SB 453: Civil actions; creating the Oklahoma Expedited Actions Act; providing for application of expedited actions process. Effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 5 edits

MODERATE

This bill updates Oklahoma's civil procedure laws regarding offers of judgment, primarily modernizing language and clarifying procedures for when offers can be made and how costs are calculated. The changes ensure consistency across different types of civil cases and update statutory references to reflect current legal standards.

Scope change

The bill maintains the same scope of application to civil actions in Oklahoma courts but clarifies and expands procedural requirements for offer of judgment letters and cost calculations.

REQUIREMENT

Updated statutory language to modernize terminology and improve clarity in how offers of judgment are filed and accepted.

Added specific requirements for offer of judgment letters to include judgment amount, applicable causes, attorney fees status, and party identification when multiple parties are involved.

TIMELINE

Clarified timing requirements for filing offers and acceptances, including specific deadlines for service and acceptance periods.

ENFORCEMENT

Updated cost calculation procedures to specify when litigation costs become payable after rejected offers and what costs are included.

TECHNICAL

Removed outdated statutory references and repealed previous sections related to offers of judgment that are being superseded by new language.

Senate Conference Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was converted from a Senate Conference Committee Substitute to the House Floor version, primarily changing the document title and formatting. The substantive policy content regarding civil procedure, offers of judgment, and cost allocation rules remains identical to the previous version.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; only formatting and header information were modified.

TECHNICAL

Document title changed from 'CONFERENCE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 453' to 'ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 453' to reflect its current legislative stage.

Header information updated to indicate 'HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION' instead of the previous conference committee designation.

Formatting of the bill's purpose summary was restructured with different line breaks and numbering, but the substantive description of the bill's provisions remains the same.

Enrolled (final version) → Senate Conference Committee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The conference committee substitute reformatting and renumbering of the bill's text, removing original Enrolled formatting headers and adding new page/line numbering consistent with conference committee markup. The substantive legislative content remains unchanged.

TECHNICAL

Removed original Enrolled Senate formatting headers and replaced with new conference committee page and line number formatting

Reorganized text layout to match standard conference committee substitute format with new page numbering

CONTENT

All substantive legislative provisions, including the Oklahoma Expedited Actions Act requirements, remain identical to the original enrolled version

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 6 edits · May 28, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was transformed from a civil procedure amendment focused on offers of judgment into a comprehensive new act establishing an expedited actions process with strict discovery limits, trial timelines, and monetary caps. The original text dealt with offer of judgment procedures, while the new text creates a streamlined litigation track for smaller claims with specific restrictions on discovery hours, interrogatories, and trial time.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from general civil procedure amendments regarding offers of judgment to creating a new expedited actions process with specific monetary thresholds ($250,000 cap) and procedural limitations.

SCOPE

Created a new expedited actions process applicable to suits seeking $250,000 or less in monetary relief, excluding interest, damages, and fees.

REQUIREMENT

Established strict discovery limits including 180-day discovery periods, maximum 20 hours for witness depositions, and caps of 15 interrogatories, requests for production, and requests for admissions per party.

Limited trial time to 8 hours per side for jury selection, opening statements, evidence presentation, and closing arguments, extendable to 12 hours with good cause.

Removed the original offer of judgment procedures that governed how defendants could offer judgments and what costs were recoverable after rejection.

TIMELINE

Required trial dates to be set within 90 days after discovery ends, with only two continuances allowed totaling no more than 60 days.

ENFORCEMENT

Added provisions allowing courts to remove cases from expedited process upon motion showing good cause or if claims exceed monetary limits.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 5 edits · May 22, 2025

MODERATE

This amendment clarifies and expands the rules for offers of judgment in civil cases. It adds new provisions about when offers can be made after liability is determined, how costs are calculated after an offer is rejected, and what information must be included in offer letters. These changes aim to make the offer of judgment process clearer and more consistent.

Scope change

The bill now includes provisions for offers made after liability is established but the extent remains to be determined, and adds detailed rules about cost allocation and letter requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Added new section requiring offer letters to include specific information about judgment amounts, applicable causes, attorney fees, and multiple parties

Added new section establishing rules for offers made after liability is determined but before extent is decided, requiring service at least 7 days before hearing

ENFORCEMENT

Added detailed rules about cost allocation when offers are rejected, including what costs the offeree must pay and what they can recover if judgment exceeds the offer

Added provision clarifying that unaccepted offers don't prevent later offers and evidence of unaccepted offers is only admissible in cost proceedings

DEFINITION

Added specific definition of litigation costs including attorney fees, court costs, expert witness fees, and interest

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 5 edits · May 22, 2025

MODERATE

This bill amends Oklahoma's offer of judgment laws to modernize procedures and clarify cost allocation rules. The changes update statutory language, establish specific deadlines for filing offers, require accepted offers to be filed with the court clerk, and define what litigation costs are recoverable after an unaccepted offer. These updates aim to improve transparency and consistency in civil litigation cost recovery.

Scope change

The bill maintains the same scope of applicability to civil actions for property damage and money recovery, but clarifies and expands procedural requirements for offer of judgment filings.

TIMELINE

Updated deadlines for filing offers and accepting offers to provide clearer timelines for parties

REQUIREMENT

Requires accepted offers to be filed with the court clerk for official record

Establishes specific requirements for offer of judgment letters to include certain information

ENFORCEMENT

Clarifies when litigation costs become recoverable after an unaccepted offer and defines acceptable litigation costs

TECHNICAL

Updated statutory language and repealed outdated sections related to offers of judgment and confession of judgment

Civil actions; creating the Oklahoma Expedited Actions Act; providing for application of expedited actions process. Effective date.

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