Civil procedure; abusive discovery; protective orders; high-ranking officers; proof; court order; effective date.

HB 2650 modifies Oklahoma's civil procedure rules to address abusive discovery requests. It requires parties to attempt resolving discovery disputes through good-faith discussions before seeking court intervention. The bill specifically creates new criteria for protective orders preventing depositions of high-ranking officers (e.g., executives or senior government officials) when they lack unique personal knowledge of the case, have scheduling conflicts, or work for large complex organizations. Courts may limit or block such depositions unless the opposing party proves they've exhausted other discovery methods and the officer has unique knowledge. The bill also includes provisions for awarding attorney fees to parties who successfully oppose or obtain protective orders.