Budget & Taxes

vetoed · Oklahoma · House May 30, 2025

HB 2753: Rural Jobs Act; cap on capital investment tax credits; participation; eligibility.

HB 2753 expands Oklahoma's Rural Jobs Act by adding a new $200 million annual pool of state tax credits for rural investments, effective July 1, 2025, beyond the existing $15 million annual cap. The bill requires that at least 10% of each investment must come from local sources like employees or affiliates, and sets a 90-day deadline for rural funds to secure capital after certification. It also establishes a 15-business-day timeline for the Department to determine if a business qualifies for investment, with automatic eligibility if no decision is made by day 20. This expansion aims to increase funding for rural economic development projects by making more tax credits available to eligible businesses and rural investment funds.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands state tax credits with $200M annual funding for rural investments, directly increasing fiscal support for economic development through tax incentives.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

Track

vetoed · Oklahoma · Senate May 29, 2025

SB 324: Incentives; creating the Oklahoma Research and Development Rebate Fund; prescribing sources of funds; creating a research and development rebate program; authorizing promulgation of rules.

SB 324 creates the Oklahoma Research and Development Rebate Fund to provide businesses with a 5% reimbursement for qualified research expenses incurred within the state. Eligible businesses must submit applications demonstrating research activities occurred in Oklahoma and have filed all required state tax returns. The program, administered by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, reimburses up to $20 million annually, with payments prorated if demand exceeds available funds. This directly affects businesses conducting research in Oklahoma that claim expenses on federal Form 6765.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProvides 5% tax rebate to businesses for qualified R&D expenses, reducing tax burden and incentivizing economic activity within state budget framework.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

Track

vetoed · Oklahoma · House May 29, 2025

HB 2260: Revenue and taxation; income tax credit; civil engineering; effective date.

HB 2260 creates tax credits for Oklahoma civil engineering employers and employees to encourage hiring and retention. Employers can claim credits for 50% of tuition reimbursed to new hires (first 4 years) or 5-10% of compensation paid (first 5 years), capped at $12,500 annually per employee. Employees may claim up to $5,000 yearly in tax credits for 5 years, based on their degree location (in-state vs. out-of-state). The credits apply to qualified employees with ABET-accredited degrees or Professional Engineer licenses, employed by eligible engineering firms starting January 1, 2026, through 2030. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025, with all credits expiring after 2030.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill creates targeted tax credits for civil engineering employers/employees, providing tax relief to incentivize hiring/retention, directly advancing tax policy within Budget & Taxes.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

Track

vetoed · Oklahoma · House May 29, 2025

HB 2374: Revenue and taxation; Filmed in Oklahoma Act of 2021; procedures for withholding tax; income tax treatment; set aside amount for economic impact reviews; effective date; emergency.

HB 2374 creates a film production rebate program in Oklahoma for productions meeting specific filming requirements. It provides rebates to eligible film and television productions that film at least 75% of a season or pilot within the state, based on qualifying local spending like wages for Oklahoma residents or crew. The program, administered by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and Tax Commission, requires applicants to verify payments to local crew, vendors, and tax compliance. Productions must submit annual reports detailing rebate payments to legislative committees. The bill directly affects film studios, production companies, and local crew members who qualify under its spending and filming criteria.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates tax rebates for film productions, providing tax relief to incentivize local economic activity and qualifying spending, directly impacting tax policy and budget allocation.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

Track

vetoed · Oklahoma · Senate May 29, 2025

SB 687: Sales tax exemption; requiring Oklahoma Broadband Office and Oklahoma Tax Commission to administer certain rebate program; modifying rebate limit; creating the Oklahoma Broadband Rebate Revolving Fund.

SB 687 creates a rebate program for businesses purchasing equipment to expand broadband services in underserved or unserved areas of Oklahoma. It directs the Oklahoma Broadband Office and Tax Commission to administer the program, requiring equipment to directly enable broadband expansion (not operational costs) and limiting rebates to $42 million total - $31.5 million reserved for low-population-density counties. The Oklahoma Broadband Rebate Revolving Fund will pay approved claims, with payments calculated based on total eligible claims versus available funds. Providers must file claims by specified deadlines, and annual reports will track broadband project impacts without disclosing individual company names.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates $42M broadband rebate fund via revolving fund, allocating state budget to fund infrastructure expansion in underserved areas, aligning with 'funds essential programs' indicator.92% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyFunds broadband infrastructure expansion via rebates for equipment, directly advancing internet access in underserved areas - core technology policy objective.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

Track

vetoed · Oklahoma · House May 29, 2025

HB 2785: Public finance; imposing duties upon the Office of Management and Enterprise Services; budget procedures for the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; requirements related to allocation of funds; emergency.

