A. Express trusts may be created to issue obligations, enter into financing arrangements including, but not limited to, lease-leaseback, sale-leaseback, interest rate swaps, and other similar transactions and to provide funds for the furtherance and accomplishment of any authorized and proper public function or purpose of the state or of any county or municipality or any and all combinations thereof, in real or personal property, or either or both, or in any estate or interest in either or both, with the state, or any county or municipality or any and all combinations thereof, as the beneficiary thereof by:

1. The express approval of the Legislature and the Governor if the State of Oklahoma is the beneficiary;

2. The express approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the membership of the governing body of the beneficiary if a county is a beneficiary;

3. The express approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the membership of the governing body of the beneficiary if a municipality is a beneficiary; or

4. The express approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the membership of the governing body of each beneficiary in the event a trust has more than one beneficiary; provided, that no funds of a beneficiary derived from sources other than the trust property, or the operation thereof, shall be charged with or expended for the execution of the trust, except by express action of the legislative authority of the beneficiary prior to the charging or expending of the funds. The officers or any other governmental agencies or authorities having the custody, management, or control of any property, real or personal or mixed, of the beneficiary of the trust, or of a proposed trust, which property shall be needful for the execution of the trust purposes, are authorized and empowered to lease the property for those purposes, after the acceptance of the beneficial interest therein by the beneficiary as hereinafter provided.

B. Any trust created pursuant to the provisions of this section, in whole or in part, may engage in activities outside of the geographic boundaries of its beneficiary, so long as the activity provides a benefit to a large class of the public within the beneficiary’s geographic area or lessens the burdens of government of the beneficiary and which does not solely provide a benefit by generating administrative fees.

C. A municipality may convey title to real property which is used for an airport to the trustees of an industrial development authority trust whose beneficiary is the municipality. The industrial development authority trust must already have the custody, management, or control of the real property. The conveyance must be approved by a majority of the governing body of the municipality. A conveyance pursuant to this section may be made only for the sole purpose of allowing the authority to sell the property for fair market value when the property is to be used for industrial development purposes. Conveyances made pursuant to this subsection shall be made subject to any existing reversionary interest or other restrictions burdening the property and subject to any reversionary interest or other restriction considered prudent by the municipality.

D. The trustees of a public trust having the State of Oklahoma as beneficiary shall make and adopt bylaws for the due and orderly administration and regulation of the affairs of the public trust. All bylaws of a public trust having the State of Oklahoma as beneficiary shall be submitted in writing to the Governor of the State of Oklahoma. The Governor must approve the proposed bylaws before they take effect.

E. No public trust in which the State of Oklahoma is the beneficiary may be amended without a two-thirds (2/3) vote of approval of the trustees of the trust; provided, that any amendment is subject to the approval of the Governor of the State of Oklahoma. Any amendments shall be sent to the Governor within fifteen (15) days of their adoption.

F. No trust in which a county or municipality is the beneficiary shall hereafter create an indebtedness or obligation until the indebtedness or obligation has been approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the governing body of the beneficiary. In the event a trust has more than one beneficiary, as authorized by this section, the trust shall not incur an indebtedness or obligation until the indebtedness or obligation has been approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the governing body of two-thirds (2/3) of the beneficiaries of the trust. Provided, however, a municipality with a governing body consisting of fewer than seven (7) members shall be required to approve the creation of an indebtedness or obligation under this subsection by a three-fifths (3/5) vote of the governing body.

