OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate President Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton (R-Tuttle) secured committee passage last week of Senate Bill 676, a measure to repeal obsolete and duplicative commissions.
The bill’s intent, if signed into law, is to eliminate outdated and redundant government commissions, of which some are no longer active or deemed necessary. The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate’s Retirement and Government Resources Committee.
“This legislation is a step toward a leaner, more accountable government,” Paxton said in a press release. “By eliminating commissions that no longer serve a functional purpose, we are ensuring taxpayer dollars are directed toward essential services rather than unnecessary administrative structures.
“Many of these commissions haven’t met in years or are duplicative and could be handled by the agency they report to. I remain committed to streamlining government operations and eliminating inefficiencies while ensuring necessary services are maintained. I appreciate my Senate colleagues for advancing this measure.”
The repealed commissions under SB 676 include:
• The Advisory Committee of the South-Central Interstate Forest Fire Protection Compact. According to the legislative press release, this 1953 multi-state compact is no longer necessary and redundant of duties undertaken by the Oklahoma State Fire Marshal’s Office and other agencies.
• The Oklahoma Suicide Prevention Council. The council’s sunset date was effective in 2020 and stopped meeting. Removing this council from statute does not impact how the state provides funding or resources for suicide prevention.
• The Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Advisory Council, Created in 2004, the EITA is duplicative of federal law and other state statutes that have been enacted since its inception. The council’s sunset date was July 1, 2020.
• The Oklahoma School for the Visual and Performing Arts, which is under the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in Chickasha and no longer necessary in statute.
• The Permanent Legislative Liaison Committee, which is duplicative of the Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority, the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and other positions within the Legislature. No meetings or agendas are posted.
• The Staff Review Committee of the Senate. According to Paxton, this committee is unnecessary as internal policies have been implemented for annual staff reviews by division directors. The committee does not currently meet.
Earlier in the month, Paxton co-authored House Concurrent Resolution 1004) with House Speaker Kyle Hilbert (R-Bixby), which is a consent decree resolving a 2023 lawsuit against the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.
“The lawsuit alleges ODMHSAS violated the substantive due process rights of pretrial defendants in Oklahoma State Court proceedings who had been declared incompetent to stand trial and were awaiting competency restoration treatment,” stated a legislative press release.
As part of the settlement, the agency will work with experts and community leadership to improve competency restoration services through various measures, including increased training of forensic health care professionals.
The measure also proposes, among other suggestions, to expand the state’s resources to include additional in-patient competency restoration beds and create a “cutting edge in-jail restoration treatment program,” the press release said.
To date, the consent decree has been agreed to and negotiated by the Governor’s office, the Office of the Attorney General, ODMHSAS and approved by the House, 91-0, on Feb. 19. The resolution has now crossed chambers and must also pass the Senate to move forward.
Depending on how long it takes for the state to comply with the requirements of the decree, implementation could cost between $26 million and $45 million, according to the legislative press release. The ODMHSAS already has an implementation plan drafted that should satisfy the parameters of the decree.
“This helps our state avoid the costs, uncertainties and risks of protracted litigation,” said House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Trey Caldwell (R-Lawton). “This is the right thing to do and I am glad the House was united in moving this through quickly knowing time is of the essence.”
In addition, Paxton has four bills scheduled for hearings this week, which includes House Bill 2298, authored by Hilbert and co-sponsored by Paxton. It will be heard Feb. 24 in the House Public Health Committee. The measure pertains to nursing and would provide independent prescriptive authority, with specified guidelines, to Advanced Practice Registered Nurses who meet certain requirements, specifically Certified Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists and Certified Nurse-Midwives.
On Feb. 25, three bills authored by Paxton will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee. They are: • SB 632, which is related to business courts and would establish specialized business court divisions in the state’s most populous counties, which are Oklahoma and Tulsa counties, to focus on complex commercial litigation. These courts would be presided over by judges appointed by the governor who have at least 10 years of experience in civil litigation or business law.
• SB 646, which pertains to federal officials and would create the Oklahoma Federal Officials Security Act of 2025. The intent of the measure is to establish comprehensive protections for personal information of federal officials and their immediate families. Personal information is defined in the bill text as home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, Social Security numbers, property records, vehicle registration details and family-related information.
• SB 656, which relates to the Oklahoma State Election Board and, in part, would amend state statutes which relate to the number and appointment of members, filling vacancies, salary of the Secretary of the State Election Board and terms of officers. If passed, the Election Board would be increased from three to five members with a more complex selection process.
Senate Judiciary Chair Brent Howard (R-Altus) had two bills he authored placed on general order last week and can now be heard by the full Senate. They are:
• SB 546, which would establish comprehensive data privacy protections for consumers and create a framework to define consumer rights and controller/processor responsibilities for handling personal data.
• SB 626, which would update the Oklahoma Security Breach Notification Act and strengthen requirements for how data breaches involving personal information are handled by organizations.
In addition, Howard has four bills he authored that will be heard in committees this week. They are:
• SB 83, which pertains to prisons and reformatories and would specifically modify elements of exemption to certain accounts, including inmate trust funds. In part, the measure also seeks to update language and clarify provisions related to inmate wages, savings and financial management. The proposal will be heard in the Public Safety Committee.
• SB 213, which relates to the Governmental Tort Claims Act and would increase the limits of liability for certain claims. The proposal will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• SB 893, which would establish the Military Installation and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2025. The intent is to restrict representatives from foreign adversary countries from owning or controlling designated types of property or infrastructure in the state. The proposal will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
• SB 1020, which pertains to the Office of the State Treasurer and would amend state statutes to provide special exemptions related to property purchasing and leasing requirements. The proposal will be heard in the Senate Retirement and Government Resources Committee.
• SB 1118, which would mandate retirement for certain judicial officers in the state when they reach the age of 75. This measure would specifically affect Justices of the Supreme Court, Judges of the Court of Criminal Appeals and the Court of Civil Appeals, along with district or associate district court judges. The proposal will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee.