Sen. Grant Green

Maddy summarySB 196 appropriates $1.2 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board for infrastructure grants to rural water districts in the 2023 fiscal year. This funding directly supports rural communities by helping them upgrade or maintain water systems. The bill declares an emergency to allow immediate implementation upon approval, though it does not change existing water regulations or create new requirements for water districts.

Maddy summaryThis Oklahoma bill increases the threshold for direct negotiation of public construction contracts from $10,000 to $25,000. It allows local governments and public agencies to negotiate contracts under $25,000 with qualified contractors without requiring competitive bids, affecting routine maintenance and small-scale public projects. The change modifies existing rules to streamline procurement for smaller contracts while maintaining bidding requirements for projects over $25,000. This amendment applies to most state and local government construction work, excluding federal-funded projects and school district maintenance.

Maddy summarySB 334 increases the price threshold for public construction contracts that can be negotiated without competitive bidding from $10,000 to $25,000. This change affects public agencies like counties, cities, and school districts when awarding contracts for infrastructure, buildings, or repairs under $25,000. Previously, only contracts under $10,000 could be negotiated, but now agencies can use simplified processes for larger projects. The bill also specifies that school district maintenance contracts under $25,000 may be negotiated, while those between $50,000 and $100,000 must still use competitive bidding.

Maddy summaryHB 1937 requires Oklahoma public and charter school staff (including teachers, coaches, and administrators) to include parents or legal guardians in digital communications with students, such as emails or texts, unless the communication occurs on a school-approved academic platform or involves an emergency. Exceptions for emergencies require school boards to determine the situation and notify parents afterward. Schools must provide state-developed training for staff on these rules, and violations could trigger administrative leave during investigations, with potential discipline or reporting to law enforcement if misconduct is found. The bill directly affects current K-12 students and their families in Oklahoma public and charter schools.

Maddy summarySB 754 authorizes Oklahoma's OCAST to create the Doctoral Retention Grant Program, providing competitive grants to doctoral degree holders who commit to staying in Oklahoma to support the state's science and technology mission. The program prohibits duplicate funding with existing incentives and requires recipients to fulfill their proposed service commitments, with a reimbursement requirement (clawback) if they fail to do so. It establishes a revolving fund in the state treasury to finance grants and OCAST's administrative costs, with all funds designated for this purpose. The bill aims to retain doctoral talent in Oklahoma without overlapping with current state incentive programs.

Maddy summarySB 919 clarifies lease terms for Oklahoma's Land Office trust lands, defining "commercial leases" to include renewable energy projects and restricting agricultural leases to certain entities. It amends ownership rules to limit corporations, trusts, and LLCs from leasing agricultural land unless they meet strict criteria (e.g., 65% income from farming/minerals, member/owner restrictions). The bill also updates investment rules for public funds, removing exemptions for real property investments and requiring that the value of real property leased by public entities be excluded from the 5% investment cap. These changes directly affect land leaseholders, agricultural businesses, and the Land Office's management of public funds.

Maddy summarySB 22 prohibits the manufacturing and sale of cell-cultured meat (lab-grown meat) for human consumption in Oklahoma. It defines cell-cultured meat as products made from animal cell cultures (excluding plant-based alternatives) and explicitly bans its production or sale, while allowing plant-based meat products if clearly labeled as such. The Oklahoma State Board of Agriculture must create rules to enforce this ban, which takes effect November 1, 2025. The law directly affects businesses producing or selling cell-cultured meat products within the state.

Maddy summarySB 338 limits recreational hunters in Oklahoma to harvesting no more than one antlered whitetail deer per year. It directly affects licensed recreational hunters by restricting their annual harvest, while exempting those hunting in commercial hunting areas. The bill requires the Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation Commission to enforce this one-deer annual limit and takes effect on November 1, 2025. This policy change modifies existing hunting regulations to manage deer populations.

Maddy summaryThis bill exempts specific state entities from Oklahoma's central purchasing requirements under the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act. It directly affects entities like county governments, higher education institutions (e.g., Oklahoma State Regents), OneNet telecommunications, the Department of Public Safety gun range, and the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs for certain purchases. Key provisions include adding 11 new exemption categories (such as specific software/hardware purchases by the State Treasurer) and creating an advisory committee for exempt entities to collaborate on shared purchasing solutions. The committee allows exempt entities to provide input on developing shared contracts and exploring cost-saving procurement options. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 919 redefines "commercial lease" for Oklahoma's Land Office to include renewable energy projects, restricting agricultural leases to individuals, trusts meeting specific ownership rules, and LLCs with strict membership and revenue requirements (e.g., 65% farming income). It modifies investment rules (64 O.S. 1013) to require public entities to account for the value of leased real property when calculating investment caps. The bill directly affects how the Land Office manages leases and how public funds are invested, particularly for permanent school funds. Key provisions include banning renewable energy generation in farming LLCs and updating fine amounts for lease violations.