Oklahoma § 25-304 - Definitions

§ 25-304. Definitions

As used in the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act:

1. “Public body” means the governing bodies of all

municipalities located within this state, boards of county

commissioners of the counties in this state, boards of public and

higher education in this state and all boards, bureaus, commissions,

agencies, trusteeships, authorities, councils, committees, public

trusts or any entity created by a public trust including any

committee or subcommittee composed of any of the members of a public

trust or other legal entity receiving funds from the Rural Economic

Action Plan Fund as authorized by Section 2007 of Title 62 of the

Oklahoma Statutes, task forces or study groups in this state

supported in whole or in part by public funds or entrusted with the

expending of public funds, or administering public property, and

shall include all committees or subcommittees of any public body.

Public body shall not include:

a.

the state judiciary,

b.

the Council on Judicial Complaints when conducting,

discussing, or deliberating any matter relating to a

complaint received or filed with the Council,

c.

the Legislature,

d.

administrative staffs of public bodies including, but

not limited to, faculty meetings and athletic staff

meetings of institutions of higher education when

those staffs are not meeting with the public body, or

entry-year assistance committees,

e.

multidisciplinary teams provided for in Section 1-9102 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes, in Section

10-115 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, and in

subsection C of Section 1-502.2 of Title 63 of the

Oklahoma Statutes or any school board meeting for the

sole purpose of considering recommendations of a

multidisciplinary team and deciding the placement of

any child who is the subject of the recommendations,

f.

meetings conducted by stewards designated by the

Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission pursuant to Section

203.4 of Title 3A of the Oklahoma Statutes when the

stewards are officiating at races or otherwise

enforcing rules of the Commission,

g.

the board of directors of a Federally Qualified Health

Center or the postadjudication review boards provided

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 25. Definitions and General Provisions

for in Sections 1116.2 and 1116.3 of Title 10 of the

Oklahoma Statutes, or

h.

boards of county commissioners for the purposes set

forth in subsections C, D, and E of Section 326 of

Title 19 of the Oklahoma Statutes;

2. “Meeting” means the conduct of business of a public body by

a majority of its members being personally together or, as

authorized by Section 307.1 of this title, together pursuant to a

videoconference. Meeting shall not include informal gatherings of a

majority of the members of the public body when no business of the

public body is discussed;

3. “Regularly scheduled meeting” means a meeting at which the

regular business of the public body is conducted;

4. “Special meeting” means any meeting of a public body other

than a regularly scheduled meeting or emergency meeting;

5. “Emergency meeting” means any meeting called for the purpose

of dealing with an emergency. For purposes of the Oklahoma Open

Meeting Act, an emergency is defined as a situation involving injury

to persons or injury and damage to public or personal property or

immediate financial loss when the time requirements for public

notice of a special meeting would make such procedure impractical

and increase the likelihood of injury or damage or immediate

financial loss;

6. “Continued or reconvened meeting” means a meeting which is

assembled for the purpose of finishing business appearing on an

agenda of a previous meeting. For the purposes of the Oklahoma Open

Meeting Act, only matters on the agenda of the previous meeting at

which the announcement of the continuance is made may be discussed

at a continued or reconvened meeting;

7. “Videoconference” means a conference among members of a

public body remote from one another who are linked by interactive

telecommunication devices or technology, or technology permitting

both visual and auditory communication between and among members of

the public body or between and among members of the public body and

members of the public. During any videoconference, both the visual

and auditory communications functions shall attempt to be utilized;

and

8. “Teleconference” means a conference among members of a

public body remote from one another who are linked by

telecommunication devices or technology permitting auditory

communication between and among members of the public body or

between and among members of the public body and members of the

public.

Added by Laws 1977, c. 214, § 4, eff. Oct. 1, 1977. Amended by Laws

1982, c. 342, § 12, emerg. eff. June 2, 1982; Laws 1988, c. 153, §

6, eff. July 1, 1988; Laws 1993, c. 282, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993;

Laws 1998, c. 370, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 1998; Laws 1999, c. 1, § 9,

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 25. Definitions and General Provisions

emerg. eff. Feb. 24, 1999; Laws 1999, c. 423, § 10, emerg. eff. June

10, 1999; Laws 2007, c. 142, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2007; Laws 2010, c.

378, § 4; Laws 2019, c. 81, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2019; Laws 2020, c. 3,

§ 1, emerg. eff. March 18, 2020; Laws 2021, c. 107, § 2, emerg. eff.

April 21, 2021; Laws 2022, c. 123, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2022; Laws

2024, c. 237, § 3, eff. Nov. 1, 2024; Laws 2025, c. 369, § 2, emerg.

eff. May 26, 2025.

NOTE: Laws 1998, c. 315, § 1 repealed by Laws 1999, c. 1, § 45,

emerg. eff. Feb. 24, 1999.