HB 4246: Waters and water rights; authorizing the Department of Environmental Quality to contract with certain parties; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to broaden the pool of eligible vendors for technical assistance contracts, shifting from a preference for 'qualified state suppliers' to a more inclusive list that includes the Oklahoma Rural Water Association, technically qualified vendors, and other nonprofit entities. The Senate version also clarifies that contracts should be awarded to the 'lowest and best' or 'best value' bidder and explicitly exempts these contracts from the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act. Additionally, the bill's language was updated to authorize the Department to use funds for assisting with drinking water or wastewater emergencies.

Scope change

The scope of eligible vendors was expanded to include nonprofit entities and technically qualified vendors beyond just state suppliers, and the procurement process was modified to allow for 'best value' bidding rather than strictly adhering to the Central Purchasing Act.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible vendors were changed from 'qualified state suppliers' to include the Oklahoma Rural Water Association, technically qualified vendors, and other nonprofit entities.

REQUIREMENT

The procurement standard was updated to allow contracts to be awarded to the 'lowest and best' or 'best value' bidder.

Contracts awarded under this bill are now explicitly exempt from the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act.

SCOPE

The bill now explicitly authorizes assistance for drinking water or wastewater emergencies in addition to routine programs.

House Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated to reflect its progression from the House Committee to the House Floor, incorporating specific amendments made during the committee review. The most significant substantive change is the expansion of eligible service providers for technical assistance programs, now allowing the Department of Environmental Quality to contract with other nonprofit entities in addition to the Oklahoma Rural Water Association and qualified state suppliers, provided they can deliver equally effective and efficient services.

Scope change

The scope of eligible service providers was broadened to include other nonprofit entities alongside existing partners.

ELIGIBILITY

Added the ability for the Department to contract with other nonprofit entities for technical assistance, provided they meet specific performance standards.

TECHNICAL

Updated document headers and footers to reflect the 'Floor Version' status and included a committee report indicating the bill passed as amended.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → House Committee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was completely rewritten to conform to a House Committee Substitute version, replacing the original 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute' title. The primary substantive change is the update of the bill's internal tracking number from 16653 to 16991 and the revision of the authorship credit to include a Senate sponsor (Green), indicating the bill has moved from the House to the Senate for further consideration. No new policy, funding, or eligibility criteria were introduced in this markup.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains unchanged as the text was replaced entirely to reflect the current legislative stage.

TECHNICAL

The bill title was changed from 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute' to reflect the current legislative status.

The bill number in the footer tracking was updated from 16653 to 16991.

A Senate sponsor (Green) was added to the authorship credit line.

Engrossed → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill was replaced with a committee substitute version that retains the original policy intent but updates the document header to reflect the committee's review status. The substantive text regarding the Department of Environmental Quality's ability to contract for technical assistance remains unchanged, with no modifications to funding amounts, eligibility criteria, or effective dates.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated from 'ENGROSSED HOUSE' to 'PROPOSED OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' to indicate the bill has been reviewed by the full committee but is not yet in its final engrossed form.

Page numbering and reference numbers were updated to match the new committee substitute format.

Introduced → Engrossed · 3 edits · Mar 23, 2026

MINOR

The bill was reclassified from an 'Introduced' version to an 'Engrossed' version, indicating it has passed both the House and Senate and is ready for the Governor's signature. The substantive policy language regarding the Department of Environmental Quality's ability to contract for technical assistance remained largely the same, though the text was reorganized to clarify that the department can use a portion of specific grant funds to contract with additional nonprofit entities beyond the standard Oklahoma Rural Water Association.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding eligible entities and funding sources was clarified to explicitly allow the Department to use a portion of appropriated funds for grants and assistance programs to contract with qualified state suppliers and other nonprofit entities, rather than just the Oklahoma Rural Water Association.

FISCAL

The text was reorganized to specify that the Department may use a portion of funds appropriated for grants and assistance programs to contract with qualified state suppliers, clarifying the source of funds available for these contracts.

ELIGIBILITY

The bill was updated to explicitly state that assistance in response to drinking water or wastewater emergencies is eligible for these technical assistance contracts.

TIMELINE

Status indicators were added to show the bill has passed the House and Senate, with the effective date set for November 1, 2026.

Waters and water rights; authorizing the Department of Environmental Quality to contract with certain parties; effective date.

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