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:

POSITIONMINIMUM

FTE

Office Administrator1.0

Hearing Officers2.0

Court Reporters2.0

Docket Clerks2.5

Secretary1.0

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 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:

POSITIONFTE

Docket Clerk.5

Added by Laws 1990, c. 289, § 1. Amended by Laws 1992, c. 352, § 1, emerg. eff. June 4, 1992.