committee, Osteopathic Examiners Committee, Podiatric Medical Examiners Committee, Athletic Commission and Minority Teacher Recruitment Advisory Committee to July 1, 2014.

• The House met Monday but approved no legislation.

• House committees met Monday and approved the following legislation:

-HB 1663 by Rep. Leslie Osborn, requires applicants for OHLAP to first submit an application for federal financial aid; requires OHLAP participants to file each year while on the program, and lowers the combined salary limit of parents to $75,000.

-HB 2115 by Rep. Jeff Hickman, allows school districts which have entered into mutual contracts with superintendents to use certain funds to cover the superintendents salaries.

-HB 2116 by Rep. Jeff Hickman, requires the State Board of Education to develop a funding mechanism for dispersing federal funds to local educational agencies for the cost of high-need students on Individual Education Programs.

-HB 1418 by Rep. Dennis Casey, requires a national criminal record check which must be approved by the Office of Personnel Management and the State Department of Education for any person seeking employment with a school.

-HB 1220 by Rep. Mark McCullough, creates the Prevention Services Consolidation Act of 2011; provides a list of prevention services, and creates a citizens advisory board for prevention services.

-HB 1938 by Rep. Donnie Condit, creates a fee for pharmacies authorized to sell food and drink.

-HB 1980 by Rep. Anastasia Pittman, requires the State Department of Health to partner with the University of Oklahoma to develop a comprehensive program for adults with sickle cell disease.

-HB 1397 by Rep. Doug Cox, authorizes the State Department of Health to perform any and all health related services; removes control of local registrars from the State Commissioner of Health, and disallows the use of an heirloom birth certificate for ID purposes.

-HB 1586 by Rep. Todd Thomsen, modifies the Uniform Athlete Agents Act, establishing the definition of agency contract to include an agreement in which a student-athlete authorizes a person to assess and plan the financial situation of the student athlete.

-HB 1549 by Rep. Sally Kern, allows individuals to bring a civil action against the producer, promoter or intentional possessor of child pornography if a criminal offense resulted in a conviction of or production of child pornography which caused personal or psychological injury.

-HB 1027 by Rep. Larry Glenn, modifies language under the Compulsory Insurance Law, allowing dismissal without payment of court costs if security verification is presented to the court on the first scheduled appearance.

-HB 1048 by Rep. Doug Cox, requires a court-issued decree of death to include the declared decedent’s full legal name, any aliases, name at birth, date of birth, place of birth, Social Security number and parent’s full name.

-HB 1074 by Rep. Dustin Roberts, increases the distance in which a person may not picket from the property line of a cemetery, mortuary, church or other place where a funeral service is being held from 500 feet to 1,000 feet.

-HB 1199 by Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, allows a former guardian or caretaker of an unmarried minor child to seek and be granted reasonable visitation rights.

-HB 1234 by Rep. Ben Sherrer, authorizes the courts, beginning Jan. 1, 2012, to use videoconferencing between a courtroom and a correctional facility of the Department of Corrections or a juvenile detention facility of the Office of Juvenile Affairs for sentence reviews, post conviction relief hearings, delinquent and deprived actions, custody and adoption proceedings, commitment proceedings and extradition proceedings.

-HB 1322 by Rep. Harold Wright, modifies language regarding embezzlement, stating that the act includes activity related to any property of an estate or decedent, whether the estate is held in intestate, in probate, in trust or otherwise.

-HB 1356 by Rep. Ron Peters, directs a court to issue an order authorizing a child in the custody of the Department of Human Services who is age 17 to enter into a property lease agreement for the child’s residence at the request of the child or his/her attorney.

-HB 1358 by Rep. Ron Peters, modifies language related to the issuance of protective orders.

-HB 1360 by Rep. Ron Peters, allows a court to enter an emergency protective order against an alleged perpetrator of a child who has been physically or sexually abused or neglected upon consideration of the safety of the child.

