Welcome to the Oklahoma House of Representatives

The Oklahoma House of Representatives completed bill filing Thursday, Jan. 16, for the first regular session of the 60th Legislature. A total of 1,928 House Bills, 29 House Joint Resolutions, three House Resolutions, and two House Concurrent Resolutions were filed before the deadline.  The full text of the bills, along with additional information including authors and co-authors, may be found online at https://www.okhouse.gov/ . Last year, the Clerk of the House reported 1,210 House Bills, 12 House Joint Resolutions and one House Resolution were filed. Joint resolutions may be filed at any point during the session. The House is currently comprised of 80 Republicans and 20 Democrats with one vacancy. The first regular session of the 60th Legislature will begin Monday, Feb. 3, at noon with the State of the State address from Gov. Kevin Stitt in the House Chamber.

OKLAHOMA CITY– Rep. Robert Manger, R-Oklahoma City, has filed House Joint Resolution 1001 aimed at providing financial relief to Oklahoma senior homeowners. This initiative seeks to stabilize property taxes for those aged 65 and older who meet certain criteria, ensuring that they can remain in their homes without the burden of rising property taxes. “This measure is about protecting our seniors and eliminating the worry about property taxes skyrocketing as they retire,” Manger said. “By freezing taxable property values for qualifying seniors, we are helping them maintain stability and control over their financial future." This measure was filed as a House Joint Resolution which, if passed by the Legislature, would give Oklahoma voters the opportunity to decide whether to incorporate the provisions of HJR1001 into the Oklahoma Constitution. Under HJR1001, homeowners would need to meet specific eligibility requirements, including being 65 years or older, occupying their home for at least 10 years and ensuring the property’s fair cash value does not exceed $500,000. Temporary absences from the home, provided they do not exceed 365 days within a 10-year period, would not disqualify eligibility. HJR1001 states that the fair cash value of a qualifying senior’s homestead would be frozen at the value it held when the senior turned 65. This freeze applies even if property values in the area increase. The measure would also eliminate income-based eligibility, ensuring that all seniors who meet the age and occupancy criteria can benefit, marking a significant departure from the existing rules. Additionally, any new improvements to a senior's home would be added to the taxable value and once adjusted, the fair cash value total would remain for as long as the senior continues to own and occupy the property. "Oklahoma’s seniors often live on fixed incomes, and rising property taxes can strain their finances," Manger said. "This resolution would ensure that older homeowners are protected from these increases while maintaining fairness in the state’s property tax system." Rep. Manger encourages Oklahomans interested in this bill to reach out to their legislators and urge them to co-sponsor the legislation. HJR1001 will be eligible for consideration in the upcoming legislative session, which starts Feb. 3. If passed, Oklahomans could see it on the ballot in 2026.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Jim Shaw, R-Chandler, has filed a series of bills that range from placing a moratorium on green energy projects to creating setbacks to recapturing tax subsidies from the industry. Another measure would ban the use of biosolids. "I told my constituents when running for office I would fight against the green energy insanity that has come to a peak during the Biden Administration," Shaw said. "The truth is many of the so-called green energy centers are massive consumers of energy, and they would completely destroy the economy of our great state." For the upcoming legislative session, which starts Feb. 3, Shaw has filed: House Bill 1450 , which would place an indefinite moratorium on all new industrial wind and solar facilities, or the expansion of existing facilities. "We already have too much intermittent and unreliable green energy in our portfolio – almost 50/50 wind versus natural gas," Shaw said. "We must pause to allow legislators to work with constituents on the best long-term path forward." House Bill 1451 would establish setbacks for utility-scale solar farm facilities and would amend setbacks for wind energy facilities constructed after Nov. 1.  Setbacks would include 1.5 nautical miles from the center line of a runway at a public-use or municipal-owned airport, from any public school, and from a hospital; and three miles from any nonparticipating property line. Shaw said industrial wind already has 1.5 nautical mile setbacks from hospitals, schools and airports, so he is leaving that as-is, but he's including a fourth category for nonparticipating property lines. He's duplicating the categories and distances for industrial solar. Solar has no setbacks or regulations today. House Bill 1452 would create the "Green Energy Subsidy Recapture Tax Act." Starting Oct. 1, all industrial wind and solar companies operating in Oklahoma will be assessed a tax equivalent to the federal subsidies they're receiving. House Bill 1726 would immediately ban the use of biosolids as land applied fertilizer and calls for immediate studies to be conducted by the Department of Environmental Quality and the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, with a report due by Dec. 1 on how best to handle biosolids going forward.