Okla. Admin. Code § 1:2019-32A

Current through Vol. 42, No. 4, November 1, 2024

Section 1:2019-32A

Amended Executive Order 2019-32

WHEREAS, the United States Constitution requires an enumeration of all persons in the United States every ten years in order to reapportion the membership of the U.S. House of Representatives among the states and for other purposes;

WHEREAS, the next decennial census will be conducted on April 1, 2020;

WHEREAS, a complete and accurate count of Oklahoma's population is essential for the fair representation of the citizenry, as the census determines congressional representation and redistricting;

WHEREAS, individuals, businesses, local governments, and nonprofit organizations will rely on census data for planning and decision-making;

WHEREAS, it is well established that certain households, special populations, and hard-to-enumerate areas are at risk of being under-counted and under-represented, including young children, who are at the heart of the future success of our State;

WHEREAS, the State and federal governments will use aggregate information gained through the census, including population counts, housing and other data, to distribute billions of dollars in funding to essential programs, including education, health care and human services;

WHEREAS, the State and its local governments utilize census data to provide descriptions of the social and economic characteristics of geographic areas and population groups to determine those areas' and groups' funding needs for infrastructure projects, economic development programs, job training, schools, and other activities;

WHEREAS, to achieve a complete and accurate census count, it is important to involve representatives of the private and public sectors, Oklahoma's local governments, State agencies, Indian Tribes, and other important stakeholders;

NOW THEREFORE, I, J. Kevin Stitt, Governor of the State of Oklahoma, by the authority vested in me pursuant to Sections 1 and 2 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution, hereby direct that:

1. The Oklahoma Census 2020 Complete Count Committee (the "Committee") is hereby established and shall develop recommendations and assist in the administration of the decennial census to facilitate the most complete and accurate census count in the year 2020, including implementing strategies to reach hard-to-count populations and hard-to-enumerate areas.

2. The Committee shall consist of up to 20 individuals, all of whom will be appointed by the Governor and will serve at the Governor's pleasure. The Committee shall consist of one member of the majority party and one member of the minority party nominated by the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, one member of the majority party and one member of the minority party nominated by the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, and representatives from State government, all levels of local government, Oklahoma's Indian Tribes, business, academia, community and nonprofit organizations, ethnic and faith-based communities, elected and appointed officials, so that there will be representatives of all gender, racial, economic, and geographic communities of our state (both urban and rural) to reflect its diversity

3. The Governor designates Oklahoma Department of Commerce Executive Director, Brent Kisling, as the Chairperson of the Committee.

4. Members of the Committee shall serve without compensation.

5. All Cabinet Agencies, Boards and Committees shall cooperate and provide assistance as needed to the Committee in performing its functions. The Committee will receive administrative services and assistance from the Department of Commerce.

6. No later than December 1, 2019, the Committee will submit written, actionable recommendations to the Governor and each Cabinet Secretary on how the State can receive the most complete and accurate census count in the year 2020.

7. Upon completion of these recommendations, the Committee shall meet no less than quarterly to access and provide guidance to the work to carry out the recommendations. No later than December 1, 2021, the Committee will submit a written report analyzing the 2020 Census process and recommending improvements in advance of the 2030 Census.

Copies of this Executive Order shall be distributed to each Cabinet Secretary, the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma Senate, and the chief executives of every State agency, board, and commission for immediate implementation.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma to be affixed at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, this 3 ^rd day of September, 2019.

BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA

J. Kevin Stitt

ATTEST:

Michael Rogers

Secretary of State

Okla. Admin. Code § 1:2019-32A

Adopted by Oklahoma Register, Volume 37, Issue 02, October 1, 2019, eff. 9/3/2019