G. All bonds described in subsection F of this section, after December 1, 1976, except bonds sold to the federal government or any agency thereof or to any agency of the State of Oklahoma, shall be awarded to the lowest and best bidder based upon open competitive public offering, advertised at least once a week for two (2) successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the principal office of the trust is located prior to the date on which bids are received and opened; provided, competitive bidding may be waived on bond issues with the approval of three-fourths (3/4) of the trustees, unless the trust has fewer than four trustees, in which case a two-thirds (2/3) approval shall be required, and a three-fourths (3/4) vote of the governing body of the beneficiary, unless the beneficiary is a county in which case a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members of the governing body shall be required, or three-fourths (3/4) vote of the governing bodies of each of the beneficiaries of the trust, unless one of the beneficiaries is a county in which case a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members of the governing body of such county shall be required. No bonds shall be sold for less than par value, except upon approval of three-fourths (3/4) of the trustees, unless the beneficiary is a county in which case a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members of the governing body shall be required. In no event shall bonds be sold for less than sixty-five percent (65%) of par value; provided, however, in no event shall the original purchaser from the issuer of any bonds issued by any public trust for any purpose receive directly or indirectly any fees, compensation, or other remuneration in excess of four percent (4%) of the price paid for the bonds by the purchaser of the bonds from the original purchaser; and further provided, that the average coupon rate thereon shall in no event exceed fourteen percent (14%) per annum. No public trust shall sell bonds for less than ninety-six percent (96%) of par value until the public trust has received from the underwriter or financial advisor or, in the absence of an underwriter or financial advisor, the initial purchaser of the bonds, an estimated alternative financing structure or structures showing the estimated total interest and principal cost of each alternative. At least one alternative financing structure shall include bonds sold to the public at par. Any estimates shall be considered a public record of the public trust. Bonds, notes, or other evidences of indebtedness issued by any public trust shall be eligible for purchase by any state banking association or corporation subject to such limitations as to investment quality as may be imposed by regulations, rules, or rulings of the Bank Commissioner.

H. Public trusts created pursuant to this section shall file annually, with their respective beneficiaries, copies of financial documents and reports sufficient to demonstrate the fiscal activity of such trust including, but not limited to, budgets, financial reports, bond indentures, and audits. Amendments to the adopted budget shall be approved by the trustees of the public trust and recorded as such in the official minutes of such trust.

I. Public construction contracts as provided in the Public Competitive Bidding Act of 1974 shall be subject to the Public Competitive Bidding Act of 1974 and the Fair Pay for Construction Act, where applicable. The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to contracts of industrial and cultural trusts.

J. Any public trust created pursuant to the provisions of this section shall have the power to acquire lands by use of eminent domain in the same manner and according to the procedures provided for in Sections 51 through 66 of Title 66 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Any exercise of the power of eminent domain by a public trust pursuant to the provisions of this section shall be limited to the furtherance of public purpose projects involving revenue-producing utility projects of which the public trust retains ownership; provided, for public trusts in which the State of Oklahoma is the beneficiary the exercise of the power of eminent domain may also be used for public purpose projects involving air transportation. Revenue-producing utility projects shall be limited to projects for the transportation, delivery, treatment, or furnishing of water for domestic purposes or for power including, but not limited to, the construction of lakes, pipelines, and water treatment plants or for projects for rail transportation. Any public trust formed pursuant to this section which has a county as its beneficiary shall have the power to acquire, by use of eminent domain, any lands located either inside the county, or contiguous to the county pursuant to the limitations imposed pursuant to this section.

K. If a roadway owned and maintained by a public trust whose beneficiary is the State of Oklahoma, which roadway is not within the corporate limits of any municipality and has been used by the public for any length of time, and the trust has not dedicated the roadway for public use by written easement, plat, or similar writing recorded in the land records of the county clerk of the county in which the roadway is located, the trust may at any time, by resolution of its board of trustees, close, reopen, or re-close the roadway to public use. Such closure shall not leave any property not owned by the trust without contiguous access to a roadway, whether a public right-of-way or a roadway owned by the trust. If a roadway is closed pursuant to this subsection and the right to reopen the roadway is foreclosed by the district court of the county where the roadway is located, pursuant to the procedures provided in Sections 42-111 through 42-115 of Title 11 of the Oklahoma Statutes, then the closure of such roadway shall be permanent and not subject to being reopened.

