Legislative Package Strengthening Oversight of Public Funds Advances from Committees
OKLAHOMA CITY – A bipartisan package of reforms aimed at strengthening oversight of taxpayer dollars and reinforcing ethical standards in state and local government has passed House committees and is now eligible to be heard on the House floor. The initiative is led by Rep. Judd Strom, R-Copan, who collaborated with members of both parties after concerns surfaced about gaps in government spending oversight. The group worked closely with State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd, after an audit revealed $93.4 million in questionable expenditures over the past year. Strom said the findings showed the need for stronger safeguards to ensure public funds are properly documented, transparently reported and used for their intended purposes. "When I read that audit, it was frustrating," Strom said. "Serving as chair of the General Government Committee, I knew we couldn’t ignore it. We sat down with the State Auditor to pinpoint breakdowns in contracting and procurement and began working on solutions that safeguard taxpayer dollars, cut unnecessary costs and prevent abuse. The people footing the bill deserve full confidence in how their money is being handled." After several months of collaboration, lawmakers advanced the measures to address ongoing concerns about government spending. The lawmakers say the proposals would create greater uniformity and clarity when contracts involving public funds are violated, helping ensure stronger accountability for the use of taxpayer dollars. Strom met regularly with Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus; Rep. Denise Crosswhite-Hader, R-Piedmont; Rep. Mike Dobrinski, R-Okeene; Rep. Preston Stinson, R-Edmond; and Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Oklahoma City. The group worked closely with Byrd, whose office conducted a detailed review of contracting practices, procurement systems and accountability laws to identify weaknesses. "The people of Oklahoma expect their government to operate in the open and within clear guardrails," the lawmakers said in a joint statement. "As a group, we took a hard look at how public dollars move through the system and where transparency could be strengthened. These bills are about closing gaps and making sure accountability is built into every step of the process. They also establish clear guardrails so that once lawmakers appropriate funds, agencies are not simply free to spend that money however they choose. Taxpayers deserve nothing less." Byrd said the lawmakers who are working on these bills are doing a great service for the taxpayers of Oklahoma. "If the bills are signed into law, it would be a great step forward in accountability," Byrd said. "I have spent the last seven years blowing the whistle on government mismanagement but our current laws are not designed to hold bad actors accountable. I highly commend each of these lawmakers for demanding the financial guardrails Oklahoma desperately needs. Even our greatest problems can be solved when our leaders unite behind a singular purpose.” The reform package includes the following measures: House Bill 3419 – Would strengthens state ethics laws by making it a felony for current or former state or local officials, employees or contractors to use confidential government information for personal financial gain. Convictions could include prison time, fines and a prohibition on holding public office or entering into state contracts. House Bill 3413 – Would expand transparency in state agency contracting by requiring agencies to publicly list contractors, contract values and project status. It also mandates posting consultant reports and disclosing whether contracts are for outside services or to supplement staffing. House Bill 3414 – Would direct the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to improve accounting systems to clearly distinguish between service contracts and staff augmentation. It also requires permanent documentation for digital and intangible assets purchased by agencies. House Bill 3415 – Would require vendors to disclose subcontractors, sets stronger documentation standards and mandates post-project reviews to confirm work was completed on time and within budget. The bill also creates a publicly accessible database of state contracts. House Bill 3416 – Would allow counties to seek quotes for certain smaller purchases instead of always using a lengthy bidding process, while maintaining safeguards and documentation requirements to prevent misuse. House Bill 3417 – Would clarify that cities and towns must follow state competitive bidding laws and may not adopt local rules that weaken or bypass those standards. House Bill 3418 – Would update the Public Competitive Bidding Act by refining procedures for public construction projects, clarifying definitions and ensuring consistent bidding practices, including for school district contracts. House Bill 3420 – Would amend the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act to strengthen oversight when contracts are negotiated rather than competitively bid. It would require stronger justification, clearer documentation and public reporting of procurement activity, and directs OMES to publish purchasing reports online for public review. All of the bills are now eligible to be considered on the House floor.