Whispers of an early adjournment for the 2026 Oklahoma legislature started swirling at the midpoint of session, and as of early May, the state legislature was largely moving toward an early close of business.
A May 7 deadline required all bills to be passed off the floor of their opposing chamber, and the Oklahoma house worked late into the day to vote on numerous bills facing the May 7 cutoff.
Water bills get whittled down to one
As of May 8, a single water bill was the last piece of legislation Oklahoma Farm Bureau was actively engaged with that was still available for consideration.
SB 259 was the final water policy bill that remained active out of the trio of bills OKFB tracked through most of session. SB 259 passed off the house floor before the May 7 deadline, but due to amendments it received, it needed approval from the Senate.
OKFB worked with Rep. Newton late in the session to shape the bill into a final version that OKFB could support. The latest round of amendments focused the bill towards groundwater permit enforcement, providing nearly $1 million of funding for the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to work through backlogged permits while also ensuring groundwater permit compliance.
Bills defeated before the deadline
Three bills that OKFB opposed did not pass out of their opposing chamber for further consideration.
SB 133 and SB 2157 aimed to designate new scenic rivers in southeast Oklahoma. OKFB has policy against naming any new scenic rivers in the state, and neither bill saw the floor of its opposing chamber before the deadline.
SB 2143 was a bill OKFB worked on through session that would have allowed county assessors to use drone or satellite imagery to determine valuations on structures for tax purposes. OKFB worked with bill authors to clarify the bill to ensure that valuations would be based off a physical, in-person inspection, but that language was not adopted. The final bill language did not pass the house floor.
A trio of bills await the governor
As of the first week of May, OKFB continued to watch three bills that awaited action by Gov. Kevin Stitt.
SB 1944 by Sen. Murdock and Rep. Travis adjusted provisions for agricultural employees’ workers’ compensation.
SB 2212 by Sen. Murdock and Rep. Worthen opened enrollment for new open-pasture roads to be designated. Open pasture roads are public roads that pass through open rangeland with no fences along the roadside.
HB 3977 by Sen. Woods and Rep. Caldwell requires the State Veterinarian of Oklahoma to have experience in caring for food animals. OKFB supported the bill to ensure future state veterinarians have direct experience working with livestock and agricultural producers.
Gov. Stitt can elect to sign these bills into law, veto them, or not take any action, at which point they would go to the Oklahoma Secretary of State to be enshrined into law without a signature since the bills passed before the final five days of the legislative session.
Bills signed into law, enacted
OKFB saw numerous bills supported by the organization pass into law.
HB 4054 by Sen. Hall and Rep. Trey Caldwell authorized a $40 million loan to Oklahoma State University to create a new Agronomy Discovery Center for research, extension and education.
HB 3464 by Sen. Paxton and Rep. Boles introduced new standards and regulations for renewable energy facilities in the state.
HB 2134 by Sen. Murdock and Rep. Worthen crated procedures for emergency workers to follow to ensure the humane treatment of livestock and poultry involved in vehicular accidents.
SB 2159 by Sen. Pederson and Rep. Travis designates wheat as the official crop of Oklahoma. The bill originated with the Burlington FFA chapter, whose members were on hand to watch the bill be approved on the house floor.
Awaiting the end of session
As of May 11, OKFB was waiting for the final round of activity in the legislature in anticipation of an early adjournment. The technical sine die is slated for May 29, but with an early end of session possible, OKFB will continue to monitor legislative activity and the governor’s final decisions as the 2026 session comes to a close.
