*The Legislature adjourned May 23, 2008
* Bill numbers in bold type
were enacted by the legislature this year.
HOUSE
BILLS
HB 2201
By Representative Richardson; changes the definition of a public
construction contract in the Public Competitive Bidding Act. Deletes the
provision for contracts exceeding $50,000.00 in amount and defines a public
contract to be any contract awarded by any public agency for making public
improvements, repairing or constructing any public building. Deletes language
that exempts the direct purchase of materials from the definition of “public
improvement”. Provides that all public construction contracts exceeding
$25,000.00 shall be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder by open competitive
bidding. The contractor must provide proof of insurance. Public construction
contracts under $25,000.00 may be negotiated with a qualified contractor.
Dormant.
HB 2206 By Representative Wright and
Senator Aldridge; re-creates the Waterworks and Wastewater Works Advisory
Council until July 1, 2012. Passed by the House and Senate. Signed by the
Governor. Effective November 1, 2008. Karl Potochnik and Donald Spence represent
rural water systems on the Council.
HB 2216 By Representative Murphey and
Senator Anderson; amends the definition of a public construction contract to
include janitorial and other cleaning services. Passed by the House. Not heard
by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Dead.
HB 2238 By Representative Schwartz and
Senator Johnson; relates to applications for stream water rights. Provides that
other than to reflect a corporate name change, no amendment shall be made to the
identity of an applicant without the express written consent of the Oklahoma
Water Resources Board. Passed by the House. Passed by the Senate Energy
Committee. Assigned to Conference Committee. Dead.
HB 2250 By Representative Cooksey
and Senator Nichols; amends the Open Records Act to provide that public bodies
that provide utility services to the public must provide the public access to
their records, including records of the address, rate paid for services,
charges, consumption rates, adjustments to the bill, reasons for adjustment, the
name of the person that authorized the adjustment and payment for each customer.
Passed by the House. Passed by the Senate. Signed by the Governor. Effective
November 1, 2008.
HB 2536 By Representative McCullough;
exempts municipalities from paying a fee to the County Clerk for filing of
documents or for making copies of a document. Dormant.
HB 2548 By Representative Richardson;
relates to applications for stream water use. Requires a separate application
for each diversion point in a stream system. Dormant.
HB 2553 By Representative Liebmann;
appropriates monies from gross production taxes on oil to the Second Century
Water Planning and Development Revolving Fund to be utilized for updating and
implementing the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan and for financial assistance
programs administered by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Dormant.
HB 2557 By Representative Liebmann
and Senator Aldridge; clarifies that municipal officers or officials elected for
the first time are required to attend eight (8) hours of training at an
institute for municipal officials. Persons who fail to attend the required
training within one year of election shall cease to hold office. Passed by the
House. Passed by the Senate. Signed by the Governor. Effective April 11, 2008.
HB 2670 By Representative Gilbert;
effective November 1, 2008, all new construction or alterations to buildings or
facilities that are made available to the general public shall provide and
maintain in an operational condition an automatic door to at least one entrance
to the building and handicapped accessible restrooms. Dormant.
HB 2702 By Representative Steele and
Senator Laster; creates the Oklahoma Water Conservation Grant Program. Requires
the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to solicit proposals and make grants for the
establishment of pilot programs, which will implement water conservation
projects or plans in communities in the state. Passed by the House. Not heard by
the Senate Appropriations Committee. Dead.
HB 2733 By Representative Renegar;
appropriates money to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to pay the construction
cost for the public water supply at Sardis Reservoir. Dormant.
HB 2775 By Representative DeWitt and
Senator Justice; requires the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to establish a
state water portal system that connects the web sites and information systems of
all the state water agencies. Passed by the House. Passed by the Senate
Appropriations Committee. Assigned to Conference Committee. Dead.
HB 2789 By Representative Jackson;
requires the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to notify the Board of County
Commissioners of intent to drill, or reenter any oil, gas, injection, disposal
or service well. Assigned to House Rules Committee. Dormant.
HB 2916 By Representative Morrissette;
water turned into any water course by any party may be reclaimed below and
diverted there from by the party. Assigned to House Rules Committee. Dormant.
HB 2925 By Representative Trebilcock;
prohibits any employing entity from performing credit checks or financial audit
as a condition of employment. Dormant.
HB 2945 By Representative Pruett;
authorizes the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to accept the surrender of any
water right by the holder. Assigned to House Energy Sub-Committee. Dormant.
