Appropriations and Budget

A measure significantly reforming court fees has been approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Rep. Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City, developed House Bill 1460 following an interim study she hosted where she heard from former inmates that the fees were often overwhelming. HB1460 seeks to eliminate many of the unnecessary fees levied against individuals involved in the criminal justice system. "Our current system strains our criminal justice system, hinders reentry efforts and traps individuals in a never-ending cycle of debt and criminal justice involvement," West said. "For too long, these fees have done more harm than good and have stood as barriers to successful reentry. House Bill 1460 gives people a real second chance to get back on their feet after incarceration." HB1460 would eliminate the following low-yield fees, based on 2022 data: Electronic monitoring fee (up to $300/month) – Collected by the Department of Corrections, with only $200,000 of the $700,000 assessed successfully collected. $40 indigent defense application fee – Assessed by court clerks and frequently waived by judges, generating just $26,976.88. $15 DPS Impaired Driver Database fee – Brought in $78,148.47. $5 Bureau of Narcotics Revolving Fund fee – Charged for misdemeanor marijuana possession, totaling $15,476.98. OSBI drug cleaning fee – Collected just $4.87. Additionally, two fees assessed by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for Drug Abuse Education and Treatment would be affected. The programs will remain in place but would gain an alternative revenue source, as both current fees have a collection rate below 50% and generate less than $400,000. West noted that she is still working to develop a more stable funding stream for these programs. West said these fees disproportionately affect people with limited financial means, leading to some collection rates as low as 25%. Many of these fees cost the state more to collect than they bring in. West argued that shifting away from relying on these fees will allow the state to focus on more reliable revenue sources. "When we refuse to remove these substantial barriers, we continue to punish people well after they've served their time," West said. "House Bill 1460 is a step in the right direction toward eliminating unjust financial penalties that make it harder for Oklahomans to get back on their feet after incarceration. Without the burden of overwhelming fees, people will be better equipped to rebuild their lives and become productive members of society." West added that she is continuing to work with agency heads to identify the fees that make the most sense to eliminate. The House unanimously approved HB1460 with a 95-0 vote on Thursday. It now moves to the Senate, where it's authored by Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville.

OKLAHOMA CITY – House Speaker Pro Tempore Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, on Tuesday secured unanimous committee passage of a bill that would waive financial eligibility requirements for children of longtime public school teachers applying for the Oklahoma Promise Scholarship.  House Bill 1727 passed the House Appropriations & Budget Committee. The bill specifies the student's parent must be a full-time certified teacher who has taught for at least 10 years in Oklahoma public schools. The years do not have to be consecutive or in the same school. "This bill has so many positives," Moore told his fellow committee members. "It would incentivize those teachers who are not yet fully certified to get certified. It would increase retention of longtime certified teachers in our public school classrooms where their dedication and expertise is so desperately needed. "We also know that students of educators teach at a higher rate than other students. This would keep them in Oklahoma for college, making it more likely they will stay here to live, work and raise a family." The Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP), better known as Oklahoma's Promise, allows students who meet certain income, academic and conduct requirements to earn a college or technology tuition scholarship. It was created in 1992 by the Legislature to help more Oklahoma families send their children to college. The program is administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. Moore said he hopes this measure would help address a teacher shortage, which is not just in Oklahoma but nationwide. And it's hoped it would cut down on the need for the record high number of alternative emergency certified teachers who now fill Oklahoma classrooms. "I'm grateful to all who are willing to step in to teach in our schools, particularly in rural areas where its often hard to find enough traditionally certified teachers," Moore said. "But study after study shows us that the No. 1 factor to a student's success in the classroom is a qualified teacher – one who has been trained in classroom management and has specific subject-matter expertise." House Bill 1727 passed 31-0 in the House Appropriations & Budget Committee and now is eligible for consideration on the House floor. 

The Oklahoma House Appropriations and Budget Committee today approved legislation that would reform the state’s administrative rulemaking process—the system through which state agencies draft regulations to implement laws passed by the Legislature. House Bill 2728 , authored by Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, would establish the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2025, modeled after similar federal legislation. "This is a crucial first step toward increasing transparency and oversight over an unelected bureaucracy that has incredible influence on how laws are implemented," said Kendrix, R-Altus. "These rules carry the force of law and largely take effect by default, which does not always serve the Oklahoma taxpayers well. This bill will ensure those elected by Oklahomans have greater oversight of the regulations impacting our state." If HB2728 is enacted, all proposed rules would be submitted with an economic impact statement, while proposed rules with a projected fiscal impact of at least $1 million over the first five years would require separate proactive legislative approval. The bill would also establish the Legislative Economic Analysis Unit (LEAU) within the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) to provide independent reviews of agencies' economic impact statements to ensure accuracy and completeness. This is modeled after many states that have put in place this third-party evaluation system for administrative rules, which has saved millions in cutting excess red tape and ensuring legislative intent is followed. "This simplifies the rulemaking process and ensures agency rules are given a third party thorough review before going into effect," said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. HB2728 passed the House A&B Committee unanimously and will next be heard on the House floor.