A. Effective July 1, 2004, all powers, duties and responsibilities exercised by the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Section shall be transferred from the Oklahoma Tax Commission to the Corporation Commission. Beginning July 1, 2004, and effective July 1, 2005, all powers, duties and responsibilities exercised by the International Registration Plan Section and the International Fuel Tax Agreement Section shall be transferred from the Tax Commission to the Corporation Commission. All records, property and matters pending of the sections shall be transferred to the Corporation Commission. Funds sufficient to administer the powers, duties and responsibilities exercised by these sections shall be appropriated or allocated to the Corporation Commission for fiscal year 2005 as provided herein. Such funds appropriated or allocated to the Corporation Commission shall not be subject to budgetary limitations. The Director of State Finance is hereby authorized to transfer such funds as may be necessary to effect such allocations.

B. The period of July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005, shall be a transitional period in which the Corporation Commission shall gradually assume complete administration and management over the powers, duties, responsibilities and staff currently carrying out the administration of the International Registration Plan Section and the International Fuel Tax Agreement Section. During this transition period, the employees assigned to the International Registration Plan Section and the International Fuel Tax Agreement Section shall continue to be employees of the Tax Commission unless otherwise agreed to by the Tax Commission and the Corporation Commission. Effective July 1, 2005, the International Registration Plan Section and the International Fuel Tax Agreement Section shall be administered solely by the Corporation Commission. For the period of July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005, the Corporation Commission and the Tax Commission shall enter into a contract whereby funds shall be paid to the Tax Commission by the Corporation Commission in exchange for the Tax Commission’s agreement to continue to operate the International Registration Plan Section and the International Fuel Tax Agreement Section.

C. The powers, duties and responsibilities exercised by the Motor Vehicle Enforcement Section of the Tax Commission shall be fully transferred to the Corporation Commission on July 1, 2004.

D. All employees of the Tax Commission whose duties are transferred under this act shall be transferred to the Corporation Commission. Personnel transferred pursuant to the provisions of this section shall not be required to accept a lesser salary than presently received; provided, the provisions of this section shall not operate to prohibit the Corporation Commission or the Tax Commission from imposing furloughs or reductions-in-force with respect to such personnel as allowed by law. Personnel transferred shall be placed within the classification level in which they meet qualifications without an entrance exam. All such persons shall retain seniority, leave, sick and annual time earned and any retirement benefits which have accrued during their tenure with the Tax Commission. The transfer of personnel among the agencies shall be coordinated with the Office of Personnel Management.

E. Effective July 1, 2004, any administrative rules promulgated by the Tax Commission related to the administration of the International Registration Plan authorized by Section 1120 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the International Fuel Tax Agreement authorized by Section 607 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or the enforcement of Section 1115.1 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes shall be transferred to and become a part of the administrative rules of the Corporation Commission. The Office of Administrative Rules in the Secretary of State’s office shall provide adequate notice in the Oklahoma Register of the transfer of rules, and shall place the transferred rules under the Administrative Code section of the Corporation Commission. From and after July 1, 2004, any amendment, repeal or addition to the transferred rules shall be under the jurisdiction of the Corporation Commission. All documents issued by the sections transferred to the Corporation Commission, including, but not limited to, vehicle registrations and permits, shall be deemed to have been issued by the Corporation Commission.

F. The Corporation Commission may promulgate rules necessary for the utilization of motor license agents in the registration of vehicles pursuant to Section 1120 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

Added by Laws 2004, c. 522, § 2, eff. July 1, 2004.

Editorially renumbered from Title 47, § 1160 to avoid a duplication in numbering.