-HB 1439 by Rep. Steven Vaughn, expands the use of defensive force that is intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm, allowing an owner, manager or employee of a business to use such force.

-HB 1605 by Rep. Aaron Stiles, modifies language related to the temporary injunction automatically in effect upon the filing of a petition for dissolution of marriage, annulment of marriage or legal separation.

-HB 1607 by Rep. Aaron Stiles, modifies language related to court determinations of child custody, stating that there is a rebuttable presumption that a child who is age 12 or older is of sufficient age to form an intelligent preference.

-HB 1689 by Rep. Todd Russ, allows a mortgagee to make a written request of the sheriff in the county in which the real property is located if a property that is mortgaged to another party appears to be abandoned or vacated and showing signs of neglect.

-HB 1798 by Rep. Sue Tibbs, prohibits the manufacture or attempt to manufacture any controlled substance by cooking, burning or extracting and converting marijuana or marijuana oil into hashish.

-HB 1991 by Rep. Daniel Sullivan, modifies language related to administration of the punishment of death, directing that it be carried out by the administration of a lethal quantity of drug or drugs until death is pronounced.

-HB 1995 by Rep. Daniel Sullivan, requires a hospital operated by a public trust to maintain health care malpractice liability insurance coverage with available limits of at least $1 million per claim with an annual aggregate of at least $3 million.

-HB 2118 by Rep. Jeff Hickman, requires that any petition for a protective order and any emergency temporary ex parte order of protection will be maintained in a confidential case fill and not disclosed to the general public.

Tuesday, February 15

• With attention focused on committee work, the Senate met Tuesday but approved no legislation.

• Senate committees approved the following bills on Tuesday:

-SB 732 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, requires an employee to be terminated by a state agency upon the employee’s third notification of noncompliance of state income tax laws.

-SB 13 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, modifies language related to the ad valorem tax exemption for wind-powered electric generation entities.

-SB 392 by Sen. Clark Jolley, allows a credit for the registration fee of vehicles that are replacements for any vehicle destroyed by a flood on June 14, 2010.

-SB 571 by Sen. Clark Jolley, allows the state to sell property that is customarily sold on a recognized market or of a type which is subject to widely distributed standard price quotations.

-SB 587 by Sen. Brian Bingman, modifies language related to the Corporation Commission Plugging Fund.

-SB 729 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, modifies requirements for applications for certificates of title for salvaged, rebuilt, junked, classic, remanufactured and unrecovered theft vehicles.

-SB 730 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, authorizes the Oklahoma Tax Commission to use available cash funds from the unclassified taxes account to pay income tax refunds if current collections from the same source are insufficient.

-SB 733 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, states that all statutes in the Oklahoma Tax Code shall become operational according to the effective date or emergency clause provided in the enacting act or 90 days after sine die adjournment unless the Legislature has expressed the intent of retroactive operation.

-SB 744 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, allows a purchaser of advertising and promotional direct mail to provide the seller with either a direct pay permit, a certificate of exemption claiming promotional direct mail or information showing the jurisdictions to which the promotional direct mail is to be delivered.

-SB 262 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, clarifies language relating to the effective date of acts.

-SB 343 by Sen. Rob Johnson, removes a tax exemption on sales of tickets for admission to athletic events in which a team in the National Basketball Association or National Hockey League is a participant.

-SB 898 by Sen. Ralph Shortey, establishes that a person is a citizen of the state of Oklahoma if they are born in the United States, and are subject to its jurisdiction and is a resident of the state of Oklahoma.

-SB 908 by Sen. Ralph Shortey, establishes criminal forfeiture provisions for crimes related to illegal immigration.

-SB 763 by Sen. Clark Jolley, creates within the Office of the Attorney General an Office of Civil Rights Enforcement to assume all functions, duties, contracts and responsibilities of the Oklahoma Human Rights Commission.

-SB 406 by Sen. Josh Brecheen, increases the time limits for picketing at funerals from one hour before and after the funeral to two hours before and after the funeral.

