Committees

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, applauds the signing of a bill that will give more parents the chance to choose the educational experience that best meets their child's needs. Caldwell is a coauthor of House Bill 3705 , which increases the annual cap on the Parental Choice Tax Credit program from $250 million to $275 million beginning in Fiscal Year 2027, which starts July 1. Under the program’s tiered structure, eligible families may receive refundable tax credits ranging from $5,000 to $7,500 per student for private school tuition, depending on household income. Additionally, families who homeschool may qualify for a $1,000 per-student tax credit for approved educational expenses. "This program has been extremely well-received by Oklahoma families, as shown by record application numbers this year," Caldwell said. "I truly believe education is the most important thing the state does for its citizens. A quality education has the power to change someone's life. And parents, not the government, should have the power to decide the best educational path for their child. I'm glad the Legislature and the governor responded to the growing demand by expanding the cap for this vital program, so more parents have the flexibility to choose the education their children deserve." The Parental Choice Tax Credit program was established through House Bill 1934  in 2023. This program is just a part of the legislative commitment aimed at improving education in Oklahoma. In addition to creating the popular school choice program in 2023, the Legislature has also invested more than $1 billion in new funding for public education.  "Parents deserve a choice of where to send their children to school," said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, the House author of the bill. "For many, that's the local public school. However, if that school is not meeting their needs, parents should be able to put their tax dollars toward the place where their child will truly flourish." The Parental Choice Tax Credit program is administered by the Oklahoma Tax Commission, which opened applications for the 2026–27 school year on March 16. The commission reported nearly 27,000 applications for the upcoming school year were submitted on the first day alone. The application period for the tax credit closes at 11:59 p.m. Monday, June 15. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit all required documentation before the deadline to ensure consideration.  More information, including application guidance and eligibility details, is available on the Oklahoma Tax Commission’s website: https://oklahoma.gov/tax/individuals/parental-choice-tax-credit.html .

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, today commented on a bill being sent to the governor that would require every Oklahoma birth certificate to contain an accurate biological sex designation of either male or female as identified at the time of birth. House Bill 1225 clarifies that the biological sex listed on birth certificates at the time of birth is not to be amended to display gender identity or a nonbinary designation. "The compelling interest for this legislation is to ensure the state has integrity and accuracy on the vital records it maintains," West said. "Birth certificates are used for many different purposes, including accurate identification of a person. It's important these documents reflect biological reality that cannot be changed regardless of how a person might wish to be identified otherwise." Sen. Michael Bergstrom, R-Big Cabin, is the Senate author of HB1225 and the principal author of Senate Bill 1100 , signed into law in 2022, which limited the biological sex designation on birth certificates to male or female. "Oklahoma statutes have always held that on vital statistics documents there are two options for sex, male and female," Bergstrom said. "This legislation clarifies that position, clarifies that's the position always held by Oklahoma's Legislature, so moving forward no one can unintentionally or intentionally confuse this matter." West said HB1225 is closely tied to House Joint Resolution 1032 , which was approved by the governor in March. The resolution removed rules relating to driver's license and identification card renewal that were inherited by Service Oklahoma. The rules were implemented prior to the agency's existence. "These rules did not have statutory authority to exist," West said. He said the clarification in statute is needed after a previous bill signed into law in 2024 has been wrongly interpreted by some. "The combination of these two measures close a perceived loophole that lawyers have used to argue that people can change their sex marker on their driver's license," West said. "This will ensure the accuracy of state records going forward." 

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Data Center Consumer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026, which aims to shield Oklahoma families and small businesses from higher utility costs tied to large-scale energy users like data centers, is one step closer to becoming law. Rep. Brad Boles, R-Marlow, is the author of House Bill 2992 , which passed the House floor as well as the Senate floor yesterday with a unanimous vote. The measure establishes guidelines for how all Oklahoma electric suppliers and regulators manage the growing energy demands of data centers, cryptocurrency mining operations and artificial intelligence facilities. "I am grateful to my colleagues in the Legislature for their overwhelming bipartisan support to pass this bill and truly appreciate that so many of my colleagues have signed on as co-authors of this bill," Boles said. "I also really appreciate Senator Grant Green who carried this effort forward and got it across the finish line in the Senate. We have a duty to our constituents to put proper ratepayer protections and safeguards in place in state statute. Oklahoma families and small businesses should not be expected to finance major system upgrades required for high-demand users. Those costs should rest with the companies driving the need." The bill defines "large load customers" as new facilities adding 75 megawatts or more of demand and clarifies that residential, commercial, and traditional industrial customers are not included in that classification. The bill also adds a notice requirement within 60 days of acquiring land for these large load customers requiring them to notify the adjoining landowners, county commissioners, and the Oklahoma Corporation Commission which adds more transparency for local communities at the beginning stages of these large projects. Currently, 36 House and Senate lawmakers from both parties have signed on as co-authors of this bill alongside Rep. Boles and Sen. Green, R-Wellston, who are the primary authors. "I’m glad to see this critical reform pass the Legislature unanimously," Green said. "If private companies want to build in this state, they need to pay their own way and be good neighbors to the Oklahomans who have lived off this land their whole lives. Under this legislation, data centers and other facilities that consume massive amounts of energy can't pass their costs on to hardworking Oklahomans. Most importantly, data center developers won’t be able to buy land without notifying the community and nearby neighbors of their plans. This is a major victory for Oklahoma ratepayers that closely aligns with President Trump's broader efforts to protect consumers from higher utility costs." The Data Center Consumer Ratepayer Protection Act of 2026 now moves to the Governor's office to consider signing into law.