§ 63-3207. University Hospitals Authority - Creation - Powers and authority - Status - Membership - Terms of office - Qualifications - Removal of member - Vacancies - Compensation and expenses - Quorum - Other laws.

A.  There is hereby created the University Hospitals Authority, an agency of the State of Oklahoma, a body corporate and politic, with powers of government and with the authority to exercise the rights, privileges and functions as specified in the University Hospitals Authority Act.  The University Hospitals Authority is an agency of the State of Oklahoma covered by the Governmental Tort Claims Act.

B.  The Authority shall consist of six (6) members as follows:

1.  One member shall be appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate;

2.  One member shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate;

3.  One member shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;

4.  One member shall be the Director for Human Services or the director of the successor organization responsible for Medicaid, or his or her designee;

5.  One member shall be the Provost of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center; and

6.  The Chief Executive Officer of the University Hospitals Authority who shall be an ex officio, nonvoting member.

C.  All members shall be appointed by June 1, 1993.  Of the members of the Authority initially appointed, the member appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall serve a term of one (1) year; the member appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall serve a term of two (2) years; and the member appointed by the Governor shall serve a term of three (3) years.  Successors shall be appointed for terms of three (3) years.

D.  Each member of the Authority, prior to appointment, shall be a resident of the state and a qualified elector.

E.  Members shall be removable only for cause by the appointing authority.  Any vacancy occurring on the Authority shall be filled by the original appointing authority.

F.  The members of the Authority shall serve without compensation but may be reimbursed for all actual and necessary travel expenses incurred in performance of their duties in accordance with the provisions of the State Travel Reimbursement Act, Section 500.1 et seq. of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

G.  All members of the Authority and administrative personnel of the Authority shall be subject to the provisions of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission Act, Section 4200 et seq. of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

H.  A quorum of the Authority shall be three (3) voting members.  Members shall elect a chair and vice chair for the Authority from among its members.  The chair must be an appointed member of the Authority.

I.  The Authority shall be subject to the Open Meeting Act, Section 301 et seq. of Title 25 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and the Open Records Act, Section 24A.1 et seq. of Title 51 of the Oklahoma Statutes, except as otherwise provided by this act.  Any information submitted to or compiled by the Authority except for budgetary information related to appropriations or the appropriations process with respect to the marketing plans, financial statements, trade secrets, research concepts, methods or products, or any other proprietary information of the Authority, persons, firms, associations, partnerships, agencies, corporations, institutions of higher education, nonprofit research institutions or other entities shall be confidential, except to the extent that the person or entity which provided such information or which is the subject of such information consents to disclosure.  Executive sessions may be held to discuss such materials if deemed necessary by the Authority.

Added by Laws 1993, c. 330, § 7, emerg. eff. June 8, 1993.  Amended by Laws 1994, c. 283, § 5, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Laws 1997, c. 174, § 2, emerg. eff. May 8, 1997.