-SB 189 by Sen. Cliff Aldridge, limits the amount of damages someone may recover in a civil action arising out of a vehicle accident to the amount of medical costs, property damage and lost income if the plaintiff or claimant is not in compliance with the Compulsory Insurance Law.

-SB 521 by Sen. Brian Crain, defines an “interest in real estate” as any estate or interest in, over or under land, including surface, minerals, structures and fixtures.

-SB 576 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, authorizes the Department of Human Services to release a delinquent or missing parents list of individuals who are in arrears in their district or administrative court-ordered child support obligations or who are sought for the purpose of establishing a child support order.

-SB 608 by Sen. Steve Russell, allows any person or entity entitled to receive digital or electronic copies of statutes or session laws to request printed copies in lieu of such digital or electronic copies.

-SB 652 by Sen. Mark Allen, exempts bonus pay from the calculation of child support.

-SB 653 by Sen. Mark Allen, permits the mother of a child born out of wedlock or the mother of a child born to any married woman during the marriage when the child is not an issue in a divorce or dissolution or by decree who fails or refuses to disclose the name of the father of the child in compliance with the Uniform Parentage Act to be cited to appear before a judge and compelled to disclose the name of the father under oath and to institute a paternity action prior to being awarded any assistance or benefits.

-SB 657 by Sen. Clark Jolley, eliminates the requirement that real estate transactions use a registered certification authority.

-SB 688 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, makes any conviction for actions resulting in the injury of any authorized person while at a disaster area for the purpose of being a bystander, spectator, sightseer or souvenir hunter punishable by imprisonment and/or a fine.

-SB 761 by Sen. Clark Jolley, requires an employer to promptly provide an injured employee compensation for treatment that may be necessary after certain injuries.

-SB 783 by Sen. Josh Brecheen, creates a Drug Court and Community Sentencing Reform Task Force.

-SB 790 by Sen. Brian Crain, requires any appeal of a motion for recusal of a judge to be filed with the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

-SB 815 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, prohibits parties filing for dissolution of marriage, annulment of marriage or legal separation who are under a temporary injunction from intentionally or knowingly damaging or destroying documents of value.

-SB 850 by Sen. Greg Treat, requires agencies filing rules under the Administrative Procedures Act to provide the citation to any federal or state law, court ruling or any other authority requiring the new rule or amended rule at the beginning of each rule.

-SB 867 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, repeals language creating the Oklahoma Integrated Justice Information Systems Steering Committee.

-SB 870 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, prohibits a court from sealing any records or files relating to marriages unless specifically authorized by the Oklahoma Constitution or statute.

-SB 901 by Sen. Charles Laster, changes the authority of a court from permissive to required to assess attorney fees and court costs against a plaintiff when the court finds that a petition for a protective order has been filed frivolously and no victim exists.

-SB 711 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, authorizes the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to file an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to assume all, or part, of the National Environmental Policy Act.

-SB 11 by Sen. Jim Halligan, designates a section of State Highway 177 from the intersection of State Highway 33 in Perkins north to the Stillwater municipal limits as “Major Scott Hagerty USAR Memorial Highway.”

-SB 235 by Sen. Eddie Fields, requires the commissioner of public safety to consult with the Department of Transportation when issuing special permits to a person allowing the movement of a house or building on state and federal highways.

-SB 241 by Sen. Cliff Branan, modifies the County Bridge and Road Improvement Act to require costs associated with county bridges or roads to be payable rather than reimbursable.

-SB 304 by Sen. Don Barrington, designates the southbound bridge on U.S. 722/U.S. 281 crossing the Red River as “President George W. Bush Bridge.”

-SB 351 by Sen. Dan Newberry, authorizes the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to construct and operate a toll turnpike at a new bridge crossing the Arkansas River in the vicinity between South Yale Avenue and South Memorial Drive in Tulsa County.

-SB 129 by Sen. Steve Russell, creates the Landowner’s Hunting Freedom Act.

