Bill > SB1640

This bill prohibits members of the Oklahoma Legislature from consuming, possessing, or being under the influence of alcohol while performing official legislative duties or within the State Capitol Building, defining "alcohol" as any beverage with more than 0.5% alcohol by volume and "intoxicated" as having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or greater or exhibiting observable impairment. Official legislative duties are broadly defined to include attending sessions, committee meetings, floor proceedings, and other state-funded events related to legislative functions. If a legislator is suspected of violating this law, they can be required to take a Breathalyzer test, and refusal to do so is a separate violation. Penalties for violations escalate with repeated offenses, ranging from expulsion from the chamber for the day and fines for a first offense, to mandatory alcohol education and treatment for a second offense, and permanent expulsion from the legislative session and initiation of removal proceedings for a third or subsequent offense. The bill also holds the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives responsible for enforcement within their respective chambers, with penalties for failure to do so, and requires each chamber to adopt internal rules for enforcement. Confirmed intoxication or multiple violations can lead to removal proceedings in court, and the presiding officers must notify the Attorney General of certain confirmed violations. The bill declares an emergency, meaning it will take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb1640&Session=2600