SB 1246: Oklahoma Environmental Quality Code; modifying provisions of the Oklahoma Uniform Environmental Permitting Act. Effective date. - Oklahoma

Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill text was updated from a 'Committee Substitute' version to the 'Floor (House)' version, incorporating specific amendments to the Oklahoma Uniform Environmental Permitting Act. The changes primarily involve reformatting the document for the House floor and refining definitions of permitting tiers to clarify public participation requirements and the preparation of responses to comments.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains the same, but the definitions for 'Tier II' and 'Tier III' permitting processes were modified to explicitly include opportunities for public meetings and formal responses to comments, ensuring clearer public engagement rules.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Tier II' permitting was updated to explicitly require the preparation of a Department response to comments and the opportunity for a formal public meeting.

The definition of 'Tier III' permitting was reorganized to clearly list the inclusion of a process meeting, response to comments, and an administrative permit hearing.

TECHNICAL

The document header was changed from 'Committee Substitute' to 'Engrossed Senate Bill' and 'House of Representatives - Floor Version' to reflect its current legislative status.

Formatting inconsistencies were corrected, including the removal of page numbers and request numbers, and the standardization of indentation for the bill text.

Enrolled (final version) → Committee Substitute · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted from a standard enrolled version to a committee substitute, which involved renumbering lines and inserting page headers/footers. The substantive legal definitions and requirements for the Oklahoma Uniform Environmental Permitting Act remain unchanged.

TECHNICAL

The document structure was altered to include page numbers and committee substitute markers, while the actual legal text and definitions were preserved without substantive modification.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 10 edits · May 6, 2026

MAJOR

The bill was finalized and enacted into law, updating the Oklahoma Uniform Environmental Permitting Act to clarify definitions for different permit tiers and streamline the process for issuing permits based on project complexity.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains the Oklahoma Environmental Quality Code, but the specific procedures for Tier I, II, and III permits were refined to ensure clearer public participation and administrative authority.

DEFINITION

Updated the definition of 'Application' to explicitly include subsequent additions, revisions, or modifications that supplement, correct, or amend a pending application.

Refined the definition of 'Draft permit' to specify it is prepared only after an application is found to be administratively and technically complete.

Clarified that 'Permit' includes specific authorizations like certifications, registrations, licenses, and plan approvals, as well as approved variances.

Defined 'Process meeting' as a public meeting held specifically to explain the permitting process and participation opportunities for Tier III applications.

Updated 'Response to comments' to require the Department to specify changes made to the permit and briefly respond to all significant public comments.

REQUIREMENT

Established that Tier I permits are issued or denied by a technical supervisor, local representative, or chief engineer, rather than higher-level officials.

Required Tier II permits to include published notice of application filing with information on how the public can view documents, subscribe to updates, and receive electronic notices.

Mandated that Tier III permits include an opportunity for a 'process meeting' in addition to the existing requirements.

Specified that Tier III permits must be issued or denied by the Executive Director, centralizing authority for the most complex projects.

Updated the requirement for 'Response to comments' to ensure all significant comments from the public comment period or formal meetings are addressed.

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 2 edits

MINOR

The bill text was converted from the House version to the Senate floor version, updating the header information and page footers. While the definitions for permitting tiers were reformatted, the Senate version added a specific requirement for an administrative permit hearing in the Tier III process, whereas the House version did not explicitly list this step. This change ensures that the most complex environmental permits include a formal hearing opportunity before a final decision is made.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains the same, but the procedural requirements for Tier III permits have been clarified to include an administrative hearing.

REQUIREMENT

The definition of the Tier III permitting process was modified to explicitly include an 'opportunity for an administrative permit hearing' as a required step, adding a layer of formal review to the most complex permit applications.

TECHNICAL

The document headers and footers were updated to reflect the Senate floor version, and the text formatting was adjusted to align with Senate markup standards.

Introduced → Engrossed · 5 edits · Mar 11, 2026

MODERATE

The bill updates the definitions and approval authority for the Oklahoma Uniform Environmental Permitting Act. It clarifies what counts as an 'Application' and reorganizes the definitions for 'Tier I', 'Tier II', and 'Tier III' permitting processes to better reflect the steps involved in each level.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on environmental permitting procedures, but the specific definitions of the permitting tiers have been expanded and restructured to include more detailed steps and electronic notification requirements.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Application' was updated to explicitly include subsequent additions, revisions, or modifications that supplement or amend a pending application.

REQUIREMENT

The definition of 'Tier II' was modified to require published notice containing information on how the public can view documents, subscribe to updates, and receive electronic notifications.

The definition of 'Tier II' was updated to include the publication of draft permits or denials on the Electronic Environmental Permit Application Docket on the Department's website.

The definition of 'Tier III' was expanded to include a process meeting, electronic notification of proposed permits or denials, and an administrative permit hearing.

ELIGIBILITY

The authority to issue or deny permits was adjusted: Tier I remains with a technical supervisor or local representative, Tier II now requires the Director of the reviewing Division or chief engineer, and Tier III requires the Executive Director.

Oklahoma Environmental Quality Code; modifying provisions of the Oklahoma Uniform Environmental Permitting Act. Effective date.

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