-SB 21 by Sen. Judy Eason McIntyre, directs individual and corporate tax return forms to contain a provision allowing a donation from a tax refund for the support of music festivals held in the historic Greenwood District.

-SB 94 by Sen. Roger Ballenger, exempts from annual fishing and hunting license requirements any legal resident who as a firefighter or law enforcement officer suffered a 60 percent or more disability in the line of duty.

-SB 259 by Sen. Harry Coates, allows the Oklahoma Tourism, Parks and Recreation Commission to issue negotiable bonds not to exceed $10 million to construct, improve, better or extend any properties which it is authorized to maintain or operate.

-SB 314 by Sen. John Sparks, sets a $5 price for tags issued by the Department of Wildlife Conservation for animals donated to the Hunters Against Hunger program.

• The House convened Tuesday and approved no legislation.

• House committees met Tuesday and approved the following measures:

-HB 1456 by Rep. Lee Denney, directs the State Board of Education to prepare annual reports of the results of the Oklahoma School Testing Program that describe student achievement in the state, each school district and each school site.

-HB 1274 by Rep. Emily Virgin, allows any special education teacher who becomes certified to teach through the completion of an accredited teacher preparation program to be certified in early childhood or elementary education upon meeting the requirements provided in law and successful completion of the appropriate subject portion of the examination prior to July 1, 2012.

-HB 1374 by Rep. Holland, modifies language related to the State Textbook Committee, directing the committee chairperson and secretary to, with the consent of the state textbook contract holders, extend for up to two years the contracts for textbooks on the state adopted list that are subjects for which the six-year adoption period has been extended for two years.

-HB 1918 by Rep. Ann Coody, requires the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation to develop and administer mathematics professional development programs to be provided to any teacher who became licensed or certified to teach in elementary education prior to July 1, 2001, and is serving as a teacher in public school in this state in kindergarten through third grade, subject to the availability of funds.

-HB 1987 by Rep. Chuck Hoskin, allows a person under age 18 who previously completed and successfully passed a reading proficiency test from another state to submit the results of the test to the State Department of Education for verification and approval.

-HB 1394 by Rep. Paul Roan, designates the bridge crossing Leader Creek on State Highway 3 in Coal County the "PFC A.T. Howell Memorial Bridge."

-HB 1671 by Rep. Lisa Billy, designates the bridge across the Washita River on State Highway 74 north of Maysville as the "Samuel R. Henderson Memorial Bridge."

-HB 1691 by Rep. Todd Russ, designates the bridge located approximately 3 miles west of Sentinel on State Highway 55 in Washita County as the "USAF Maj. Aubrey Eugene Stowers, Jr. Memorial Bridge."

-HB 1982 by Rep. Anastasia Pittman, designates the bridge on N.E. 16th Street crossing over Interstate 35 in Oklahoma City as the "Lecia Swain-Ross Memorial Bridge."

-HB 1618 by Rep. Gary Banz, prohibits OHLAP awards from including an amount equivalent to the tuition and fees for remedial non-credit earning courses or units taken by an eligible OHLAP student.

-HB 1227 by Rep. Pat Ownbey, changes the name of the Ardmore Higher Education Program operated by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to the University Center of Southern Oklahoma.

-HB 2135 by Rep. Chris Steele, modifies legislative intent concerning the Smoking in Public Places and Indoor Workplace Act to state that the act is not intended to preempt other regulations to control smoking and that it intends to permit governmental subdivision to adopt local ordinances to address issue related to smoking but that the ordinances can be no less stringent than the act.

-HB 1212 by Rep. Dan Kirby, requires those seeking a license from the Oklahoma State Athletic Commission to include a certified copy of lab results for every participant verifying that they are not infected with the human immunodeficiency virus, the hepatitis B virus or the hepatitis C virus.

-HB 1271 by Rep. Ann Coody, modifies the definition of "person requiring treatment" in language related to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to include those who place another person in reasonable fear of violent behavior.

