HB 1807: Waters and water rights; requiring all permit holders to utilize certain system for use of water; allocation; conservation; prohibiting excessive use; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was revised from the House to the Senate floor version, primarily adding the Senate sponsor and updating the effective date to November 1, 2025. The core policy language regarding groundwater metering and the five-year flex allocation remains substantively unchanged, with the Senate version removing the original committee report section.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on groundwater metering and flexible allocation for existing and new permit holders, with no changes to the substantive requirements or exemptions.

TIMELINE

The effective date was changed from the original House version to November 1, 2025.

TECHNICAL

The original House committee report section was removed in the Senate version.

The Senate sponsor (Jech) was added to the bill header, while the House version only listed the House sponsor.

HB1807 (5-06-25) (MURDOCK) FA3.PDF → Floor (House) · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended to remove a $30 million appropriation for groundwater metering and instead establish a comprehensive metering and allocation system for permit holders. The changes shift focus from funding a specific program to creating operational rules for water conservation and usage tracking.

Scope change

The bill now applies to all permit holders authorized to take and use groundwater, with specific provisions for existing permits, new applications, and basins where yield hasn't been determined.

FISCAL

Deleted a $30 million appropriation from the General Revenue Fund for groundwater metering implementation.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement that all permit holders must use Board-approved meters to measure groundwater usage from wells associated with their permit.

ELIGIBILITY

Established a five-year flex allocation system allowing permit holders to exceed annual allocations while staying within cumulative five-year limits.

TIMELINE

Set the flex allocation program to begin January 1, 2026, with the act effective November 1, 2025.

EXEMPTIONS

Explicitly exempted domestic wells from the metering and allocation requirements.

SCOPE

Changed the metering requirement from a funded program to a mandatory operational requirement for all permit holders.

HB1807 (5-01-25) (MURDOCK) WDFA1.PDF → HB1807 (5-06-25) (MURDOCK) FA3.PDF · 5 edits

MODERATE

The amendment was modified to target the Floor Substitute version of HB 1807 rather than the original House Bill, and the amendment language was streamlined by removing detailed measurement system requirements and renumbering instructions. The core funding provision remains unchanged at $30 million for groundwater measurement systems in 2026, but the amendment structure was simplified and the submission timestamp was updated.

TECHNICAL

Amendment language changed from amending House Bill No. 1807 directly to amending the Floor Substitute version of the bill.

Renumbering instruction simplified from 'renumbering subsequent subsections' to 'renumbering the subsequent section'.

New line break added after the submitted by section before the Senator Murdock signature line.

File timestamp updated from 2:37 PM to 3:06 PM on May 6, 2025.

REQUIREMENT

Detailed requirement for groundwater permit holders to implement measurement systems with telemetry devices was removed from the amendment text.

HB1807 (5-01-25) (MURDOCK) FA1.PDF → HB1807 (5-01-25) (MURDOCK) WDFA1.PDF · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill version was updated from May 1st to May 6th, 2025, indicating a revision to the document. No substantive policy changes, scope adjustments, funding modifications, or new requirements were identified in the provided text.

TECHNICAL

Document timestamp was updated from 5/1/2025 3:16 PM to 5/6/2025 2:37 PM, indicating a revision to the file version.

HB1807 (5-01-25) (JECH) FS FA2.PDF → HB1807 (5-01-25) (MURDOCK) FA1.PDF · 4 edits

MODERATE

Senate amendments to HB 1807 restructured the bill to add a new funding provision and modified the metering requirements for groundwater wells. The changes add $30 million in state funding for measurement systems and adjust how the Oklahoma Water Resources Board implements groundwater metering programs. These amendments expand the bill's scope by including specific appropriations and clarify the Board's authority over measurement systems.

Scope change

The bill now includes a specific appropriation of $30 million for groundwater measurement systems and modifies the metering requirements to include telemetry devices and annual reporting.

FISCAL

Added Section 2 appropriating $30 million from the General Revenue Fund to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board for groundwater measurement system implementation

REQUIREMENT

Modified metering requirements to specify that measurement systems must include pump and irrigation monitoring telemetry devices capable of reporting usage

TIMELINE

Changed effective date references and added specific implementation requirements for the five-year flex allocation program

ENFORCEMENT

Updated language regarding Board authority to require metering and seal placement on water wells

House Committee Substitute → HB1807 (5-01-25) (JECH) FS FA2.PDF · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was updated from a Committee Substitute to a Floor Substitute version with minor formatting adjustments and a change in the bill's title description. The substantive policy content regarding water metering requirements, flex allocation rules, and effective dates remained unchanged between the two versions.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; only formatting and title description updates.

TECHNICAL

Title description changed from 'Committee Substitute' to 'Floor Substitute' with additional 'Engrossed' designation.

Page reference numbers updated from 13083 to 2087 in document footers.

Minor formatting adjustments to spacing and line breaks throughout the document.

Engrossed → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten by the committee to expand groundwater metering requirements and create a new five-year flexible allocation system. The original version only allowed metering upon request by landowners, while the new version requires all permit holders to implement measurement systems. It also introduces a conservation mechanism allowing permit holders to exceed annual limits in some years, provided they stay within a five-year cumulative cap.

Scope change

Expanded from voluntary metering upon request to mandatory metering for all permit holders, and added a new flexible allocation system for groundwater use.

REQUIREMENT

Changed groundwater metering from optional (upon majority landowner request) to mandatory for all permit holders authorized to take and use groundwater.

New applicants must now submit annual usage reports from Board-approved measurement systems and pay annual groundwater permit fees to qualify for the flexible allocation.

ELIGIBILITY

Added a new five-year flexible allocation program allowing permit holders to exceed annual usage limits in some years, as long as they do not exceed 200% of the permitted annual allocation in any single year.

TIMELINE

The flexible allocation program begins January 1, 2026, replacing the original bill's provisions.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 5 edits · May 7, 2025

MODERATE

The Senate amended the House version of HB 1807 to reorganize the bill's sections and add specific requirements for groundwater metering and a new five-year flexible allocation system. The amendment clarifies that existing permit holders can use a five-year flexible allocation based on their original maximum annual yield, while new applicants use current yield determinations. It also establishes that permit holders can exceed their annual allocation in any given year as long as they stay within the cumulative five-year total, with a cap of 200% overage in any single year.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a new five-year flexible allocation mechanism for groundwater permits, applying to both existing and new permit holders, with specific yield determination rules for each category.

REQUIREMENT

Added mandatory groundwater metering requirements for all permit holders, including specific measurement systems and reporting obligations.

Modified the structure of the bill by renumbering sections and adding subsections D and E regarding allocation flexibility and domestic well exemptions.

Added requirement that applicants must submit annual usage reports and pay annual groundwater permit fees to receive five-year flexible allocation.

TIMELINE

Established a five-year flexible allocation system starting January 1, 2026, with an effective date of November 1, 2025.

ELIGIBILITY

Created eligibility criteria for five-year flexible allocations based on whether permit holders are existing or new, and whether maximum annual yield has been determined.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 6 edits · May 7, 2025

MODERATE

This bill was amended to clarify and expand the Oklahoma Water Resources Board's authority to require groundwater metering and to establish a five-year flexible allocation system for permit holders. The amendment adds specific requirements for reporting usage, defines eligible applicants for the flexible allocation, and sets limits on how much water can be used in any single year.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to explicitly include new applicants, temporary permit holders, and existing permit holders under the flexible allocation system, and to clarify that domestic wells are exempt from these requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for permit holders to report meter readings at reasonable intervals and to use Board-approved measurement systems including telemetry devices.

Added specific requirements for applicants seeking flexible allocation, including submitting annual usage reports and paying annual permit fees.

Added a cap limiting permit holders to exceeding their annual allocation by no more than 200% in any single year of the five-year period.

ELIGIBILITY

Added three categories of eligible applicants for the five-year flexible allocation: existing permit holders, new applicants, and temporary permit holders in basins without yield determinations.

DEFINITION

Added an explicit exemption stating that the new metering and allocation requirements do not apply to domestic wells.

TIMELINE

Maintained the effective date of November 1, 2025, and the start of the five-year flex allocation period at January 1, 2026.

House Conference Committee Substitute → House Committee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

This document is a formatting and numbering correction between two versions of the same legislative bill. The substantive policy content, including metering requirements, flex allocation rules, and effective dates, remains unchanged. The primary differences are page number updates, section numbering adjustments, and minor formatting corrections to the header and title sections.

TECHNICAL

Page number references were updated from Req. No. 13824 to Req. No. 13083, indicating a different printing or tracking number for the document.

Section numbering was reorganized with minor adjustments to line numbers and spacing, but the actual legislative text and policy provisions remain identical.

Header formatting was corrected, removing redundant 'CONFERENCE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' labels and standardizing the document title presentation.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → House Conference Committee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended from a proposed committee substitute to a conference committee substitute, reflecting final agreement between the House and Senate. The substantive policy content regarding water metering, allocation rules, and effective dates remains largely unchanged, though the document title and reference numbers were updated to reflect the conference committee process.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; the document was renamed from 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute' to 'Conference Committee Substitute' to indicate final legislative agreement.

TECHNICAL

Document title changed from 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute' to 'Conference Committee Substitute' to reflect final legislative approval.

Reference number updated from 60-1-12945 to 60-1-13824, and date changed from 02/26/25 to 05/20/25, indicating final conference committee processing.

Author attribution updated to include both House member Newton and Senate member Jech, reflecting conference committee compromise.

Waters and water rights; requiring all permit holders to utilize certain system for use of water; allocation; conservation; prohibiting excessive use; effective date.

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