Oklahoma § 69-1703 - Oklahoma Turnpike Authority created - Liabilities Members - Officers - Surety bonds - Reimbursement

§ 69-1703. Oklahoma Turnpike Authority created - Liabilities Members - Officers - Surety bonds - Reimbursement

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 69. Roads, Bridges, and Ferries

A. There is hereby created a body corporate and politic to be

known as the "Oklahoma Turnpike Authority" and by that name the

Authority may sue and be sued, and plead and be impleaded. The

Authority is hereby constituted an instrumentality of the state, and

the exercise by the Authority of the powers conferred by this act in

the construction, operation, and maintenance of turnpike projects

shall be deemed and held to be an essential governmental function of

the state with all the attributes thereof. Provided, however, the

Turnpike Authority is authorized to carry and shall carry liability

insurance to the same extent and in the same manner as the

Transportation Commission, and in addition thereto it shall be

subject to the workers' compensation laws of the state the same as a

private construction project.

B. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority shall consist of the

Governor, who shall be a member ex officio, two (2) members to be

appointed by the Governor, two (2) members to be appointed by the

Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, and two (2)

members to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma

State Senate. The appointive members shall be residents of the

state, and shall have been qualified electors therein for a period

of at least one (1) year next preceding their appointment. One

appointive member shall be appointed from each of six districts of

the state, such districts to include the area as follows:

District 1. Oklahoma, Canadian, Cleveland, McClain and Garvin

Counties.

District 2. Washington, Nowata, Craig, Ottawa, Rogers, Mayes,

Delaware, Wagoner, Cherokee, Adair, Okmulgee, Osage, Muskogee,

Sequoyah, McIntosh and Haskell Counties.

District 3. Coal, Logan, Payne, Lincoln, Creek, Okfuskee,

Pottawatomie, Seminole, Hughes and Pontotoc Counties.

District 4. Kay, Pawnee, Garfield, Noble, Tulsa, Woods,

Woodward, Major, Alfalfa and Grant Counties.

District 5. Cimarron, Grady, Texas, Beaver, Harper, Ellis,

Roger Mills, Dewey, Custer, Caddo, Washita, Beckham, Harmon,

Stephens, Jefferson, Greer, Kiowa, Jackson, Tillman, Comanche,

Cotton, Kingfisher and Blaine Counties.

District 6. Carter, Love, Murray, Johnston, Marshall, Atoka,

Bryan, Pittsburg, Latimer, Le Flore, Pushmataha, Choctaw and

McCurtain Counties.

The Governor shall appoint the members from Districts 1 and 2.

The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives shall appoint

the members from Districts 3 and 4. The President Pro Tempore of

the Oklahoma State Senate shall appoint the members from Districts 5

and 6. Appointive members serving on the Oklahoma Turnpike

Authority on the effective date of this act shall continue to serve

as members of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority for the remainder of

the original terms for which they were appointed, unless sooner

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 69. Roads, Bridges, and Ferries

removed by the appointing authority for their District. Thereafter,

each appointive member shall be appointed in the manner set forth by

this section for a term of six (6) years, except that any person

appointed to fill a vacancy shall be appointed to serve only for the

unexpired term, and a member of the Authority shall be eligible for

reappointment. Each appointed member of the Authority before

entering upon the duties of office shall take an oath as provided by

Section 1 of Article XV of the Constitution of the State of

Oklahoma. Any appointive member of the Authority may be removed at

any time with cause by the appointing authority.

C. The Authority shall elect one of the appointed members as

chairperson and another as vice-chairperson, and shall also elect a

Secretary and Treasurer. A majority of the members of the Authority

shall constitute a quorum and the vote of a majority of the members

shall be necessary for any action taken by the Authority. No

vacancy in the membership of the Authority shall impair the right of

a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of

the Authority.

D. Appointed members of the Authority shall be prohibited from

voting on any issue in which the member has a direct financial

interest.

E. Before the issuance of any turnpike revenue bonds under the

provisions of this act, each appointed member of the Authority shall

execute a surety bond in the penal sum of Twenty-five Thousand

Dollars ($25,000.00) and the secretary and treasurer shall execute a

surety bond in the penal sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars

($100,000.00), each such surety bond to be conditioned upon the

faithful performance of the duties of the office, to be executed by

a surety company authorized to transact business in the State of

Oklahoma as surety and to be approved by the Governor and filed in

the office of the Secretary of State.

F. The members of the Authority shall not be entitled to

compensation for their services, but each member shall be reimbursed

for actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of the

duties of such member. All expenses incurred in carrying out the

provisions of this act shall be payable solely from funds provided

under the authority of this act and no liability or obligation shall

be incurred by the Authority hereunder beyond the extent to which

monies shall have been provided under the authority of this act.

G. Whenever the terms "Oklahoma Transportation Authority",

"Transportation Authority" or "Authority", when used in reference to

the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, appear in the Oklahoma Statutes,

such terms shall mean the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

Added by Laws 1968, c. 415, § 1703, operative July 1, 1968. Amended

by Laws 1999, c. 341, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 1999; Laws 2005, c. 68, § 2,

eff. Nov. 1, 2005; Laws 2023, c. 295, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2023.

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 69. Roads, Bridges, and Ferries