-HB 1419 by Rep. Gus Blackwell, allows a licensed ambulance service to use a person licensed to practice as a registered nurse for on-scene patient care, stabilization and delivery of prehospital and en route medical care.

-HB 1504 by Rep. Colby Schwartz, adds the Accreditation Commission for Health Care among those entities that may issue complaints regarding home care agencies.

-HB 1658 by Rep. John Enns, creates a certification as a chiropractic assistant, which means an unlicensed member of a chiropractic physician's team of health care workers who may assist a chiropractic physician in the performance of examination and therapeutic procedures and techniques necessary to deliver health care services to patients.

-HB 1736 by Rep. Pam Peterson, authorizes the director of the Department of Human Services to investigate cases of Medicaid recipient eligibility fraud.

Wednesday, February 16

• Attention remained focused on committee action on Wednesday, and the full Senate approved no legislation.

• Senate committees passed numerous bills on Wednesday, including the following:

-SB 89 by Sen. Clark Jolley, directs the Oklahoma Education Television Authority to develop the Oklahoma Public Events Network to increase public access and awareness to operations of state government.

-SB 119 by Sen. Thomas Ivester, creates an income tax exemption for any income earned as retirement benefits from the U.S. Armed Services.

-SB 46 by Sen. Don Barrington, exempts the surviving and un-remarried spouse of a deceased 100 percent disabled veteran from sales tax up to $6,000 on tangible personal property.

-SB 748 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, creates the Military Reservist Economic Injury and Veteran Owned Small Business Act.

-SB 633 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, changes from classified to unclassified personnel appointed as state employees in the Military Department.

-SB 253 by Sen. Bill Brown, designates Aug. 7 as Purple Heart Day.

-SB 395 by Sen. Bill Brown, requires the Honor and Remember flag to be displayed under the flag of the United States at the south plaza of the state Capitol building upon notification to the governor by the adjutant general of the death of any member of the U.S. Armed Forces who is either killed in the line of duty in a combat zone and who, at the time of death, was a resident of Oklahoma.

-SB 501 by Sen. Constance N. Johnson, creates a veterans docket for veterans’ court divisions of district courts.

-SB 56 by Sen. Sean Burrage, reduces from nine to six the members of the War Veterans Commission of Oklahoma.

-SB 251 by Sen. Steve Russell, creates the Armed Services Tuition Fairness Act, which states that out of state residents who serve in the Oklahoma National Guard or Reserve and attend an Oklahoma college cannot be charged tuition at a higher rate than the rates charged to state residents.

-SB 396 by Sen. Steve Russell, creates the Deceased Veterans Dignity Act.

-SB 558 by Sen. Steve Russell, prohibits employers from forcing any employee who is retired from a branch of the U.S. military and has been provided with health coverage through a federal plan to participate in employer-sponsored health insurance coverage.

-SJR 16 by Sen. John Sparks, proposes a constitutional amendment allowing a disabled veteran to claim a homestead exemption for the full amount of a manufactured home used as his or her principal residence whether the home is located on real property owned by the veteran if he or she has been honorably discharged from active service in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces or the Oklahoma National Guard and has a 100 percent permanent disability sustained through military action or accident or resulting from disease contracted while in active service.

-SB 290 by Sen. Brian Crain, creates the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System Reform Act of 2011.

-SB 292 by Sen. Brian Crain, creates the Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System Reform Act of 2011.

-SB 294 by Sen. Brian Crain, creates the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement System Reform Act of 2011.

-SB 305 by Sen. Brian Crain, creates the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System Reform Act of 2011.

-SB 308 by Sen. Brian Crain, creates the Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma Reform Act of 2011.

-SB 310 by Sen. Brian Crain, creates the Uniform Retirement System for Justices and Judges Reform Act of 2011.

-SB 22 by Sen. Don Barrington, requires judicial officers whose names are to appear on a general election ballot to make their written rulings and opinions available to the public for at least 60 days before the date of the election.

-SB 54 by Sen. Ron Justice, removes language regarding qualifications fro district attorneys prior to July 1, 1990.

