§ 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 1-9- 102 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 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.

Legislative History

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, 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.