HB 2785 requires Oklahoma's Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) to implement stricter budget oversight for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. It mandates OMES to review agency budgets against actual spending before releasing funds, prohibit contracts without clear cost limits, restrict multi-year contract encumbrances to current-year funds, and block payments for unapproved expenses. The bill also requires OMES to report monthly revenue and spending status to the Governor, legislature leadership, and relevant committees. This directly affects state budget management for mental health services by adding specific financial controls to prevent overspending. The law takes immediate effect due to an emergency declaration.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRequires stricter budget oversight, cost controls, and prevents unapproved spending to promote fiscal responsibility within mental health funding procedures.90% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareBill restricts mental health funding flexibility by mandating strict budget oversight, blocking unapproved payments, and limiting contract terms, reducing operational capacity.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

Track

signed · Oklahoma · House May 29, 2025

HB 2766: General appropriations; various agencies, authorities, boards, bureaus, commission, funds and programs; effective date.

HB 2766 is the Oklahoma state budget bill for fiscal year 2026, allocating over $1.65 billion from the General Revenue Fund to support public schools. It directs specific funding for teacher salaries, textbooks, health benefits for staff, school administration, and the School Consolidation Assistance Fund, drawing from multiple sources including the Education Lottery Trust Fund and Mineral Leasing Fund. The bill was enacted without the Governor's signature on May 29, 2025, and directly affects all Oklahoma public schools and their students through these state-funded resources.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $1.65B from General Revenue Fund for public school funding including teacher salaries, textbooks, and health benefits, directly advancing essential education programs.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationAllocates $1.65B for teacher salaries, textbooks, health benefits, and school consolidation fund from education-specific sources like Education Lottery Trust Fund.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentFunds teacher salaries and health benefits for school staff, directly supporting labor-related employment standards within public education.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Oklahoma · House May 29, 2025

HB 2789: Water Resources Board; making appropriations; source; purpose; accounts; deposits of transfers; procedures; effective date; emergency.

HB 2789 directs $3.3 million and $6.6 million from Oklahoma's Statewide Recovery Fund to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board for specific water-related projects previously funded under Senate Bill 13. The funds must be used as recommended by the Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding, with no more than 4% retained for administrative costs. It creates special, non-fiscal-year-limited accounts in the state treasury for these funds, requiring quarterly reporting to the Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding and strict adherence to American Rescue Plan Act guidelines. The bill also mandates agreements with other state agencies for fund oversight but prohibits transferring control of the funds to other agencies.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesRedirects existing state funds ($9.9M total) to water projects with fiscal oversight, ensuring proper allocation per committee recommendations and promoting responsible budget management.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 29, 2025

SB 1178: Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; making an appropriation; identifying sources of funds. Emergency.

SB 1178 appropriates $100,000 from Oklahoma's General Revenue Fund to the Department of Human Services for fiscal year 2026 to support its existing mental health and substance abuse services duties. The bill directly affects state-funded mental health programs by providing dedicated funding for current operations. It includes an emergency clause, allowing it to take immediate effect without the governor's signature, which occurred on May 29, 2025. This is a procedural funding measure with no new policy requirements, solely allocating existing resources. The appropriation is limited to the specified amount and purpose as defined in the bill text.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $100k from General Revenue Fund to fund existing mental health services, directly supporting state budget allocation for public programs.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAppropriates $100,000 for existing mental health/substance abuse services, directly funding public health programs per healthcare topic description.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes

signed · Oklahoma · House May 29, 2025

HB 2516: Military infrastructure funding; creating the Base Infrastructure Needs and Development-Schools Revolving Fund; Military Department; budgeting; utilizations of funds; effective date; emergency.

HB 2516 creates the "Base Infrastructure Needs and Development - Schools Revolving Fund" (BIND-Schools Fund) within Oklahoma's State Treasury to support military base infrastructure. The fund, which has no annual budget restrictions, provides resources for the Oklahoma Military Department to invest in new construction or improvements to education facilities located on military bases. These investments aim to either reduce the risk of military base closures or encourage base expansions within Oklahoma. The law became effective July 1, 2025, after passing without the Governor's signature.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesCreates a dedicated revolving fund (BIND-Schools Fund) for military infrastructure spending within state budget, advancing government investment in facility improvements to prevent base closures.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Budget & Taxes