A. There is hereby created the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medicine Authority, known and cited also as "OSUVMA", an agency of the State of Oklahoma, a body corporate and politic, with powers of government and with the authority to exercise the rights, privileges, and functions as specified in the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medicine Authority Act. The Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medicine Authority is covered by the Governmental Tort Claims Act.B. The Authority shall consist of eight (8) members as follows:1. One member shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Oklahoma State Senate;2. One member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives;3. One member shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate;4. One member shall be the Dean of the Oklahoma State University College of Veterinary Medicine;5. One member to be appointed from the veterinarian community by the President of Oklahoma State University;6. One member shall be a member of the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges;7. One member shall be appointed by the Chair of the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges; and8. One ex-officio, non-voting member shall be the Chief Executive Officer of the Oklahoma State University Veterinary Medicine Authority who shall be appointed by the President of Oklahoma State University.C. All appointed members shall be appointed by July 1, 2023. Of the members of the Authority initially appointed, the member appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall serve a term of three (3) years; the member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall serve a term of two (2) years; and the member appointed by the Governor shall serve a term of one (1) year. Successors shall be appointed for terms of three (3) years.D. Each member of the Authority, prior to appointment, shall be a resident of the state and a qualified elector. Each member of the Authority shall possess dual office holding exemption privileges and shall be exempt from any statutory dual office holding prohibitions.E. Members shall be removable only for cause by the appointing authority. Any vacancy occurring on the Authority shall be filled by the original appointing authority.F. The members of the Authority shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for all actual and necessary travel expenses incurred in performance of their duties in accordance with the provisions of the State Travel Reimbursement Act.G. All members of the Authority and administrative personnel of the Authority shall be subject to the provisions of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission Rules, Chapter 62 Appendix of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.H. A quorum of the Authority shall be four (4) voting members. The Authority shall elect a chair and vice-chair from among its members.I. The Authority shall be exempt from the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act but shall be subject to the purchasing policies of Oklahoma State University and shall be subject to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act and the Oklahoma Open Records Act, except as otherwise provided by this act. Any information submitted to or compiled by the Authority except for budgetary information related to appropriations or the appropriations process with respect to the marketing plans, financial statements, trade secrets, research concepts, methods or products, or any other proprietary information of the Authority, persons, firms, associations, partnerships, agencies, corporations, institutions of higher education, nonprofit research institutions or other entities shall be confidential, except to the extent that the person or entity which provided the information or which is the subject of the information consents to disclosure. Executive sessions may be held to discuss such materials if deemed necessary by the Authority.Okla. Stat. tit. 2, § 4005
Added by Laws 2023, c. 297,s. 5, eff. 7/1/2023.