State government; prohibiting state agencies from contracting with lobbyists or hiring legislative liaisons for certain purposes. Effective date.

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SENATE FLOOR VERSION
February 11, 2025
AS AMENDED

SENATE BILL NO. 97 By: Sacchieri of the Senate

and

Adams of the House

An Act relating to state government; defining terms;
prohibiting state agencies from contracting with
lobbyists or hiring legislative liaisons for certain
purposes; providing for codification; 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 to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 4263 of Title 74, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. For the purposes of this section:
1. “Executive lobbyist” means any individual who is employed or
retained by another for financial or other compensation to perform
services that include executive lobbying, other than an individual
whose lobbying activities are only incidental to, and are not a
significant part of, the services provided by such individual to the
client, except the following individuals shall not be considered
executive lobbyists:

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a. an individual appearing before a state officer or
employee of an agency who receives no compensation for
his or her appearance other than reimbursement from
the state for expenses and who engages in no further
lobbying, and
b. any person exercising his or her constitutional right
to petition the government who receives no
compensation or anything of value for lobbying;
2. “Legislative liaison” means any state officer or employee
whose duties in fact include legislative lobbying, regardless of the
state officer or employee’s title and regardless of whether
legislative lobbying is included within the state officer or state
employee’s job description, other than an individual whose lobbying
activities are only incidental to, and are not a significant part
of, the services provided by such individual to the agency;
3. “Legislative lobbyist” means any individual who is employed
or retained by another for financial or other compensation to
perform services that include legislative lobbying, other than an
individual whose lobbying activities are only incidental to, and are
not a significant part of, the services provided by such individual
to the client, except the following individuals shall not be
considered legislative lobbyists:
a. an individual appearing before the Governor or a
meeting of a legislative body who receives no

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compensation for his or her appearance other than
reimbursement from the state for expenses and who
engages in no further lobbying, and
b. any person exercising his or her constitutional right
to petition the government and who receives no
compensation or anything of value for lobbying;
4. “Lobbyist” means a lobbyist principal, an executive
lobbyist, or a legislative lobbyist;
5. “Lobbyist principal” means any person or entity, including
an agency, who employs or retains another person for financial or
other compensation to conduct executive or legislative lobbying
activities on behalf of the lobbyist principal; provided, however,
it shall not mean any individual members, partners, officers, or
shareholders of an agency, corporation, association, firm, joint
venture, joint stock company, syndicate, business trust, estate,
trust, company, partnership, limited partnership, organization,
committee, club, or a group of persons who are voluntarily acting in
concert; and
6. “State agency” means a state agency as defined pursuant to
Section 327 of Title 61 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
B. No state agency shall:
1. Enter into any new, or renew any existing, contract or any
other agreement with a lobbyist for the purpose of lobbying; or
2. Hire a legislative liaison for the purpose of lobbying,

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unless the agency first secures express, written approval from the
appropriate cabinet secretary who oversees the state agency. If, at
the time such approval is sought, the cabinet secretary position is
vacant, the agency shall instead secure approval in the same manner
from the Governor’s office.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON RETIREMENT AND GOVERNMENT
RESOURCES
February 11, 2025 - DO PASS AS AMENDED