SB 1705 prohibits Oklahoma cities and towns from using public funds to pay nonprofit organizations that collect public donations to cover defendants' bail bonds. It directly affects local governments and nonprofits that handle bail payments through public funding. The bill allows taxpayers or residents to sue to stop such spending and recover attorney fees if they win the case. The law takes effect November 1, 2026, and would be codified under Oklahoma Statutes Title 11, Section 27-117.2.
This bill, titled "Mathematics instruction..." but actually amending the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program, adjusts financial eligibility rules for students seeking higher education support. It raises income thresholds for program qualification (e.g., $80,000 annually for families with five+ children starting in 2025-2026) and adjusts age limits for participation (extending to age 18 for some applicants). Students must meet updated income requirements and comply with program terms like regular school attendance and avoiding substance abuse to maintain eligibility. The bill directly affects Oklahoma students in grades 5-11 seeking financial aid for post-secondary education through this state program.
SB 50 exempts the purchase of gun safes and gun safety devices from Oklahoma's sales tax. This change directly affects consumers who buy these items for personal use, as they will no longer pay state sales tax on these purchases. The bill amends Oklahoma's sales tax code (Section 1357) to add gun safes and safety devices to the list of tax-exempt items, aligning with existing exemptions for other safety equipment. The law took effect on May 29, 2025, after becoming law without the governor's signature.
HB 2768 increases the maximum investment cap for Oklahoma's Quality Jobs tax incentive program from $250 million to $700 million. It applies to existing manufacturing companies (SIC code 3011) already participating in the program that seek to expand facilities, requiring them to file a new application before certain tax payments are due. Companies must complete $700 million in facility modernization within five years (with a possible one-year extension if 80% is done by year five) to qualify for additional tax incentives. This change allows larger businesses to claim more tax benefits for qualifying investments under the program.
HB 2797 prohibits Oklahoma's Health Care Authority (OHCA) from using statistical methods like extrapolation to audit Medicaid home and community-based service claims, which could require providers to repay overpayments. It invalidates all past audits using these methods (January 2020-November 2025) and voids related repayment demands. The bill requires OHCA and the Department of Human Services to jointly develop new audit standards and provide training for providers by November 2027. It also mandates compliance with existing fraud reporting rules and updates audit responsibilities for Medicaid waiver programs.
SB 287 extends Oklahoma's aerospace tax credit program, allowing employers in the aerospace sector to claim credits for tuition reimbursement and compensation paid to qualified employees through 2031. The credit for tuition is 50% of the cost (capped at the average public tuition in Oklahoma) for the first four years of employment, while the credit for compensation is 10% for employees with Oklahoma degrees or 5% for out-of-state graduates, applicable for the first five years of employment. This bill affects aerospace businesses and certain educational institutions, specifically targeting employees with ABET-accredited aerospace engineering degrees or licensed engineers.
This Oklahoma bill changes how lodging tax is calculated by excluding free rooms (comped) and discounted rooms where hotels receive no payment from taxable income. It applies to all counties and cities collecting lodging tax under existing law. Hotels will no longer owe tax on rooms provided at no cost to customers or employees, or discounted rooms without third-party reimbursement. The change takes effect January 1, 2026.
SB 301 modifies Oklahoma's tax credit system for donations to biomedical and cancer research institutes. It reduces annual credit limits to $1.5 million for biomedical research donations and $500,000 for cancer research donations starting in 2026, down from $2 million previously. Donors to qualifying institutes (which must receive $20 million annually in NIH funding for biomedical or $4 million for cancer research) will face new caps: $25,000 for business donors to biomedical institutes, and $1,000-$2,000 for individual filers depending on filing status. The bill adjusts how credit percentages are calculated using the second preceding year's claims and ensures credits cannot exceed tax liability.
HB 1372 temporarily lowers the gross production tax rate for oil and gas from existing wells (spudded before the law's effective date) to 5% for 36 months, instead of the standard 7%. It also creates two new tax exemptions: 1) 5 years of tax-free production for secondary/tertiary recovery projects approved after July 2022, and 2) a 24-month tax exemption for wells using recycled water (proportional to recycled water usage). For orphaned wells, producers must post a $25,000 surety bond per well to qualify for a 50% tax reduction for 36 months. The bill sets annual refund limits of $15 million for recovery projects and $10 million for recycled water exemptions, requiring producers to apply for refunds through the Tax Commission.
HB 2087 modifies Oklahoma's income tax credit for donations to qualified research institutes. It adjusts annual funding caps: for biomedical research institutes, the limit drops from $2 million to $1.5 million per year starting in 2026, while cancer research institute credits are capped at $500,000 annually. The credit percentage for each donation type is recalculated yearly based on prior-year claims, using specific formulas to stay within these new limits. Taxpayers donating to qualifying nonprofit biomedical or cancer research institutes (defined by NIH funding requirements) can claim the credit, with individual limits of $1,000-$25,000 depending on filing status or business type.
