Oklahoma Bills

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 17, 2026

SB 1244: Pardons and paroles; modifying criteria for certain parole of elderly individuals. Effective date.

SB 1244 modifies Oklahoma's parole rules for inmates aged 60 or older by requiring the Pardon and Parole Board to grant parole to eligible individuals who have served either 10 years or one-third of their sentence (whichever is shorter), provided they pose minimal public safety risks. The bill mandates that the Board use a risk-assessment tool including health status when evaluating these inmates and requires parole hearings for eligible aging inmates. It updates statutory language to define "aging inmate" as 60+ years old and specifies that the Board must consider health factors in risk assessments. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 17, 2026

SB 1285: Public Facilities Act; establishing certain requirements for certain construction. Effective date.

SB 1285 requires all new construction by Oklahoma state-funded entities (like agencies, universities, and career centers) to meet strict energy efficiency standards for heating, cooling, and building systems. It mandates minimum performance levels for heating systems (e.g., 90% efficiency for gas, banning electric resistance as primary heat), prioritizes geothermal systems, and requires life-cycle cost analysis over 25 years to select the most efficient options. The bill also requires integrated building control systems to monitor energy use and gives preference to licensed Oklahoma vendors and locally made HVAC equipment. These changes aim to reduce energy costs, promote renewable energy integration, and ensure state buildings meet verified efficiency benchmarks.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 17, 2026

SB 1288: Emergency management; providing for cost sharing of federal matching requirements. Emergency.

SB 1288 amends Oklahoma law (63 O.S. 2021, Section 683.24) to require equal cost-sharing between the state and local governments (such as counties or cities) for federal disaster relief matching funds. It creates a dedicated "Emergency Management Disaster Relief Matching Fund" in the State Treasury to cover the state’s share of these costs, eliminating the need for annual legislative appropriations. This change directly affects all Oklahoma political subdivisions receiving federal disaster assistance under FEMA programs after a federally declared disaster. The bill declares an emergency to expedite its implementation.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 17, 2026

HB 2958: State employee compensation; salary increase; exclusions; effective date; emergency.

HB 2958 provides a 9% salary increase for full-time Oklahoma state employees as of June 30, 2026, effective July 1, 2026. It directly affects most state workers but excludes employees of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, public universities, and common school districts. The bill mandates the salary adjustment without requiring additional legislative action for implementation. It includes an emergency clause to take effect immediately upon approval. This is a direct compensation change with no additional policy mechanisms beyond the specified salary adjustment.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment

died · Oklahoma · House Feb 16, 2026

HB 3396: Public finance; state or local governments; payments; public revenues; business entities; disclosure; effective date.

HB 3396 requires Oklahoma state and local governments to publicly disclose the identity of private businesses that will benefit from public funds used for major economic development projects before any payments are made. It applies to projects involving business entities spending over $5 million on property improvements or acquisitions within 90 days of receiving public revenue (like tax funds or bonds). Governments must post this disclosure online at least 60 days prior to payments, ensuring transparency about which companies receive public money. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

died · Oklahoma · House Feb 16, 2026

HB 3758: Eminent domain; just compensation; definition; enhanced compensation; comparable-replacement standard; partial taking compensation; prohibitions; non-waiver protection; effective date.

HB 3758 increases compensation for Oklahoma property owners facing government eminent domain takings. It requires either 150% of the property's fair market value or the cost to purchase a comparable replacement property in the same community (defined by size, location, use, and other factors). The bill prohibits reducing compensation due to "project influence" or pre-taking activity, and bans agencies from requiring owners to waive these protections. These changes apply to all public use takings and become effective November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Housing

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 16, 2026

HB 3902: Animals; overpopulation; prohibitions; effective date.

This bill removes the requirement that Oklahoma counties must have a population of 200,000 or more (per the latest federal census) to regulate loose dogs. It allows all counties to enforce rules about dogs running at large, impound them, and collect fees to cover costs. The change takes effect November 1, 2026, applying uniformly across all counties regardless of size.

died · Oklahoma · House Feb 16, 2026

HB 3651: Prisons and reformatories; authorizing the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to supervise certain probationers and parolees; effective date.

HB 3651 would authorize the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to supervise certain probationers and parolees. This change would directly affect individuals on probation or parole who fall under the Director’s supervision, as well as the Department of Corrections in its management of community supervision. The bill amends state law to add this new authority to the Director’s existing duties, expanding their role beyond prison operations. The bill is currently under review in the Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight committee after its introduction.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 16, 2026

HB 3703: Schools; concurrent enrollment; school districts covering cost of tuition waivers; reimbursement for withdrawal; effective date; emergency.

HB 3703 requires Oklahoma public school districts to cover tuition costs for high school students enrolled in concurrent college courses. Specifically, it mandates districts to provide tuition waivers for seniors (up to 18 credit hours) and juniors (up to 9 credit hours), funded by district resources. Students who withdraw after the deadline must reimburse 50% of the course cost. The bill also requires districts to grant academic credit for correlated college courses and mandates annual reports tracking participation, waiver usage, graduation rates, and college degree attainment. These provisions aim to expand access to college courses while ensuring financial accountability for students and districts.

Topics ✓ Education

died · Oklahoma · House Feb 16, 2026

HB 4283: Roads; bridges; Oklahoma Vehicle License and Registration Act; County Improvement Roads and Bridges Fund; effective date; emergency.

HB 4283 amends Oklahoma's Vehicle License and Registration Act to maintain a 7.24% allocation of vehicle fee revenues to the County Improvement Roads and Bridges Fund for fiscal years beginning July 1, 2019, and beyond. The bill specifies that any excess funds exceeding the 2015 fiscal year amount for this allocation must be transferred to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety Fund instead of the General Revenue Fund. This change directly affects Oklahoma counties, which receive these funds to support local road and bridge maintenance and improvement projects. The bill does not alter other existing fund distributions or create new taxes.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Transportation

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 16, 2026

HB 4262: Teachers; annual bonus for teachers with National Board certification; minimum salary schedule; striking National Board certification salary increment; effective date; emergency.

HB 4262 provides financial and programmatic support for Oklahoma public school teachers seeking National Board certification. It covers up to $1,800 of certification costs annually for up to 100 teachers through the Education Leadership Oklahoma program, offers free mentoring for up to three years, and grants two additional professional leave days for portfolio development. The bill also establishes an annual $5,000 bonus for certified teachers - payable for five years for those certified after June 30, 2013, or ten years for those certified before - funded by lottery dollars and paid directly to eligible teachers. This bonus does not count toward minimum salary schedules or retirement calculations, and recipients are ineligible for the additional salary increment under the minimum salary schedule.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

died · Oklahoma · House Feb 16, 2026

HB 4225: Retirement Freedom Act; investment options; participants; independent control; individual accounts; effective date.

HB 4225, the Retirement Freedom Act, allows Oklahoma state retirement plan participants to borrow from their accounts. It permits loans up to 50% of a participant's vested account balance or $50,000, whichever is less, with mandatory repayment within five years through equal quarterly payments covering principal and interest. The bill also permits extended repayment periods for loans used to purchase a primary residence. This change directly affects state employees enrolled in Oklahoma's retirement systems by modifying their access to account funds.

Bill results