Oklahoma Legislative Manual

Oklahoma House of Representatives

LEGISLATIVE MANUAL

Speaker Chris Benge

Twelfth Revised EditionNovember 2008PRESENTED TO THEFIFTY-SECOND OKLAHOMA LEGISLATUREPrepared by:Oklahoma House of RepresentativesOffice of Committee Staff

This publication is printed by the House Duplicating Shop of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Five hundred (500)copies have been prepared and distributed at a cost of $5.10each to the taxpayers of Oklahoma. Reference copies havebeen deposited with the Publications Clearinghouse of theOklahoma Department of Libraries.

Our appreciation to the photographystaff of the Legislative Services Bureau for the cover photograph

.

Table of Contents

P

REFACE

........................................................................................................................................

VII

C

HAPTER

O

NE

-

T

HE

L

EGISLATIVE

P

OWERS AND

F

UNCTIONS

.......................................................... 1C

HAPTER

T

WO

-

L

EGISLATIVE

S

ESSIONS AND

I

NTERIMS

.................................................................. 7Regular and Organizational Sessions ................................................................................ 7Special or Extraordinary Sessions ..................................................................................... 7Recesses and Adjournments .............................................................................................. 8Meetings, Working Hours, and Deadlines ........................................................................ 9Interim Meetings ............................................................................................................. 10C

HAPTER

T

HREE

-

L

EGISLATIVE

B

ODY AND

M

EMBERS

................................................................. 13Size and Apportionment .................................................................................................. 13Membership Qualifications ............................................................................................. 14Membership Disqualifications/Term Limits ................................................................... 15Elections .......................................................................................................................... 16Vacancies ......................................................................................................................... 16Compensation and Benefits ............................................................................................. 17Salaries ............................................................................................................................ 17Deferred Compensation ................................................................................................... 17Insurance ......................................................................................................................... 18Retirement ....................................................................................................................... 18Session Travel ................................................................................................................. 19Other Travel .................................................................................................................... 19Taxes ............................................................................................................................... 19Office and Parking ........................................................................................................... 20Staff, Pages and Other Personnel .................................................................................... 20Communications .............................................................................................................. 21Motor Vehicle Tag .......................................................................................................... 22Privileges and Immunities ............................................................................................... 22C

HAPTER

F

OUR

-

O

RGANIZATION OF THE

H

OUSE

.......................................................................... 25Legislative Officers ......................................................................................................... 25Swearing In and Presession Orientation .......................................................................... 27Seating of Members, Election of Officers, and Commencement of Session .................. 27House Officers and Employees ....................................................................................... 29Committees and Subcommittees ..................................................................................... 29C

HAPTER

F

IVE

-

E

NACTMENT OF

L

AWS

......................................................................................... 37Legislative Powers and Limitations ................................................................................ 37Restrictions on Taxation and Fiscal Responsibility ........................................................ 38