A. There is hereby created the Oklahoma State University Medical 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 Oklahoma State University Medical Authority Act. The Oklahoma State University Medical Authority is covered by the Governmental Tort Claims Act.¹

B. The Authority shall consist of seven (7) members as follows:

C. All appointed members shall be appointed by June 1, 2006. Of the members of the Authority initially appointed, the member appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall serve a term of three (3) years; 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 one (1) year. 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.²

G. All members of the Authority and administrative personnel of the Authority shall be subject to the provisions of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission Rules, Chapter 62 Appendix of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

H. A quorum of the Authority shall be four (4) voting members. The Authority shall elect a chair and vice chair from among its members. The chair must be an appointed member of the Authority.

I. The Authority shall be exempt from the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act³ but shall be subject to the purchasing policies of Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and shall be subject to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act⁴ and the Oklahoma Open Records Act,⁵ except as otherwise provided by this act.⁶ 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 the information or which is the subject of the information consents to disclosure. Executive sessions may be held to discuss such materials if deemed necessary by the Authority.