-SB 115 by Sen. Tom Ivester, creates the Uniform Military and Overseas Voters Act.

-SB 117 by Sen. Roger Ballenger, requires a candidate for the office of county commissioner to have been a registered voter within the county commissioner’s district and a resident in such district at least six months prior to the first day of the candidate filing period.

-SB 214 by Sen. Sean Burrage, requires any person disqualified as a member of a county election board or absentee voting board due to candidacy or employment by a candidate to resign the office no later than 10 days after the date on which the candidacy was filed.

-SB 328 by Sen. John Ford, states legislative intent that the current Oklahoma Election Management System be replaced with a new system consistent with the federal Help America Vote Act.

-SB 602 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, creates the Let the Troops Vote Act.

-SB 808 by Sen. David Holt, moves the date of presidential primary elections from the first Tuesday of February to the first Tuesday of March.

-SJR 37 by Sen. Mike Schulz, proposes a constitutional amendment that would modify the requirements for initiative petitions and referenda by requiring the percentage of signature be based on the percentage of signature be based on the percentage of legal voters in a congressional district, rather than statewide.

-SB 567 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, requires CLEET to include in its required courses of study for law enforcement certification a minimum of eight hours of evidence-based domestic violence and stalking investigation training.

-SB 137 by Sen. John Ford, allows an inmate to earn 200 credits for completing his or her bachelor’s degree and 100 credits for completing an associate’s degree.

-SB 400 by Sen. Clark Jolley, allows a court to order a defendant to be placed in a victims impact panel program or victim/offender reconciliation program and pay to the program a fee of not less than $50 nor more than $75.

-SB 408 by Sen. Susan Paddack, implements a $150 reinstatement fee for any person seeking reinstatement as a police or peace officer whose certification was revoked, suspended or voluntarily surrendered for any reason, including failure to comply with mandatory education and training requirements.

-SB 433 by Sen. Jonathan Nichols, permits a medical examiner to send his findings to the chief medical examiner electronically.

-SB 487 by Sen. Andrew Rice, creates the Oklahoma Bicycle Safety Awareness Act.

-SB 498 by Sen. Rob Johnson, requires court reporters temporarily employed by the district court, Workers’ Compensation Court or Corporation Commission to be compensated at a rate to be set by the court.

-SB 688 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, makes any conviction for actions resulting in the injury of any authorized person while at a disaster area for the purpose of being a bystander, spectator, sightseer or souvenir hunter punishable by imprisonment in the State Penitentiary not exceeding five years, or by a fine of not more than $500.

-SB 764 by Sen. Clark Jolley, makes it unlawful for any person to attempt to obtain from any entity any item of value by means of any trick or deception by means of issuing or transferring a check or other negotiable order.

-SB 596 by Sen. Eddie Fields, creates the Oklahoma Water Center Act.

-SB 741 by Sen. Eddie Fields, creates the Water Infrastructure Revolving Fund.

-SB 108 by Sen. Ron Justice, prohibits the Oklahoma Water Resources Board’s fee for annual groundwater permit administration for the submittal of water use reports from exceeding $10 per permit.

-SB 628 by Sen. Mark Allen, directs the Secretary of Environment to coordinate with federal and state natural resource agencies to promote the use of available grants or appropriations to use for projects designed to reduce soil erosion from unpaved roads in sensitive or impaired watershed areas.

-SB 685 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, directs the Forestry Division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to administer the Rural Fire Coordinator Program.

-SB 574 by Sen. Clark Jolley, requires dental facility permit holders following the first year of employment to show proof of passing an appropriate clinical board examination recognized by the Board of Dentistry.

-SB 675 by Sen. Clark Jolley, modifies the Physical Therapist Act.

-SB 709 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, exempts entities contracting with the state to provide senior nutrition services under the Older Americans Act from requirements of the Central Purchasing Act.

