HB 1438: Waters and water rights; Rural Economic Action Plan grant program; monetary cap; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to transition from a House draft to a Senate floor version, incorporating specific changes to the eligibility and distribution rules for the Rural Economic Action Plan grant program. The Senate version adds new sponsors to the bill, updates the effective date, and modifies the criteria for which cities, towns, and unincorporated areas can receive funding. It also introduces new priority rules for smaller municipalities and clarifies how funds are allocated among different economic development districts.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include additional sponsors from the Senate and refined the definition of eligible recipients to better target smaller communities and specific economic development districts.

SCOPE

Added Senate sponsors (Kern and Frix) and updated the document title to reflect the Senate floor version with an effective date of April 16, 2025.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified the population threshold for eligible cities and towns from 'in excess of seven thousand' to 'in excess of seven thousand' based on the latest Federal Decennial Census, while allowing funds for smaller towns based on current estimates until the next census.

Added a new priority rule granting higher funding priority to cities and towns with a population of less than 1,750 people, with additional preference given to those with weaker fiscal capacity.

FISCAL

Clarified the distribution mechanism by establishing separate accounts for different economic development districts and unincorporated areas, ensuring funds are not transferred between accounts.

REQUIREMENT

Explicitly stated that no match (cash, services, or other method) is required from recipients to obtain the grant funds.

DEFINITION

Added a provision treating a political subdivision and its public trusts or subordinate entities as a single qualified entity to prevent undue advantage.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten by the House Committee to replace the original text with a new version. The primary substantive change is the addition of specific funding limits and priority rules for applicants receiving state funds, ensuring no single entity receives more than $150,000 or $350,000 in a twelve-month period and that previously funded entities are given lower priority.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute' to a standard 'Committee Substitute,' indicating it has passed through the full House committee process and is now the official version moving forward.

TECHNICAL

The original header identifying the document as a 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute' was removed and replaced with the standard 'Committee Substitute' header.

The internal tracking number for the bill was updated from 12320 to 12996.

FISCAL

New rules were added to cap funding amounts, limiting any qualified entity to a maximum of $150,000 or $350,000 in any twelve-month period.

ELIGIBILITY

A new priority rule was established to lower the ranking of applications from entities that have previously received funds compared to those that have not.

DEFINITION

A definition was added to treat a political subdivision and all its public trusts as a single entity for funding purposes, with a specific exception for rural water or sewer districts.

Enrolled (final version) → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill was converted from a final enrolled version to a proposed policy committee substitute, which is a procedural draft subject to further review. The substantive policy text, including the list of eligible organizations and funding rules, remains identical to the original version.

TECHNICAL

The document header, title, and formatting were updated to reflect its status as a committee substitute rather than an enrolled bill.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 5 edits · May 7, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was finalized as an enrolled version, changing the header from 'Engrossed' to 'Enrolled' and adding the names of additional Senate sponsors. The substantive policy text regarding grant administration, eligibility thresholds, and funding caps remained identical to the previous version, with no new policy provisions added or removed.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the only difference is the formalization of the bill text for final passage.

TECHNICAL

Updated the document header from 'Engrossed House' to 'Enrolled House' to reflect the final version ready for signing.

Added 'Kern, Frix, and Pederson of the Senate' to the list of sponsors in the header.

Inserted a 'SUBJECT' line stating 'Waters and water rights'.

Removed page numbers and internal markup indicators (e.g., 'ENGR. H. B. NO. 1438') that were present in the draft version.

Deleted the line '1...'1' which indicated a deletion in the legislative markup process.

Introduced → Engrossed · 5 edits · Apr 29, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to change its title from a new 'Waters and Water Rights Modernization Act' to an act amending existing laws regarding the Rural Economic Action Plan grant program. The primary substantive change is the replacement of a placeholder text with the full, detailed statutory language for 62 O.S. 2021, Section 2003, which establishes specific rules for distributing water infrastructure funds to smaller communities.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from proposing entirely new water rights legislation to modifying an existing grant program specifically for rural water and sewer projects.

SCOPE

The bill title and subject matter changed from creating a new 'Waters and Water Rights Modernization Act' to amending the 'Rural Economic Action Plan grant program' under 62 O.S. 2021, Section 2003.

ELIGIBILITY

Detailed eligibility criteria were added, restricting funds to cities and towns with populations under 7,000 and prioritizing those with populations under 1,750 or weaker fiscal capacity.

FISCAL

Specific funding limits were established, capping individual grants at $150,000 to $350,000 per twelve-month period and requiring the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to create ten separate accounts for distribution.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements were added stating that recipients do not need to provide matching funds and that the Board cannot retain any money for administrative costs.

TECHNICAL

Placeholder text indicating the bill was 'Introduced' and contained 'New Law' was removed and replaced with 'Engrossed' and 'Amendatory' status.

Waters and water rights; Rural Economic Action Plan grant program; monetary cap; effective date.

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