STATE OF OKLAHOMA

1st Session of the 52nd Legislature (2009)

SENATE BILL 667	By:	Wyrick

AS INTRODUCED

An Act relating to counties and county officers; amending 19 O.S. 2001, Section 444, which relates to publication of proceedings; authorizing counties to make schedules and certain information about certain meetings available on the Internet; stating type of information required; and providing an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     19 O.S. 2001, Section 444, is amended to read as follows:
Section 444.  A.  1.  It shall be the mandatory duty of the board of county commissioners to cause to be published in a newspaper published in the county, a full and complete report of all its official proceedings at each regular and special meeting, except blanket purchase orders, within the time provided for in Sections 445 and 446 of this title, and the board of county commissioners shall pay for the same from the appropriation as provided in this section, however, if the county has an Internet website, such information may be made available on such website that is accessable by the general public.  The information made available shall include the date, time, place, agenda, and all the official proceedings of such meeting; and
2.  The board of county commissioners may also order the publication of the official proceedings in a newspaper printed in any other than the English Language whenever it shall deem it necessary for the better information of the inhabitants.
B.  The board of county commissioners may omit the listing of all employees and their salaries approved for payment in the monthly publication of proceedings.  However, it shall be the mandatory duty of the board of county commissioners to cause to be published a full and complete report of all the county employees and their salaries paid annually.  An asterisk shall be placed in front of the names of employees paid for less than the full twelve (12) months of the preceding calendar year.  The listing shall reflect the gross salary of every employee reported to the Internal Revenue Service on the W‑2 Form of the employee.  Such annual publication of the employees and their salaries shall be published annually in the month of February for the preceding calendar year in a newspaper of the county which meets the requirements set forth in Section 106 of Title 25 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
C.  It shall also be the mandatory duty of the board of county commissioners and the county excise board, each fiscal year, to take such steps as may be necessary and proper under the statutes relating to estimates of needs and appropriations, to appropriate, in the General Government account within the general fund of the county, an amount sufficient to pay for the publication of all such proceedings during the fiscal year, at the legal rate therefor, but in no event less than the total of legal claims for publication of such proceedings during the immediately preceding fiscal year.
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2009.

52-1-1074	JT	1/14/2009 10:08:03 AM