HB 2969 By Representative Hoskin
and Senator Ballinger; provides that all state agencies and political
subdivisions shall only purchase flags of the United States and State of
Oklahoma that are manufactured in the United States. Passed by the House. Passed
by the Senate. Signed by the Governor. Effective November 1, 2008.
HB 2992 By Representative BigHorse;
Creates the Centennial State and Tribal Cooperative Watershed Management Task
Force to continue until December 31, 2009. Dormant.
HB 3090 By Representative Dorman;
relates to the Oklahoma Open Records Act. Assigned to House Rules Committee.
Dormant.
HB 3135 By Representative Piatt
and Senator Schulz; requires licensing of well drillers. Modifies the amount
maintained in the Well Drillers and Pump Installers Remedial Action Indemnity
Fund. Increases the amount of administrative penalties from $500.00 to $5,000.00
for violations of Board rules or construction or installation standards. Passed
by the House. Passed by the Senate. Signed by the Governor. Effective June 4,
2008.
HB 3188 By Representative DeWitt;
relates to funding for the Rural Economic Action Plan Water Projects Fund.
Removes the limit on gross production taxes that may be dedicated to the Fund.
Assigned to House Rules Committee. Dormant.
HB 3242 By Representative McNiel;
relates to the Rural Economic Action Plan Water Projects Fund. Passed by the
House. Not heard by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Dead.
HB 3297 By Representative Collins;
requires certain communities to designate a floodplain administrator. Passed by
the House Natural Resources Committee. Dormant.
SENATE BILLS
SB 1145 By Senator Anderson and
Representative Jackson; amends the Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act
to extend the period of time that a excavator needs to notify an operator
regarding a proposed excavation from not more than 10 days or less than 48 hours
to not more than 30 days or less than 48 hours. Passed by the Senate Public
Safety Committee. Dormant.
SB 1154 By Senator Laster: provides
that the first five million dollars of surplus funds which accrue to the General
Revenue Fund of the State of Oklahoma each year shall be transferred to the
Statewide Water Development Revolving Fund to be used by the Oklahoma Water
Resources Board for implementation of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan.
Dormant.
SB 1161 By Senator Coates; requires
every public employer to register with and utilize a Status Verification System
to verify the federal employment status of all new employees. If appropriate
verification procedures are followed, the bill provides an exemption from
certain hiring requirements and liability or suit. Dormant.
SB 1385 By Senator Laster;
appropriates monies from gross production taxes on oil to the Second Century
Water Planning and Development Revolving Fund to be utilized for updating and
implementing the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan and for financial assistance
programs administered by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Dormant.
SB 1406 By Senator Bingman and
Representative McNiel; authorizes municipalities with a population of less than
5,000 to employ a part-time city manager. Requires the Oklahoma Department of
Commerce to develop and coordinate a financial assistance program for local
government administrative functions for municipalities that qualify. Passed by
the Senate. Passed by the House. Signed by the Governor. Effective November 1,
2008.
SB 1410 By Senator Paddack and
Representative Hilliard; requires the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to conduct
pilot projects designed to recharge various types of aquifers in the state.
Passed by the Senate. Passed by the House. Signed by the Governor. Effective
April 22, 2008.
SB 1454 By Senator Ivester; increases
the penalty for failure to secure worker’s compensation insurance from not more
than $75.00 per employee to $150.00 per employee. An employer shall be liable
for a civil penalty of not more than $1,000.00 per employee for a second or
subsequent offense. The maximum civil penalty shall not exceed $25,000.00.
Dormant.
SB 1502 By Senator Wyrick and
Representative Watson; creates a Joint Legislative Advisory Committee on the
Grand River Dam Authority for the purpose of studying the functions, activities,
policies, procedures and expenditures GRDA. Dormant.
SB 1505 By Senator Rabon and
Representative Thompson; relates to the prequalification of bidders. Provides
that prequalification to bid or perform work on a public construction contract
does not constitute a license or serve as a substitute for a license. Passed by
the Senate. Passed by the House. Signed by the Governor. Effective May 20, 2008.
SB 1509 By Senator Gumm and Senator
Bingman; relates to water and water rights. Dormant.
SB 1573 By Senator Constance Johnson;
creates the Oklahoma Drinking Water Purification Systems Task Force to study
drinking water purification systems and the potential benefits of replacing
chlorine gas with on-site hypochlorite generation. Dormant.
