ENGROSSED SENATE
BILL NO. 598	By:	Treat of the Senate

			and

		Murphey of the House

An Act relating to the Executive Department; directing the Secretary of State to refer to the people for their approval or rejection the proposed amendments to Sections 1, 3 and 4 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution; providing for Gubernatorial appointments of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commissioner of Labor, and Insurance Commissioner with consent of the Senate; providing length of terms; making terms concurrent with term of Governor; removing eligibility requirements for Superintendent of Public Instruction; removing prescribed terms for certain offices; directing the Secretary of State to refer to the people for their approval or rejection the repeal of Section 23 of Article VI, which relates to the Insurance Commissioner; providing ballot title; and directing filing.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1.  The Secretary of State shall refer to the people for their approval or rejection, as and in the manner provided by law, the following proposed amendments to Sections 1, 3 and 4 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution to read as follows:
Section 1.  A.  The Executive authority of the state shall be vested in a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor and Inspector, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commissioner of Labor, Commissioner of Insurance and other officers provided by law and this Constitution, each of whom shall keep his the office and public records, books and papers at the seat of government, and shall perform such duties as may be designated in this Constitution or prescribed by law.
B.  The Secretary of State shall be appointed by the Governor by and with the consent of the Senate for a term of four (4) years to run concurrently with the term of the Governor.
C.  Beginning January 14, 2019, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commissioner of Labor, and Commissioner of Insurance shall be appointed by the Governor by and with the consent of the Senate for terms of four (4) years to run concurrently with the term of the Governor.
Section 3.  No person shall be eligible to the office of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, State Auditor and Inspector, Attorney General, or State Treasurer or Superintendent of Public Instruction except a citizen of the United States of the age of not less than thirty-one (31) years and who shall have been ten (10) years next preceding his or her election, or appointment, a qualified elector of this state.
Section 4.  A.  The term of office of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor and Inspector, Attorney General, and State Treasurer, Commissioner of Labor and Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be four (4) years from the second Monday of January next after their election.  The said officers shall be eligible to immediately succeed themselves except as otherwise provided in this section.
B.  1.  No person shall be eligible to serve as Governor for a period of time in excess of eight (8) years.  Such years need not be consecutive.  Any years served by a person serving as Governor for less than a full term to fill a vacancy in such office shall not be included in the eight-year limitation set forth herein.
2.  Notwithstanding the provisions of this amendment, any person serving as Governor at the time of passage of this amendment shall be eligible to complete the term of office to which he or she was elected but shall not be eligible to serve as Governor for a period of time in excess of eight (8) years, excluding years served for less than a full term to fill a vacancy in such office.  The provisions of this paragraph shall apply regardless of whether such years were served prior to or after passage of this amendment.
C.  No person shall be eligible to serve as Lieutenant Governor, State Auditor and Inspector, Attorney General, or State Treasurer, Commissioner of Labor or Superintendent of Public Instruction for a period of time in excess of eight (8) years.  Such years need not be consecutive.  Any years served by a person elected or appointed to serve less than a full term to fill a vacancy in any such office shall not be included in the limitations set forth herein.  Any person serving in such position at the time of passage of this amendment shall be eligible to complete the term for which he or she has been elected and shall be eligible to serve an additional eight (8) years thereafter, notwithstanding the provisions of this amendment.
D.  The Legislature is hereby authorized to enact laws to implement the provisions of subsections B and C of this section.
SECTION 2.  The Secretary of State shall refer to the people for their approval or rejection, as and in the manner provided by law, the repeal of Section 23 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution, which relates to the Insurance Commissioner.
SECTION 3.  The Ballot Title for the proposed Constitutional amendments as set forth in SECTIONS 1 and 2 of this act shall be in the following form:
BALLOT TITLE
Legislative Referendum No. ____	State Question No. ____
THE GIST OF THE PROPOSITION IS AS FOLLOWS:
This measure amends Sections 1, 3 and 4 and repeals Section 23 of Article 6 of the State Constitution.  This measure deals with the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commissioner of Labor and Commissioner of Insurance.  It would change how those offices are filled.  It would also change the term and eligibility requirements of the office.  The current office holders would complete the term for which they were elected.  This measure requires the Governor to appoint future superintendents, labor commissioners and insurance commissioners with the consent of the Senate.  The terms for these offices would run concurrently with the Governor's term.
SHALL THE PROPOSAL BE APPROVED?
FOR THE PROPOSAL — YES	_____________
AGAINST THE PROPOSAL — NO 	_____________
SECTION 4.  The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall, immediately after the passage of this act, prepare and file one copy thereof, including the Ballot Title set forth in SECTION 3 hereof, with the Secretary of State and one copy with the Attorney General.
Passed the Senate the 6th day of March, 2013.

	
	Presiding Officer of the Senate

Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 2013.

	
	Presiding Officer of the House
	of Representatives