Okla. Stat. tit. 17, § 17-40.1: Regional service areas - Regional service offices -

Services provided - Staffing - Reports - Telephonic communication

services.

A. For the purpose of accepting, processing and hearing

applications for oil and gas well development, administrative

applications, and for any other related matters, the Corporation

Commission shall divide the state into two regional service areas.

By September 1, 1990, the Corporation Commission shall establish and

maintain in each regional service area, a regional service office

located within the corporate limits of any municipality having a

population of more than two hundred fifty thousand (250,000)

inhabitants according to the last Federal Decennial Census to

implement their duties pursuant to law. The State Office of the

Corporation Commission located in Oklahoma City shall serve as the

regional service office for the regional service area in which

Oklahoma City is located. The regional service office shall service

the regional service area in which such office is located or as

otherwise provided by the Corporation Commission for public

convenience.

B. 1. Applications for oil and gas well development,

administrative applications and any other related matters may be

filed in any regional service office.

2. The central record of all filings with all regional service

offices shall be maintained in the State Office of the Corporation

Commission located in Oklahoma City and all initial dockets shall be

simultaneously announced in Oklahoma City and transmitted to

regional offices.

3. All hearings on any application including but not limited to

appellate hearings shall be held in the regional service office

where the application is filed unless:

a. in the case of an application protested by a

respondent mineral owner, or surface owner having

standing to protest by statute or by Rule of the

Corporation Commission, holding the hearing in the

regional service office would not be at the

convenience of such respondent mineral owner, or

surface owner, or

b. the applicant and all protestants agree to have the

Commission proceed to hear any case, or any portion

thereof, during any stage of the proceedings, at any

regional service office, or by telecommunication

hearings, or

c. the applicant, all protestants and the Commission

agree to have the Commission proceed to hear any case,

or any portion thereof, during any stage of the

proceedings, at another location other than a regional

service office.

C. 1. The Corporation Commission shall provide for an

adequately staffed regional service office in each regional service

area to conduct the business of the regional service office as

herein provided.

2. In order to implement the provisions of this subsection for

the regional service office located within the corporate limits of a

municipality having a population of more than two hundred fifty

thousand (250,000) inhabitants, the Commission shall utilize the

following positions from existing FTE for such service office:

POSITION MINIMUM

FTE

Office Administrator 1.0

Hearing Officers 2.0

Court Reporters 2.0

Docket Clerks 2.5

Secretary 1.0

3. The Corporation Commission shall maintain electronic data

equipment capable of retrieving and printing information by cause

number, applicant name, relief requested, or by county.

D. The Corporation Commission shall submit a report to the

Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro

Tempore of the Senate by February 1 of each year detailing the

number of applications filed by county, hearings held and other

activities performed by each regional service office.

E. The Corporation Commission shall promulgate rules, pursuant

to the Administrative Procedures Act, to implement the provisions of

this section.

F. The Corporation Commission shall develop and maintain a

ent Pro

Tempore of the Senate by February 1 of each year detailing the

number of applications filed by county, hearings held and other

activities performed by each regional service office.

E. The Corporation Commission shall promulgate rules, pursuant

to the Administrative Procedures Act, to implement the provisions of

this section.

F. The Corporation Commission shall develop and maintain a

system for providing telephonic communication service for hearings

related to oil and gas matters in municipalities having a population

of more than eighty-five thousand (85,000) inhabitants according to

the last Federal Decennial Census. In order to implement the

provisions of this subsection, the Commission shall utilize from

existing FTE the following position for such telephonic

communication service:

POSITION FTE

Docket Clerk .5