SB 1627 By Senator Paddack and
Representative Billy; directs the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to establish a
marginal-quality water technical work group. Marginal-quality waters include
brackish or saline contaminated water, which may be used or reused for many
industrial purposes. Membership of the technical work group will consist of
state environmental agencies, rural water and other stakeholder groups. Passed
by the Senate. Passed by the House. Signed by the Governor. Effective May 13,
2008.
SB 1693 By Senator Lerblance and
Representative Renegar; creates the Task Force on Taxation of Water Sales. The
Task Force consists of six members of the Legislature. Passed by the Senate. Not
heard in the House Natural Resources Committee. Dead.
SB 1695 By Senator Bass; encourages
the Governor and Legislature to consider developing a conservation bond program
to address funding for operation, maintenance and rehabilitation of dams,
conservation system restoration and to establish an equipment revolving fund.
Dormant.
SB 1696 By Senator Bass and
Representative DeWitt; authorizes the Oklahoma Conservation Commission to
establish and administer a Municipal Infrastructure Cost-Share Program to assist
eligible communities and rural water districts in implementing conservation or
best management practices on eligible lands. Establishes the Oklahoma
Conservation Commission Municipal Cost-Share Revolving Fund. Passed by the
Senate. Passed by the House. Signed by the Governor. Effective May 13, 2008.
SB 1718 By Senator Ivester; requires
the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to regulate seismographic exploration
associated with oil and gas exploration in the state and gives the Commission
responsibility for protecting the interest and property of the citizens of
Oklahoma. Dormant.
SB 1723 By Senator Gumm; provides that
Oklahoma ground water laws apply to water that infiltrates, seeps, migrates, or
otherwise moves from a sole source aquifer into an open mining pit. Dormant.
SB 1736 By Senator Schulz; provides
that the treasurer of a public entity require that financial institutions
deposit collateral securities or instruments to secure the uninsured deposits
of the public entity in each such institution. Dormant.
SB 1765 By Senator Myers and
Representative Adkins; creates a task force to study the geologic storage of
carbon dioxide. In Conference Committee.
SB 1808 By Senator Brogdon; relates to
the authority to change municipal limits. Dormant.
SB 1810 By Senator Wyrick; relates to
the Oklahoma Agriculture Environmental Permitting Act. Dormant.
SB 1813 By Senator Wyrick; relates to
the Oklahoma Agriculture Environmental Permitting Act. Dormant.
SB 1814 By Senator Wyrick; relates to
the Oklahoma Agriculture Environmental Permitting Act. Dormant.
SB 1815 By Senator Schulz; relates to
the Oklahoma Agriculture Environmental Permitting Act. Dormant.
SB 1816 By Senator Barrington and
Representative Armes; prohibits burning during periods of extreme fire danger.
Authorizes the County Commissioners, with the documented concurrence of the
majority of fire chiefs in the County, to adopt a resolution declaring an
extreme fire danger. Establishes penalties for violation of the Act. Passed by
the Senate. Passed by the House. Signed by the Governor. Effective June 3, 2008.
SB 1817 By Senator Justice; relates to
the Oklahoma Agriculture Environmental Permitting Act. Dormant.
SB 1818 By Senator Justice; relates to
the Oklahoma Agriculture Environmental Permitting Act. Dormant.
SB 1845 By Senator Burrage; relates to
GRDA rates and charges for water, power and other services. Dormant.
SB 1866 By Senator Coffee and
Representative Hickman; requires the Oklahoma Department of Commerce (ODC) to
administer the Rural Economic Action Plan (REAP) Fund. Prohibits ODC from
charging a fee for administration of the REAP Program. Conference Committee
Report passed by the Senate.
SB 1933 By Senator Wilson; Provides
for the levy of a tax on the sale of surface water and ground water to
purchasers outside the state of Oklahoma. Dormant.
SB 2070 By Senator Sparks and
Representative Collins; requires that all flags purchased by the state or
political subdivisions shall be manufactured in the United States. Passed by the
Senate. Not heard in the House. Dead.
SB 2115 By Senator Rabon; provides
that the moratorium on out of state water sales shall be null and void upon
completion of the update of the Oklahoma Comprehensive Water Plan. Dormant.
SB 2116 By Senator Rabon and
Representative Adkins; authorizes certain state and political subdivisions to
sell water without legislative approval. Passed by the Senate. Assigned to the
House Energy Committee. Dead.
SB 2139 By Senator Leftwich; relates
to the Prisoner Public Works Act. Dormant.