House Media

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, legislative leaders in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate, along with the Governor, announced they have reached an agreement on the state budget for Fiscal Year 2027. The agreement marks the earliest a comprehensive budget deal has been reached in recent state history. The FY27 budget prioritizes fiscal discipline while making strategic investments in critical areas of state government. The budget makes significant strategic investments in education, including $27.3 million to fund health insurance increases for teachers, almost $80 million dedicated to reading and math initiatives, including support for the Strong Readers Act, and $85 million for teacher pay raises. These investments, along with others reinforce the Legislature’s commitment to improving student outcomes while strengthening Oklahoma’s education workforce. The budget also increases funding for the Department of Mental Health to support efforts with the ongoing consent decree, the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority for increased Medicaid utilization and the Department of Human Services for Advantage waiver, changes to the SNAP program and child care teacher recruitment and retention.  “Even in a challenging fiscal environment, our priority has been protecting core services for Oklahomans while maintaining a responsible approach to taxpayer dollars,” said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. “This early agreement is the result of leaders coming to the table prepared to do the work." "This budget is the result of a collaborative, good-faith effort between the Senate, House and Governor’s Office to put Oklahomans first,” said Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton. “By holding our state agencies harmless, we are ensuring that the core services our citizens rely on, from public safety to infrastructure, remain fully funded and reliable. At the same time, we are making a historic, targeted investment in our future. This plan provides our teachers with a much-needed pay raise to keep Oklahoma competitive, ensures our students benefit from more instructional days in the classroom and honors our commitment to retirees through a critical cost-of-living adjustment. I want to thank everyone involved for the tireless effort and dedication they have shown in crafting a responsible, forward-looking budget that sets Oklahoma up for long-term success." “I am grateful to leaders in the Senate and House for their work on this budget deal and for their commitment to fiscally responsible reforms that will put our state in an even better position,” said Governor Stitt. “This agreement reflects the important priorities for Oklahoma while keeping an eye on the horizon and planning for the future needs of our state.” House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Trey Caldwell, R-Faxon, and Vice Chairman John Kane, R-Bartlesville and Senate Appropriations and Budget Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry, and Vice Chairman John Haste, Broken Arrow, who led budget negotiations, emphasized the disciplined approach taken during the process. “This budget reflects months of responsible planning,” Caldwell and Kane said in a joint statement. “Even in a year when revenues are tighter, we remained focused on protecting essential services while identifying strategic investments that strengthen our state. By working closely with our Senate counterparts and the Governor’s office, we were able to produce a budget that keeps Oklahoma on stable financial footing.” “Every dollar in this budget reflects the needs and priorities of Oklahomans,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry. “This spending plan makes a significant investment in public education and provides pay raises for our hardworking teachers. It supports the dedicated public servants who show up every day to serve our state and gives retirees an overdue cost-of-living adjustment after years of high inflation. By investing in the Oklahomans who are the backbone of this state, we’re building a brighter future for Oklahoma. I’m also proud that this budget is a fiscally responsible proposal that protects core government services and does right by the taxpayers who fund our state government.” Hilbert also emphasized the Legislature’s responsibility to thoroughly examine agency spending. “As legislators, our job is not simply to approve budgets but to provide meaningful oversight of the agencies entrusted with taxpayer resources,” Hilbert said. “That means digging into the details, asking hard questions and examining every single line in an agency’s budget. Oklahomans expect us to ensure their tax dollars are spent wisely, and that work requires diligence and accountability.” More details on the FY27 budget can be found on the Oklahoma House website at https://former.okhouse.gov/fiscal/FiscalPortal.aspx and the Oklahoma Senate website at https://oksenate.gov/appropriations . “Oklahomans expect us to lead, and that means coming to the table with solutions,” Hilbert said. “Throughout this process, leadership has remained focused on delivering a responsible budget that protects services without unnecessary spending increases.”

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has approved legislation by Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, aimed at protecting voluntary religious expression in public schools. House Bill 3240 requires school districts and charter schools to adopt policies allowing students and school employees the opportunity to participate in a voluntary period of prayer or reading of religious texts during the school day. Participation would be entirely voluntary and would require written consent from a parent or guardian for students. Hasenbeck filed the bill to provide clarity for school districts who may fear litigation following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court case Kennedy v. Bremerton School District . She said the legislation is intended to provide school districts with a clear and constitutional framework for accommodating voluntary prayer or religious text reading. "Students and school employees should never feel like they have to hide their faith or worry about whether voluntary religious expression is allowed," Hasenbeck said. "House Bill 3240 provides clear guidance so schools can respect the religious freedom of students and educators while also respecting the rights of those who choose not to participate." The bill specifies that the period may not replace instructional time or involve prayer or readings broadcast over school public address systems. It also allows the designated period to take place before the start of the regular school day or in classrooms where all participants have submitted a consent form. The House approved the measure 61-30. It now moves to the Senate for further consideration, where it's authored by Sen. Jerry Alvord, R-Wilson.

A measure aimed at improving access to care and strengthening health insurance protections for the over 40,000 Oklahomans living with epilepsy has been passed by the Oklahoma House of Representatives.  Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, authored House Bill 4294  to require individual and group health insurance policies providing medical and surgical benefits to offer the same coverage protections to individuals diagnosed with epilepsy as they would to those without the condition. The measure also prohibits insurers from terminating or refusing coverage based solely on an epilepsy diagnosis.  The bill also requires insurance plans to cover medically necessary neurostimulation devices when prescribed by a licensed physician treating the patient. These devices can help reduce or prevent seizures for individuals whose epilepsy does not respond to medication alone. "Epilepsy can be life-altering for those living with it, as well as for their loved ones," Pae said. "Under House Bill 4294, the tens of thousands of Oklahomans with epilepsy would no longer be unfairly penalized by their insurance coverage. By expanding access to treatments and proven medical technology, patients and their doctors can fully pursue the care that works best for them." According to the Epilepsy Foundation of Oklahoma , around 41,000 Oklahomans are diagnosed with epilepsy. Last year, Pae authored Dylan's Law , a measure improving education and awareness around Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), a fatal complication of epilepsy. The law is named for Dylan Cheatwood, who passed away in 2017 from SUDEP, and took effect Nov. 1, 2025. Having passed the House 63-32, HB4294 moves to the Senate for consideration. It's authored in the Senate by Sen. Brenda Stanley, R-Midwest City.