L. Provisions of this section shall not apply to entities created under Sections 1324.1 through 1324.26 of Title 82 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

M. Any trust created under Section 176 et seq. of this title, in whole or in part, to operate, administer, or oversee any county jail facility shall consist of not fewer than five members and include a county commissioner and the county sheriff, or their designees, and one member appointed by each of the county commissioners. The appointed members shall not be elected officials.

Historical Data

Laws 1951, SB 24, c. 4, p. 166, § 1, emerg. eff. May 26, 1951; Amended by Laws 1953, SB 351, c. 4, p. 277, § 1, emerg. eff. May 7, 1953; Amended by Laws 1970, HB 1461, c. 319, § 1; Amended by Laws 1976, HB 1651, c. 222, § 1, eff. December 1, 1976; Amended by Laws 1980, SB 147, c. 12, § 1, emerg. eff. March 18, 1980; Amended by Laws 1987, HB 1071, c. 144, § 1, emerg. eff. June 24, 1987; Amended by Laws 1988, SB 498, c. 111, § 1, emerg. eff. April 4, 1988; Amended by Laws 1988, 3rd Extr. Sess., c. 2, § 1, emerg. eff. September 9, 1988; Amended by Laws 1990, HB 1496, c. 269, § 1, emerg. eff. May 25, 1990; Amended by Laws 1991, 1st Extr. Sess., HB 1001, c. 1, § 3, emerg. eff. January 18, 1991; Amended by Laws 1991, SB 220, c. 94, § 1 (repealed by Laws 1991, HB 1762, c. 335, § 37, emerg. eff. June 15, 1991); Amended by Laws 1991, HB 1549, c. 124, § 32; Amended by Laws 1991, HB 1762, c. 335, § 18, emerg. eff. June 15, 1991; Amended by Laws 1992, HB 2102, c. 371, § 5, emerg. eff. July 1, 1992; Amended by Laws 1996, HB 1989, c. 133, § 1, eff. November 1, 1996 (repealed by Laws 1996, SB 1320, c. 288, § 9, eff. November 1, 1996); Amended by Laws 1996, SB 757, c. 148, § 1; Amended by Laws 1996, SB 1320, c. 288, § 4, emerg. eff. July 1, 1996; Amended by Laws 1998, SB 1113, c. 173, § 1, eff. November 1, 1998 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 1999, SB 694, c. 149, § 1, emerg. eff. July 1, 1999 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2002, SB 1527, c. 33, § 1, emerg. eff. April 10, 2002 (repealed by Laws 2003, HB 1816, c. 3, § 55, emerg. eff. March 19, 2003); Amended by Laws 2002, HB 2056, c. 39, § 1, eff. November 1, 2002 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2003, HB 1816, c. 3, § 54, emerg. eff. March 19, 2003 (repealed by Laws 2004, HB 2725, c. 5, § 49, emerg. eff. March 1, 2004); Amended by Laws 2003, SB 534, c. 184, § 5, eff. November 1, 2003 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2004, HB 2725, c. 5, § 48, emerg. eff. March 1, 2004 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2010, HB 3313, c. 98, § 1, eff. November 1, 2010 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2016, SB 154, c. 12, § 1 (repealed by 2017, SB 833, c. 42, § 23) ; Amended by Laws 2016, SB 1149, c. 233, § 3 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2016, SB 1011, c. 142, § 1, eff. November 1, 2016 (repealed by Laws 2017, SB 833, c. 42, § 24 ) (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2017, SB 833, c. 42, § 22 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2019, HB 1885, c. 405, § 1, eff. November 1, 2019 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2021, SB 88, c. 262, § 1, eff. November 1, 2021 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2022, SB 173, c. 120, § 1, eff. November 1, 2022 (superseded document available); Amended by Laws 2025, SB 375, c. 197, § 4, eff. November 1, 2025 (superseded document available).