HB 3705 increases Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit Program, allowing taxpayers to claim credits for education expenses of eligible students. The bill raises the maximum annual credit for private school tuition to $7,500 (or actual tuition, whichever is lower) for families earning under $75,000, with tiered reductions up to $5,000 for households earning over $250,000. It also creates special credit tiers for students experiencing homelessness ($7,500) and those at financially disadvantaged private schools (maximum credit based on average school costs). Qualified expenses include tuition, tutoring, textbooks, and standardized test fees, but exclude scholarship-funded amounts. This directly affects Oklahoma families choosing private education or approved alternative learning programs.
HB 4141 allocates $250,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the District Attorneys Council for hiring a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Statewide Coordinator and related program costs. This funding directly supports the District Attorneys Council, which oversees SANE programs across Oklahoma, and will improve response services for sexual assault victims. The bill establishes the coordinator’s role to manage statewide forensic training, recruit SANE professionals, expand local SANE and response teams, and handle fund coordination. The $250,000 appropriation is effective July 1, 2026, and is designated as an emergency measure.
SB 1290 allocates $3 million from Oklahoma's General Revenue Fund to maintain the state's 2-1-1 hotline for the 2027 fiscal year. The funding ensures the hotline continues providing direct support for basic needs like food, shelter, clothing, transportation, and medical assistance. This appropriation directly affects Oklahomans who rely on the 2-1-1 service for immediate help. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.
SB 1122 requires Oklahoma's State Board of Equalization to assess property used for **wired broadband service** (offering internet over 100 Mbps download/20 Mbps upload) at a **15% tax rate** for tax years 2026-2036. It applies only to infrastructure in areas with **less than 10% broadband coverage** (per FCC maps) and exclusively to property used for broadband, excluding other services like video streaming. The bill amends tax code to define "broadband service providers" and mandates this specific assessment ratio for qualifying assets, including fiber, cables, and network infrastructure. This policy directly affects **wired broadband providers** expanding service in underserved rural or low-coverage regions.
SB 1369 allocates $5.7 million from Oklahoma's general state funds to sustain and expand the state's 9-8-8 suicide and crisis hotline operations for the 2026-2027 fiscal year. This funding directly supports Oklahomans in mental health crises by ensuring access to the 9-8-8 hotline service. The bill provides specific funding to maintain current operations while increasing capacity for crisis response. It becomes effective July 1, 2026, and declares an emergency due to the urgent need for mental health support.
HB 3557 prohibits the Oklahoma Agricultural Extension Division and related programs from requiring local funding (generated at the county level) to be centralized or spent outside the county where it was collected. The bill directly affects counties that provide local funding to these agricultural extension services and the division itself. Key provisions require that any local revenue must stay within the originating county for use in that county's programs. This ensures local funding remains locally controlled and cannot be redirected to other areas by the state division.
HB 3711 requires Oklahoma school districts with websites to publicly disclose detailed spending data on their websites, including all state, federal, and local funds used for instruction, administration, and other purposes. It specifically mandates that districts display the percentage of total spending allocated to "instructional expenditures" (defined as funds directly supporting teaching, per the National Center for Education Statistics) on their homepage. This applies to all school districts with websites, requiring them to post this information alongside full expenditure details like budgeted vs. actual costs and superintendent compensation. The bill aims to increase transparency for parents and the public about how school funds are spent.
HB 3429 creates a $50 million Career Technology Business Partnership Pool to finance economic development projects in Oklahoma. It allows career technology districts (vocational schools) to partner with for-profit businesses, using pooled financing for projects that meet workforce needs. Key requirements include adding financial literacy courses to district curricula, prohibiting districts from having outstanding debt while using the program, and ending eligibility after June 30, 2032. The pool is managed by the Oklahoma Development Finance Authority, with bonds potentially issued tax-exempt under federal law.
HB 3044 amends Oklahoma tax return forms to allow taxpayers to donate a portion of their state income or corporate tax refund to the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA). These donations directly fund ODVA's equipment purchases and capital improvement projects, such as facility upgrades and new construction. The bill creates a dedicated "Capital Improvement Program Revolving Fund" to manage these donations, which can be invested and used for veterans' facility needs without annual budget restrictions. It reauthorizes this existing donation mechanism, effective November 1, 2026, and includes a three-year refund process for taxpayers who donate in error.
HB 3595 creates a permanent "Safer Counties Revolving Fund" within Oklahoma's State Treasury, managed by the Department of Public Safety. This fund, financed by existing legislative appropriations to the Department, provides grants to all Oklahoma counties to purchase public safety and traffic barrier equipment. Counties must use these funds solely for public safety purposes and cannot divert them to other uses. The fund operates without annual budget restrictions, allowing ongoing disbursements for safety equipment purchases.
