All Roll Calls
Yes: 165 • No: 50
OklahomaSB 632Oklahoma 2026 Regular SessionSenate
Business courts; creating business court divisions in certain judicial districts; providing for appointment of business court judges; specifying authority and jurisdiction of business court. Effective date.
Sponsored By: Lonnie Paxton (Republican)
Signed by Governor
Senate Committee
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
Business court filing rules and $1,500 fee
Starting January 1, 2026, you can file or remove eligible cases to business court. You must pay a $1,500 fee when you file there or move a case there. The Supreme Court provides electronic filing, and pleadings follow the Oklahoma Pleading Code. Cases from Western District counties go to Division I; Northern or Eastern District counties go to Division II. Non-jury cases must finish within 12 months unless all parties agree or the court finds extraordinary cause. Jury trials follow the contract or original filing county, or any proper county.
Business courts set up in OKC and Tulsa
The law creates specialized business court divisions. Division I sits in Oklahoma County (Oklahoma City). Division II sits in Tulsa County (Tulsa). A district may create these divisions when it includes a county with more than 500,000 people based on the latest census. The act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Business court case types and $500K threshold
The business court hears many commercial cases filed on or after January 1, 2026. It covers UCC issues, corporate and LLC disputes, securities, trade secrets, derivative and internal control fights, business malpractice, business-to-business torts and contracts, and commercial real estate. Arbitration matters are excluded. If you seek money damages, the amount in controversy must be at least $500,000. The court may treat antitrust, intellectual property, multi-party securities, environmental or toxic torts, ownership and control disputes, insurance coverage, large construction defects, product liability, and mass torts as complex. It does not hear many consumer and personal matters, such as Oklahoma Consumer Protection Act claims, suits against government, residential landlord-tenant, injury or wrongful death, family, probate, foreclosures, and most individual consumer cases.
Judges, staff, and pay for business courts
The Governor appoints each business court judge with Senate consent, usually from a list of three sent by the House Speaker. A judge must be at least 35, a U.S. citizen, and an Oklahoma lawyer with 10 or more years of relevant experience. Judges serve eight-year terms starting September 1, 2025; the first Tulsa (Division II) judge serves a four-year term. A business court judge is paid the same annual salary as an associate justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Each judge may hire a law clerk (salary set by the Chief Justice) and has a secretary-bailiff paid $42,000 per year.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Lonnie Paxton
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
Collin Duel
Republican • House
Kyle Hilbert
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 5/28/2025
Top_of_Page
Yes: 77 • No: 12
Senate vote • 5/28/2025
Top_of_Page
Yes: 0 • No: 7
House vote • 5/8/2025
Top_of_Page
Yes: 71 • No: 19
House vote • 4/22/2025
DO PASS
Yes: 10 • No: 0
House vote • 4/10/2025
DO PASS
Yes: 7 • No: 1
Senate vote • 3/24/2025
THIRD READING
Yes: 0 • No: 6
Senate vote • 3/5/2025
Top_of_Page
Yes: 0 • No: 3
Senate vote • 2/25/2025
Top_of_Page
Yes: 0 • No: 2
Actions Timeline
Approved by Governor 05/29/2025
5/29/2025SenateSent to Governor
5/28/2025SenateSigned, returned to Senate
5/28/2025HouseEnrolled, to House
5/28/2025SenateReferred for enrollment
5/28/2025SenateTo Senate
5/28/2025HouseFourth Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 77 Nays: 12
5/28/2025House2 CCR adopted
5/28/2025House2 CCR submitted
5/28/2025HouseMeasure passed, to House: Ayes: 39 Nays: 7
5/28/2025Senate2 CCR adopted
5/28/2025Senate2 CCR read
5/27/2025SenateFurther conference granted, naming Conference Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight
5/27/2025HouseCCR rejected, further conference requested, same conferees
5/22/2025SenateCCR read
5/22/2025SenateConference granted, naming Conference Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight
5/19/2025HouseSCs named Paxton, Howard, Daniels, Rader, Rosino, Pugh, Kirt
5/19/2025SenateHAs rejected, conference requested
5/19/2025SenateHAs read
5/12/2025SenateEngrossed, signed, to Senate
5/12/2025HouseReferred for engrossment
5/8/2025HouseThird Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 71 Nays: 19
5/8/2025HouseTitle restored
5/8/2025HouseAmended
5/8/2025HouseCoauthored by Representative(s) Duel
5/8/2025House
Bill Text
Enrolled (final version)
5/28/2025
Scheduled House CCR 2(A)
5/27/2025
Scheduled House CCR 2(B)
5/27/2025
Senate Conference Committee Report
5/27/2025
Scheduled House CCR 1(A)
5/22/2025
Senate Conference Committee Substitute
5/22/2025
Amended And Engrossed
5/12/2025
Floor (House)
4/23/2025
House Committee Report
4/22/2025
House Policy Committee Report
4/10/2025
Engrossed
3/25/2025
Floor (Senate)
3/6/2025
Senate Committee Report 2
3/5/2025
Senate Committee Report 1
2/25/2025
Introduced
1/14/2025
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