Groundwater legislation, noxious weed updates at the forefront after first major committee deadline of 2026 legislative session

The Oklahoma legislature cleared the first major deadline in early March, passing countless bills from committee over the first month of the 2026 legislative session. These bills that passed out of their respective committees now head to the floor of their chamber of origin. With spring break putting a pause on most legislative progress this week, that leaves about one week for legislators to get their bills heard before the next major deadline.

OKFB has been tracking a trio of water bills that have carried over from last year, including SB 1928 by Sen. Casey Murdock. This measure would create a five-year allocation for groundwater usage, which is something OKFB members and other stakeholders can all agree on.

Similarly, SB 259 by Sen. Brent Howard proposes the same process as SB 1928 but gives responsibility to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to enforce the reporting and impose penalties for overages. Both bills passed committee with the title off, so they will undergo more work in the coming weeks.

HB 4459 by Rep. Carl Newton is a similar bill on the House side, and it has also received support by all stakeholders in the groundwater discussion. HB 4459 passed the House with the title off and heads to the Senate as a work in progress.

OKFB is also tracking HB 3405 by Rep. Kenton Patzkowsky, which would add poison hemlock and kudzu to Oklahoma's list of noxious weeds. The measure would allow counties and the state to control these species on rights of way and highways without penalty to prevent the spread onto private property. The bill passed the House and is headed to the Senate for consideration.

Burn bans have re-emerged for the second time this session as HB 3406 by Rep. Mike Kelley passed the House floor last week. The bill updates burn ban laws, giving county commissioners the power to implement burn bans and includes provisions to remove them if weather conditions become more favorable. OKFB has followed the bill since legislative session began in February and is pleased to see it head to the Senate.

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.