OK SB877

Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs is granted authority to employ or appoint its own attorneys until January 1, 2022, adding it to the list of state agencies exempt from the general prohibition on hiring independent legal counsel

Most state officers, boards, and commissions are generally prohibited from employing attorneys and must rely on the Attorney General for legal services

The bill amends 74 O.S. 2011, Section 18c to expand the existing exception that allows certain agencies (such as the Corporation Commission, Tax Commission, and Department of Public Safety) to hire their own attorneys

Declared an emergency measure, taking effect immediately upon passage and approval rather than waiting for a standard effective date