-SB 710 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, increases from $250,000 to $500,000 the maximum limit for special maintenance projects that can be carried out by state special maintenance crews unless deemed otherwise by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

-SB 711 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, authorizes the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to file an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to assume all, or part, of the National Environmental Policy Act.

-SB 346 by Sen. Clark Jolley, states legislative intent that each district school board’s policies facilitate that each student’s academic progression be determined, in part, by reading proficiency and that each student and their parents be informed of the student’s academic progress.

-SB 509 by Sen. Ralph Shortey, allows a school district board of education to award contracts on advertising on the exterior of transportation equipment.

-SB 55 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, directs the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to adopt a policy that allows a student to enroll in a higher education institution and be eligible for resident tuition if he or she satisfies admission requirements and has enrolled in the institution; has a grandparent that is a U.S. citizen and a resident of the state who has filed a tax return within the Oklahoma Tax Commission for 10 years prior to the student’s application and who is a U.S. citizen.

-SB 80 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, removes language that required a school district’s State Aid to be reduced by an amount equal to the amount of carryover in its general fund as of June 30 of the preceding fiscal year that is in excess of certain standards.

-SB 141 by Sen. Clark Jolley, provides the same criteria in evaluating transferred students enrolled in online courses as students regularly enrolled at school when calculating school funding.

-SB 251 by Sen. Steve Russell, creates the Armed Services Tuition Fairness Act.

-SB 260 by Sen. John Ford, removes language prohibiting the governing body of a charter school from issuing bonds.

-SB 264 by Sen. Clark Jolley, recreates the Quality Assessment and Accountability Task Force.

-SB 275 by Sen. Eddie Fields, permits federal grant money applied for on behalf of a school district to be disbursed directly to an interlocal cooperative with the consent of the schools districts that comprise the interlocal agreement.

-SB 278 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, permits a charter school to be sponsored by the State Board of Education for the purpose of establishing a statewide only charter school in which all students within the state are eligible to enroll.

-SB 279 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, expands the list of purposes for which school districts may issue bonds to include the maintenance of school furniture, fixtures or equipment.

-SB 348 by Sen. Clark Jolley, requires the State Department of Education to prepare annual reports of the results of the statewide assessment program to describe student achievement in the state, each district and charter school.

• The House met Wednesday and approved no legislation.

• House committees approved the following measures on Wednesday:

-HB 1221 by Rep. Mark McCullough, increases the years of service required for full benefits from 20 to 25 years and increases the employee contribution amount from 8 to 12 percent.

-HB 1058 by Rep. Charles Key, requires petitions seeking recognition of a political party to file with the secretary of the State Election Board and provide a minimum of 5,000 signatures from registered voters.

-HB 1033 by Rep. Marian Cooksey, would require an elected official to resign from office before filing a declaration of candidacy for any other elected office.

-HB 1664 by Rep. Leslie Osborn, removes language requiring the ballot title of an initiative petition to the Legislature to be written on the eighth grade reading comprehension level.

-HB 1197 by Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, creates an Incarcerated Parents Task Force.

-HB 1225 by Rep. Pat Ownbey, requires an initiative petition that requires a funding source to submit to the Secretary of State and the Attorney General a statement outlining all sources of funding to be used in the measure.

-HB 1288 by Rep. Eric Proctor, prohibits elected state, county or municipal officer from receiving any compensation or reimbursement from any entity for personally engaging in lobbying.

-HB 1359 by Rep. Ron Peters, creates a Foster Care System Improvement Task Force.

-HJR 1016 by Rep. Gus Blackwell, revokes Cimarron County’s status as a foreign trade zone.

-HB 1310 by Rep. Phil Richardson, requires the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners to certify individuals providing nonveterinary reproductive services.

-HB 1308 by Rep. Phil Richardson, changes reference from the customer services division of the Department of Environmental Quality to the customer assistance program and modifies the division’s duties.

-HB 1314 by Rep. Phil Richardson, repeals language related to a prohibition placed on possessing, hunting, taking or trapping a white deer.

