Rural Economic Transportation Reliability and Optimization Fund; modifying population limitation; directing deposit of certain funds. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 25 establishes the "Rural Economic Transportation Reliability and Optimization Fund" to fund highway improvements in rural Oklahoma counties with populations under 50,000 experiencing traffic safety hazards due to unexpected economic growth. The bill allocates $200 million from unappropriated general revenues for fiscal year 2026, requiring the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to use these funds - up to 50% of project costs - to prioritize road repairs and upgrades where traffic volumes have become unsafe. It prohibits the fund from reducing existing state transportation funding levels, mandating the State Board of Equalization to verify annually that the fund enhances rather than replaces traditional funding. This directly affects rural communities facing traffic safety risks from unanticipated economic development, with projects requiring documentation of the economic growth link to traffic issues.