SB 92 establishes a Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Investment Program to provide competitive loans for water and wastewater projects to eligible entities like municipalities and rural water systems. The program allocates 50% of funds to projects in communities with populations under 30,000, 25% to those between 30,000-400,000, and 25% to larger communities, with loans requiring repayment if projects aren’t completed (clawback provision). It creates a revolving fund in the state treasury, replenished by loan repayments and interest, to support infrastructure improvements. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, with emergency status.
SB 1393, the RESTORE Act, creates a 50% tax credit for developers converting old, vacant commercial buildings (over 50 years old, vacant for 3+ years, and not eligible for historic tax credits) into residential housing. It directly affects property owners or developers who undertake "adaptive reuse" projects, covering extra renovation costs like environmental cleanup, code compliance, and infrastructure upgrades. The credit is capped at $5 million annually (2027-2037), requires 20% of units to be affordable for 10 years, and allows unused credit to carry forward to future tax years. Projects must meet specific affordability and location criteria, with annual reports tracking housing units and economic impact.
HB 1822 requires the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) to create a program for identifying, removing, and managing invasive woody species (like Eastern Redcedar and salt cedar) within transportation rights-of-way. The program mandates surveys, prioritized removal plans, eco-friendly removal methods to protect native plants and soil, ongoing monitoring, and collaboration with other agencies. This directly affects ODOT’s operations and land adjacent to state roads. The bill would have taken effect November 1, 2025, but died in conference on May 30, 2025. (Note: The bill’s title references transportation but focuses on environmental management within road corridors.)
SB 263 expands Oklahoma's Terry Peach North Canadian Watershed Water Restoration Act to address harmful woody species like Eastern Redcedar and salt cedar. It creates a revolving fund for water restoration, allowing cost-sharing with landowners, state agencies, and nonprofits for removal methods such as prescribed burns and herbicides. The bill mandates the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to manage the program across at least three project areas in the North Canadian Watershed, focusing on improving water flow, reducing wildfire risks, and restoring grazing lands. It updates definitions, expands eligible participants, and requires studies comparing treated and untreated watersheds. The policy directly affects landowners and local entities managing watersheds in the North Canadian River basin.
SB 837 updates Oklahoma's rules for special license plates, affecting anyone applying for or displaying these plates. It requires Service Oklahoma to receive 100 prepaid applications within 180 days before issuing new plate types (like Firefighter or Wildlife Conservation plates), and mandates annual renewal with specific fee handling procedures. Funds collected from these plates will continue to support designated causes, such as the Oklahoma State Firefighters Museum, Wildlife Diversity Fund, and Child Abuse Prevention Fund. The bill also repeals outdated provisions and clarifies plate transfer rules, ensuring plates remain tied to the vehicle registration.
HB 1543 expands the Oklahoma Conservation Commission's authority to coordinate conservation efforts, specifically adding requirements to include tribal governments in its work and removing restrictions on the Conservation District Consolidation Fund. The bill allows the Commission to enter contracts with tribes, federal agencies, counties, and other entities to administer statewide conservation programs and secure funding. It directly affects Oklahoma's 157 conservation districts, tribal governments, and state agencies collaborating on resource conservation. The key change requires the Commission to actively coordinate with tribes and manage funds for district programs, while maintaining its existing role in supporting local conservation planning and reporting.
SB 132 requires oil and gas operators in Oklahoma to plug or resume production from idle gas wells that have not produced gas for 10 or more consecutive years. Operators with wells idle for 20+ years must reduce idle wells by 25% by 2028, 50% by 2031, and fully plug all remaining by 2035. Newer idle wells (less than 20 years idle) have a 10-year window from the law's effective date to plug or produce. Operators may request exceptions for future uses like carbon storage or geothermal energy, but must prove "good cause" to the Corporation Commission. The bill defines "idle gas wells" as non-producing wells with no commercial gas sales for 10+ years and no valid future use plan.
HB 1807 requires all Oklahoma groundwater permit holders to install approved metering systems (like telemetry devices) to track water usage, starting November 1, 2025. It creates a "five-year flex allocation" system beginning January 1, 2026, allowing permit holders to adjust annual usage within a basin's total limit - without needing new permits - but capping yearly excess at 200% of their annual allocation over the five-year period. The bill directly affects agricultural and commercial water users with groundwater permits, excluding domestic wells. It aims to standardize usage reporting and encourage conservation through structured, measurable water allocation.
HB 1588 creates the Spring Creek Watershed Study Act, requiring the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to conduct a comprehensive water quality study in the Spring Creek watershed (spanning Cherokee, Delaware, and Mayes counties) by June 1, 2026. The study will identify voluntary, incentive-based conservation practices - such as riparian restoration and soil conservation - to protect water quality and fish habitats. It establishes a revolving fund in the State Treasury to accept public and private grants for this work, with funds managed by the Commission. The bill directly affects residents and stakeholders in the Spring Creek area, aiming to address declining water quality through collaborative, non-regulatory solutions.
HB 1910 establishes Oklahoma's Urban Agriculture Cost Share Program, administered by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. It provides funding from the Conservation Commission's Infrastructure Revolving Fund to reimburse eligible individuals, tribes, or organizations for urban agriculture projects on land within five miles of urban areas defined by the U.S. Census. Eligible projects include community gardens, rooftop farming, greenhouses, soil health initiatives, and food waste composting, with priority given to areas with limited access to healthy food. Applicants must submit project plans and enter contracts with local conservation districts, and the Commission must annually report program data on projects, funding, and community impacts.