-HB 1338 by Rep. Brian Renegar, lowers from age 35 to 30 the minimum age at which a person may purchase or receive a hunting license or license tag unless he or she possesses or can exhibit a certificate of competency and safety in the use of firearms from the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

-HB 1339 by Rep. Brian Renegar, requires game and fish license dealers to issue every license via an electronic point of sale system.

-HB 1347 by Rep. Tom Newell, creates the Wildlife Bail Procedure Act prescribing methods for a person arrested for a violation of the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Code to be admitted bail.

-HB 1348 by Rep. Tom Newell, allows a taxidermy specimen to be sold at an estate sale.

-HB 1471 by Rep. Don Armes, modifies the definition of animal husbandry under the Oklahoma Agricultural Code.

-HB 1576 by Rep. Scott Martin, modifies language related to collective bargaining hearing procedures.

-HB 1577 by Rep. Scott Martin, modifies language related to the membership makeup of the Public Employees Relations Board.

-HB 1210 by Rep. Dan Kirby, modifies language relating to the selection of arbitrators for fire and police arbitration.

-HB 1533 by Rep. Gus Blackwell, modifies language related to the ability of state agencies to make voluntary payroll deductions.

-HB 1296 by Rep. David Derby, requires a written consent of the owners before the governing body of a city may annex any territory adjacent or contiguous to the city.

-HB 1350 by Rep. Gus Blackwell, would require the Office of Juvenile Affairs to register juvenile sex offenders in accordance with the Sex Offenders Registration Act.

-HB 1662 by Rep. Leslie Osborn, increases the normal retirement age to 25 years of service for members whose initial participation in the Law Enforcement Retirement System begins on or after Nov. 1, 2011.

-HB 1006 by Rep. Randy McDaniel, creates the Pension Financial Responsibility Act.

-HB 2132 by Rep. Kris Steele, creates the Truth-in-Funding Act.

-HB 1011 by Rep. Joe Dorman, creates the Teachers’ Retirement System Cost-of-Living Adjustment Funding Source Act of 2011.

-HB 1007 by Rep. Randy McDaniel, creates the Pension Funding Accountability Act.

-HB 1002 by Rep. Randy McDaniel, create the Teachers’ Retirement System Pension Reform Act.

-HB 1648 by Rep. Tom Newell, removes language that allows a member of the Teachers’ Retirement System who is absent from teaching service because of an election or appointment as a local, state or national education association officer to be allowed to retain his or her membership in the system upon payment of a contribution.

-HB 1003 by Rep. Randy McDaniel, creates the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System Pension Reform Act.

-HB 1004 by Rep. Randy McDaniel, creates the Leadership by Example Act.

-HB 1010 by Rep. Randy McDaniel, creates the Justices and Judges Pension Reform Act of 2011.

-HB 1656 by Rep. John Enns, modifies language related to those who are eligible for the Oklahoma Police Pension and Retirement System, allowing a deputy chief as well as a chief to be exempt from membership in the system.

-HB 1398 by Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, appropriates $10 million from funds available from the federal Unemployment Compensation Modernization Transfer to the Employment Security Administration Fund for the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission to pay administrative expenses.

Thursday, February 17

• The Senate met Thursday but approved no legislation.

Other News

• Gov. Mary Fallin this week announced she has joined 28 other Republican governors in sending a letter to President Barack Obama, requesting that the President expedite the appeals process of the pending state lawsuits against the federal health care bill.

• The Pew Hispanic Center this week released a report suggesting the population of illegal immigrants in Oklahoma has increased by 36 percent since 2007. The Center estimates the state’s population of illegal immigrants at 75,000.

• Consumer spending in Oklahoma climbed in January for the seventh month in a row, raising state revenue above collections in January 2010 and official estimates, state finance officials said Monday. January collections totaled $79.9 million, or 19.5 percent, above the same month a year ago and $23.9 million, or 5.1 percent, above the estimate for the month. State Treasurer Ken Miller said the positive trend was an indication that economic recovery has taken hold in Oklahoma.