HB 3357 creates a new Department of Central Purchasing to replace the Central Purchasing Division within the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES). It transfers all procurement duties, contracts, records, and assets from OMES to the new department, effective upon enactment, while ensuring employees retain current pay, benefits, and seniority during the transition. The bill also amends several statutes to update references to the new department and clarifies that county purchasing procedures will continue using the Department of Central Purchasing’s established contracts. This directly affects state agencies and county governments that rely on centralized procurement services for supplies, equipment, and services.
HB 3349 updates Oklahoma's legal definitions and penalties for human trafficking. It clarifies terms like "coercion" (including passport confiscation or controlling a person's access to substances) and "human trafficking for labor or commercial sex," defining specific acts like recruiting minors for prostitution. The bill increases penalties to a Class A2 felony with mandatory 85% prison time served (not less than 5 years for adults, 15 years for minors), requires restitution to victims, and bans probation for trafficking convictions. It directly affects traffickers, victims (especially minors), and courts handling these cases, while establishing that victims' consent or lack of knowledge about a victim's age cannot be used as defenses. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.
HB 3258 modifies Oklahoma's Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) by reducing its membership from 13 to 7 members. It eliminates three Governor-appointed positions (including a tribal law enforcement representative and two specific county/municipal leadership roles) and reduces Senate/House appointments from two to one each. The bill does not change CLEET's core responsibilities, which include overseeing officer certification, background checks, training standards, and continuing education for law enforcement officers statewide. The revised structure maintains key representation from the Department of Public Safety, state bureaus, sheriffs, and police chiefs, while streamlining council composition.
HB 3547, the Parent Data Sovereignty Act of 2026, gives parents legal control over their minor children's personally identifiable educational data collected by Oklahoma schools and state education agencies. It prohibits schools and contractors from selling, licensing, or using student data for commercial purposes without parental consent, requires schools to provide parents with full access to their child's data and opt-out options for non-essential data collection, and mandates a public Data Transparency Portal listing all collected data elements and sharing agreements. The bill also requires contractors handling student data to follow strict security protocols and face civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation for unauthorized data use or disclosure. These provisions directly affect parents of K-12 students and all public schools or vendors collecting student data in Oklahoma.
HB 3670 creates the Oklahoma Distillers Trail Commission to promote the state's distilling industry and boost tourism. The Commission, composed of nine members appointed by state leaders (with industry expertise required), will annually approve a list of Oklahoma distilleries for the official "Oklahoma Distillers Trail" used in marketing and tourism efforts. It has authority to develop marketing strategies, form partnerships, and accept private donations until state funding is secured. The bill takes effect November 1, 2026, and directly affects Oklahoma distilleries by providing a coordinated marketing platform.
HB 3840 prohibits foreign governments, state-owned enterprises (SOEs), or entities controlled by them from owning land within 10 miles of military installations or critical infrastructure sites in Oklahoma. It requires all land buyers to submit an affidavit disclosing beneficial owners, funding sources (including foreign government involvement), and certification of compliance with the law. The Attorney General can investigate violations, impose civil penalties up to $250,000 per transaction, or seek court-ordered divestiture of prohibited land holdings. The bill directly affects foreign entities seeking land near sensitive locations and land buyers in those zones, with enforcement starting after November 1, 2023. Exceptions include bona fide residents and transactions covered by federal law or existing CFIUS agreements.
HB 3756 modifies Oklahoma's bail procedures for defendants charged with domestic violence, substance offenses, or repeat crimes. It requires courts to consider specific risk factors (like domestic violence history, substance dependence, or weapon access) when setting bail conditions, particularly in felony cases involving domestic abuse or stalking. The bill also creates a new provision: defendants admitted to bail must sign an advance waiver of extradition if they flee the state, automatically waiving their right to contest extradition upon apprehension in another jurisdiction. These changes apply to felony cases where bail is granted, directly affecting defendants in these specific criminal categories.
HB 3960, the "Safe Stores are Staffed Stores Act," requires drug and large food retail stores (over 15,000 sq ft or 85,000 sq ft with 10% food space) with self-service checkouts to maintain at least one employee for every four kiosks during operation. It bans self-checkout for items needing ID (like alcohol/tobacco) or tagged items (e.g., with electronic tags), mandates clear signage about customer rights, and requires dedicated staff to monitor checkouts without other duties. Violations carry civil penalties of $100 per employee per day (capped at $1,000 daily), plus attorney fees. The law prohibits retaliation against employees enforcing these rules and takes effect November 1, 2026.
HB 3959 prohibits large food retailers (over 15,000 sq ft) from using personalized algorithmic pricing that targets consumers based on their data, including requiring clear disclosures like "THIS PRICE WAS SET BY AN ALGORITHM USING YOUR PERSONAL DATA." It bans electronic shelf labels (ESLs) in these stores, mandating physical price tags instead, and prohibits collecting data on minors under 17 for pricing. The bill also forbids using protected class data (like race, gender, or disability) to set different prices for goods, preventing discriminatory pricing practices. These rules directly affect major grocery chains and aim to increase transparency in pricing strategies.
HB 3629 removes the requirement for courts to file an affidavit proving service of notice in criminal competency hearings. It deletes the specific affidavit filing step from Oklahoma law (22 O.S. § 1175.2), while keeping the existing notice content requirements for defendants and relatives. This change affects courts, defendants, attorneys, and family members involved in competency determinations by streamlining the procedural step for serving notice. The bill does not alter the substantive notice content or hearing timelines.
HB 3917 requires public utilities providing electricity to large data centers (defined as facilities using 50+ megawatts monthly) to file new tariff schedules with Oklahoma's Corporation Commission. These tariffs must include a peak-demand surcharge specifically for large data center customers. All surcharge revenue collected by utilities must be transferred to the newly created "Grid Modernization Revolving Fund" in the state treasury. The fund, managed by the Corporation Commission, will finance electric grid modernization projects, with the bill taking effect November 1, 2026.
HB 3916 modifies Oklahoma's tax exemption rules for nonprofit hospitals. It specifically removes sales tax exemptions from nonprofit hospitals that charge Medicare patients commercial insurance fees exceeding what Medicare covers. The bill amends tax code sections to prohibit such hospitals from claiming exemptions if they impose these extra charges. This directly affects nonprofit hospitals that overbill Medicare patients on commercial insurance policies. The change aims to align hospital tax treatment with Medicare billing practices.
