Have you ever wondered what happens at the State Capitol when legislative session is over? Every fall, from mid-September to mid-October, our lawmakers conduct interim studies.
An interim study gives members an opportunity to dig deeper into various issues related to legislation. Members of the House and Senate request studies to review the impact of existing laws and potential legislation for next session. Organizations and impacted individuals can ask lawmakers to request certain studies to be done. It is unlikely for an interim study to generate formal reports or recommendations, but their work can guide future legislation.
Studies requested by members are then approved or disapproved by the House Speaker and the Senate President Pro Tempore. After it is approved, the study is assigned to committees. It is then up to the committee chair on whether the study will be heard. Committees can devote anywhere from one to several hours for the study to be heard by the committee.
Although interim studies can be useful for bringing education and awareness for future legislation, there can be some drawbacks. In most cases, the people conducting the study will bring experts to speak on the topic, but the definition of an expert, is up for interpretation. This means that these experts can be whoever the person conducting the study wants them to be. Interim studies can also be assigned to certain committees based on which committee chair would approve the study. Consequently, this can lead to a lack of skewed representation and potentially comprome the study’s overall credibility and usefulness.
With interim studies about to begin later this month, here are some of the studies that the ACLU of Oklahoma will be watching:
- Requested by Sen. Dusty Deevers – Self Managed Abortion in Oklahoma
- Requested by Rep. Jim Olsen – Corporal Punishment
- Requested by Rep. Tom Gann – Surveillance and Warrantless Searches
- Requested by Rep. J.J. Humphrey – Felony Murder
- Requested by Rep. David Hardin – Immigration
- Requested by Rep. Forrest Bennett and Rep. Daniel Pae – Zoning Laws and Housing
- Requested by Sen. Julia Kirt and Rep. John Waldron – County Jail Services and Diversion
More information about what studies will be heard can be found using the follow links:
- House: https://former.okhouse.gov/Committees/ShowInterimStudies.aspx
- Senate: https://oksenate.gov/publications/senate-interim-studies?Interim-Study-Year=2024
To watch the interim studies, use the links below:
House: https://sg001-harmony.sliq.net/00283/Harmony/en/View/UpcomingEvents/
Senate: https://oksenate.gov/live-proceedings