Representative Gerrid Kendrix

R

District 52

Hi, I'm Gerrid Kendrix and I represent the people of Oklahoma's 52nd District.


representative

Leadership

Assistant Majority Floor Leader

60th Legislature

News & Announcements

Apr 16, 2025
Recent Posts

Bill Requiring Legislative Approval of All Administrative Rules Advances

A measure requiring all administrative rules to receive proactive approval from the Oklahoma Legislature before taking effect has moved one step closer to becoming law. State agencies are often tasked with drafting administrative rules to implement state statutes. These rules must go through a public comment period and, once finalized, carry the full force of law. Currently, under Oklahoma’s administrative rules process, all submitted rules must be reviewed by the Legislature. However, if lawmakers take no action, the rules are then sent to the governor. Should the governor also decline to act, the rules automatically go into effect without any formal approval. Senate Bill 995 , carried in the House by Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, would change that process by requiring all rules to be approved through a joint resolution of the Legislature before taking effect. Any rules not explicitly approved would be considered disapproved. "Too often, administrative rules written by unelected agency bureaucrats go into effect without any input from the people’s elected representatives," said Kendrix, who chairs the House Administrative Rules Committee. "This undermines the role of the Legislature and, by extension, the voices of our constituents. Senate Bill 995 ensures that lawmakers have the final say on new rules before they take effect. This bill provides the transparency and accountability Oklahomans deserve, and I believe the time is right to get it done." SB995 is authored in the Senate by Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, who chairs the Senate Administrative Rules Committee. The two lawmakers held an interim study in October to explore protentional reforms to the rulemaking process. The bill passed committee 11-0 on Wednesday and now moves to the House floor for consideration. However, SB995 was amended in committee and would need to be approved by the Senate again before moving to the governor's desk. An emergency clause attached to the measure would make it effective immediately upon being signed into law.

Mar 4, 2025
Recent Posts

House Passes Admin Rules Bill to Sunset 'Chevron Deference'

The Oklahoma House of Representatives on Monday passed legislation to eliminate the "doctrine of Chevron deference," a legal test that limited courts' ability to interpret ambiguous administrative rules. In June 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the Chevron deference, which directed courts to defer to an agency's interpretation of administrative rules rather than independently determining legislative intent. Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, authored House Bill 2729 to officially end Chevron deference, entrusting courts with the responsibility of interpreting legislative intent related to administrative rules under legal scrutiny. "As legislators, we are elected by our constituents and entrusted to secure and protect their unalienable rights," said Kendrix, who serves as chair of the House Administrative Rules Committee. "When agencies that create administrative rules, which hold the weight of law, are allowed to interpret these rules themselves, unelected bureaucrats are effectively writing laws that bypass the legislative process. This undermines the intent of both the U.S and Oklahoma Constitutions. House Bill 2729 ensures that unelected agencies do not have the final word in establishing law." "Lawmaking is the job of lawmakers," said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. "By eliminating the Chevron deference, we are restoring proper checks and balances and reaffirming that agencies cannot expand their own authority beyond what the law allows." HB2729 also directs that, after applying standard interpretative methods, ambiguous rules must be resolved in favor of those that limit agency authority and promote individual liberty. The measure passed the House 79-16 and now moves to the Senate for consideration.

Feb 20, 2025
Recent Posts

House Passes REINS Act: Second House priority bill passes House title-on in first three weeks of session

The Oklahoma House of Representatives today passed House Bill 2728, a measure designed to enhance transparency and legislative oversight in the state’s administrative rulemaking process. House Bill 2728 , authored by Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, creates the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2025, modeled after similar federal legislation. The bill ensures that state agency regulations receive greater legislative review before taking effect. "This is a major step toward ensuring the people’s elected representatives—not unelected agencies—have the final say on costly regulations," said Kendrix. "State agencies hold significant power in implementing laws, and this bill makes sure the Legislature plays a more active role in the process." If enacted, HB2728 would require all proposed agency rules to be submitted with an economic impact statement. Additionally, any rule projected to cost at least $1 million over five years would require separate legislative approval before it could take effect. "The rise of decentralized movements like DOGE shows that people value transparency, accountability, and freedom from unchecked control," said John Tidwell, state director with Americans for Prosperity Oklahoma. "The REINS Act embodies these same principles by ensuring that unelected bureaucrats can't impose costly regulations without legislative approval. State and federal governments must remain accountable to the people they serve. By passing the REINS Act, Oklahoma is reinforcing the fundamental idea that power should rest with the representatives elected by the people—not with runaway regulatory agencies." The bill establishes the Legislative Economic Analysis Unit (LEAU) within the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) to provide independent reviews of agencies' economic impact statements. This ensures accuracy and prevents unnecessary regulatory burdens. Similar models in other states have successfully cut excess red tape and saved taxpayers millions. "This legislation strengthens accountability by making sure agency rules receive independent review before becoming law," said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. "This is the second House priority bill we have passed in the first three weeks of the legislative session and I appreciate the speed at which the House has passed these important bills." House Bill 2728 passed 86-3 and now advances to the Oklahoma Senate for further consideration. The House also passed House Bill 1276 , banning cell phones in schools, and sent it to the Senate with the title on, meaning it is ready to become law if approved by the Senate.