Oklahoma lawmakers have hit the halfway point in the 2026 legislative session with the passing of the first major chamber of origin deadline on Thursday, March 26.
The mid-session deadline required bills to pass out of their chamber of origin in order to further advance through the legislative process, and this cutoff left several bills that Oklahoma Farm Bureau was tracking effectively dead for the rest of session.
One such bill was HB 3178 by Rep. Nick Archer, which would have allowed old farm equipment to depreciate to a value of $0 over time, releasing property owners from paying personal property tax on the equipment after that point. The bill was heard on the House floor but lacked just two votes to pass as some lawmakers were concerned with the potential decrease in county tax revenue that would come with the measure.
HB 3617 by Rep. Mark Lawson also failed to advance after not being heard on the House floor. The measure would have established a state-level “right to repair” act, requiring agricultural equipment manufacturers to make parts and diagnostic materials available to independent repair providers. OKFB believes the issue is best tackled at the federal level and will continue to work alongside American Farm Bureau to ensure farmers and ranchers have choices when repairing high-tech agricultural equipment.
SB 2157 by Sen. David Bullard, which sought to establish some rivers in southeast Oklahoma as scenic rivers, was not heard on the Senate floor before the chamber of origin deadline. OKFB was concerned by the bill as the scenic river designation would have made it more difficult to produce agricultural products in those river watershed areas.
Several bills of note did pass the late-March deadline, including the trio of groundwater bills that OKFB has been tracking all session. HB 4459 by Rep. Carl Newton, SB 259 by Sen. Brent Howard, and SB 1928 by Sen. Casey Murdock all aim to place a five-year allocation on groundwater usage, and all three passed their respective chambers of origin. The bills differ slightly in reporting requirements and enforcements, and OKFB will continue to remain active in the conversation on groundwater usage in the state as these bills progress.
SB 2112 by Sen. Casey Murdock also passed the Senate floor last week. The measure would modify the designation of open pasture roads, allowing livestock to traverse pastures that contain some rural county roads.
OKFB is also monitoring HB 3173 by Rep. Nick Archer, which would allow old oil and gas wells to be repurposed into geothermal energy storage facilities. OKFB is supportive of the measure, but wanted to ensure landowners are able to sign new contracts with the energy companies if such an action is taken on old wells on their property. The provision was added to the bill and HB 3173 passed the house floor ahead of the deadline.
With the chamber of origin deadline in the rearview mirror, the legislature will now switch gears and begin considering the remaining bills in the opposite chamber. To stay up to date on what OKFB is doing at the state Capitol during legislative session, be sure to tune in to OKFB’s weekly public policy update each Friday at noon via Zoom. Contact your field representative for more information on how to get connected.
