2026 legislative session underway with burn bans, veterinary requirements at the forefront

The Oklahoma state Capitol is already abuzz with activity as legislators wrapped up the second week of the 2026 Oklahoma legislative session just before Valentine's Day.

The second general session of the 60^th Oklahoma Legislature kicked off with Gov. Kevin Stitt's final state of the state address on Monday, Feb. 2, where he discussed his accomplishments throughout his two terms in office and his vision for his final year.

One area of note for Farm Bureau members was Stitt's call to cut property taxes in the state. While Oklahoma Farm Bureau has long supported protecting healthy property tax levels, OKFB does not believe an all-out elimination is the answer and will continue to monitor the conversation around property taxes this session.

One bill that passed the House Agriculture Committee early in the second week of session was HB 3406 by Rep. Mike Kelley. The bill seeks to change how county commissioners initiate burn bans and gives commissioners confidence to only place burn bans when absolutely necessary. The bill also poses to change the standard burn ban duration from 14 days to eight days. This measure would help keep the options for prescribed burns open to landowners and would prevent unnecessarily lengthy burn bans.

HB 3977 by Rep. Trey Caldwell also passed out of committee last week. The bill would require the Oklahoma state veterinarian to hold a valid veterinarian's license as well as require him or her to have experience in food-animal veterinary practice. This would ensure future state veterinarians are equipped to handle disease outbreaks and quarantine procedures that can happen with livestock.

A few bills of note also passed out of the Senate Agriculture Committee, including SB 2112 by Sen. Casey Murdock, which would modify the designation of open pasture roads. The measure would allow livestock to freely traverse the pasture on both sides of the designated road and would enact a process for landowners to work with their county commissioners to designate new open pasture roads.

OKFB also kept an eye on SB 2121 by Sen. Spencer Kern, which would prevent the production, distribution and sale of lab-grown protein products. OKFB previously worked to remove the term "meat" from these lab-grown products during the 2025 legislative session in accordance with OKFB policy. The OKFB policy book does not contain specific language in regard to a complete ban, but the public policy team will continue to monitor SB 2121's progression throughout the legislative session.

The House of Representatives has a new member after the recent special election in House District 35. Dillon Travis was elected to fill the vacant seat, and he will join his colleagues on the House Agriculture Committee. Travis will represent parts of Creek, Noble, Osage, Pawnee, Payne Counties. OKFB supported Travis throughout his campaign and looks forward to working with him on agriculture and rural issues facing the state of Oklahoma.

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.