A. There is hereby created a body corporate and politic to be known as the "Oklahoma Turnpike Authority" and by that name the Authority may sue and be sued, and plead and be impleaded. The Authority is hereby constituted an instrumentality of the state, and the exercise by the Authority of the powers conferred by this act in the construction, operation, and maintenance of turnpike projects shall be deemed and held to be an essential governmental function of the state with all the attributes thereof. Provided, however, the Turnpike Authority is authorized to carry and shall carry liability insurance to the same extent and in the same manner as the Transportation Commission, and in addition thereto it shall be subject to the workers' compensation laws of the state the same as a private construction project.

B. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority shall consist of the Governor, who shall be a member ex officio, and six (6) members to be appointed by the Governor, by and with the consent of the Senate. The appointive members shall be residents of the state, and shall have been qualified electors therein for a period of at least one (1) year next preceding their appointment. One appointive member shall be appointed from each of six districts of the state, such districts to include the area as follows:

District 1. Oklahoma, Canadian, Cleveland, McClain and Garvin Counties.

District 2. Washington, Nowata, Craig, Ottawa, Rogers, Mayes, Delaware, Wagoner, Cherokee, Adair, Okmulgee, Osage, Muskogee, Sequoyah, McIntosh and Haskell Counties.

District 3. Coal, Logan, Payne, Lincoln, Creek, Okfuskee, Pottawatomie, Seminole, Hughes and Pontotoc Counties.

District 4. Kay, Pawnee, Garfield, Noble, Tulsa, Woods, Woodward, Major, Alfalfa and Grant Counties.

District 5. Cimarron, Grady, Texas, Beaver, Harper, Ellis, Roger Mills, Dewey, Custer, Caddo, Washita, Beckham, Harmon, Stephens, Jefferson, Greer, Kiowa, Jackson, Tillman, Comanche, Cotton, Kingfisher and Blaine Counties.

District 6. Carter, Love, Murray, Johnston, Marshall, Atoka, Bryan, Pittsburg, Latimer, Le Flore, Pushmataha, Choctaw and McCurtain Counties.

The members of the Authority appointed shall continue in office for terms expiring as follows: District 1, July 1, 1968; District 2, July 1, 1971; District 3, July 1, 1972; District 4, July 1, 1973; District 5, July 1, 1974; District 6, July 1, 1975. Provided, that appointive members serving on the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority created by 69 O.S. 1961, Section 653, when this act becomes effective shall continue to serve as members of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority created by this section, for the terms for which they were appointed, unless sooner removed by the Governor. The successor of each appointive member shall be appointed for a term of eight (8) years, except that any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall be appointed to serve only for the unexpired term, and a member of the Authority shall be eligible for reappointment. Each appointed member of the Authority before entering upon the duties of office shall take an oath as provided by Section 1 of Article XV of the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma. Any appointive member of the Authority may be removed by the Governor at any time with or without cause.

C. The Authority shall elect one of the appointed members as chairperson and another as vice-chairperson, and shall also elect a Secretary and Treasurer. A majority of the members of the Authority shall constitute a quorum and the vote of a majority of the members shall be necessary for any action taken by the Authority. No vacancy in the membership of the Authority shall impair the right of a quorum to exercise all the rights and perform all the duties of the Authority.

D. Before the issuance of any turnpike revenue bonds under the provisions of this act, each appointed member of the Authority shall execute a surety bond in the penal sum of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) and the secretary and treasurer shall execute a surety bond in the penal sum of One Hundred Thousand Dollars ($100,000.00), each such surety bond to be conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties of the office, to be executed by a surety company authorized to transact business in the State of Oklahoma as surety and to be approved by the Governor and filed in the office of the Secretary of State.

E. The members of the Authority shall not be entitled to compensation for their services, but each member shall be reimbursed for actual expenses necessarily incurred in the performance of the duties of such member. All expenses incurred in carrying out the provisions of this act shall be payable solely from funds provided under the authority of this act and no liability or obligation shall be incurred by the Authority hereunder beyond the extent to which monies shall have been provided under the authority of this act.

F. Whenever the terms “Oklahoma Transportation Authority”, “Transportation Authority” or “Authority”, when used in reference to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, appear in the Oklahoma Statutes, such terms shall mean the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority.

Added by Laws 1968, c. 415, § 1703, operative July 1, 1968. Amended by Laws 1999, c. 341, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 1999; Laws 2005, c. 68, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2005.