Title: ENGROSSED HOUSE
Last saved by: sessa
Company: Oklahoma House of Reps

ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1330	By:	Ritze, Reynolds, Key, Thompson, Faught, Tibbs, Schwartz, Derby, Wright (John) and Ortega of the House
				
				    and

		Brogdon, Schulz, Marlatt, Lamb, Justice, Bingman, Nichols, Barrington, Brown, Crain, Halligan, Ford, Aldridge, Mazzei, Myers, Newberry, Johnson (Mike), Coffee, Reynolds and Russell of the Senate

An Act relating to state government; providing for legislative findings; creating the Ten Commandments Monument Display Act; authorizing the placement of a monument displaying the Ten Commandments on the grounds of the Oklahoma State Capitol; authorizing the State Capitol Preservation Commission to work with certain persons in designing a monument; providing for the location for the monument; authorizing the Attorney General or Liberty Legal Institute to defend certain challenges; providing for codification; providing for noncodification; and providing an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new section of law not to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:

The Legislature finds:

1.  That the Ten Commandments are an important component of the foundation of the laws and legal system of the United States of America and of the State of Oklahoma;

2.  That the courts of the United States of America and of various states frequently cite the Ten Commandments in published decisions; and

3.  Acknowledgements of the role played by the Ten Commandments in our nation’s heritage are common throughout America.

SECTION 2.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 4110 of Title 74, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:

A.  This section shall be known and may be cited as the “Ten Commandments Monument Display Act”.

B.  The State Capitol Preservation Commission or designee is hereby authorized to permit and arrange for the placement on the State Capitol grounds of a suitable monument displaying the Ten Commandments.  The Ten Commandments monument shall use the same words used on the monument at issue in Van Orden v. Perry, that the United States Supreme Court ruled constitutional.  This monument shall be designed, constructed, and placed on the Capitol grounds by private entities at no expense to the State of Oklahoma.  The State Capitol Preservation Commission or designee is authorized to assist private entities in selecting a location for the monument and arranging a suitable time for its placement.

C.  In the event that the legality or constitutionality of the Ten Commandments monument is challenged in a court of law, the Oklahoma Attorney General or Liberty Legal Institute is hereby authorized to prepare and present a legal defense of the monument.

D.  The placement of this monument shall not be construed to mean that the State of Oklahoma favors any particular religion or denomination thereof over others, but rather will be placed on the Capitol grounds where there are numerous other monuments.

SECTION 3.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2009.

Passed the House of Representatives the 7th day of May, 2009.

	
Presiding Officer of the House of
	Representatives

Passed the Senate the 11th day of May, 2009.

	
Presiding Officer of the Senate

ENR. H. B. NO. 1330	Page