Oklahoma legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Oklahoma HB2940: Oklahoma Open Meeting Act; creating the First Amendment Open Meetings Protection Act; public meeting recordings; Legislature; legislative committee meetings; monetary damages; effective date.
Status: In committee, February 12, 2026
What the bill says
An Act relating to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act; creating the First Amendment Open Meetings Protection Act; amending 25 O.S. 2021, Section 312, which relates to recording public meeting proceedings; clarifying that personal recordings shall not be prohibited unless they interfere with the public meeting; including the Legislature and legislative committee meetings in recording permissions; allowing monetary damages for unlawful prohibitions of recordings; providing for noncodification; and providing an effective date.
From the introduced text, December 12, 2025:
An Act relating to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act; creating the First Amendment Open Meetings Protection Act; amending 25 O.S. 2021, Section 312, which relates to recording public meeting proceedings; clarifying that personal recordings shall not be prohibited unless they interfere with the public meeting; including the Legislature and legislative committee meetings in recording permissions; allowing monetary damages for unlawful prohibitions of recordings; providing for noncodification; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows: This act shall be known and may be cited as the "First Amendment Open Meetings Protection Act". SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 25 O.S. 2021, Section 312, is amended to read as follows: Section 312. A. The proceedings of a public body shall be kept by a person so designated by such public body in the form of written minutes which shall be an official summary of the proceedings Req. No. 13996 Page show ing clearly those members present and absent, all matters considered by the public body, and all actions taken by such public body. The minutes of each meeting shall be open to public inspection and shall reflect the manner and time of notice required by this act. …