An act relating to roads and bridges, the official text

1                            STATE OF OKLAHOMA

2   1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)

3 HOUSE BILL 2285                By: Hilbert

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5

6                                AS INTRODUCED

7   An Act relating to roads and bridges; creating the

    Evacuation Vehicle Access Corridor Act; creating the

8   Evacuation Vehicle Access Corridor Revolving Fund;

    establishing fund at the Oklahoma Department of

9   Transportation; establishing revolving fund

    characteristics; deeming funds appropriated;

10  requiring and limiting certain budgeting and

    expenditure; creating the Evacuation Vehicle Access

11  Corridor Grant Program; authorizing certain

    references; declaring purpose; establishing

12  procedures and criteria for grant awards; defining

    terms; providing for codification; providing an

13  effective date, and declaring an emergency.

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15

16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

17  SECTION 1.      NEW LAW      A new section of law to be codified

18 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 508 of Title 69, unless there is

19 created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:

20  A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the Evacuation

21 Vehicle Access Corridor Act.

22  B. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving

23 fund for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to be designated

24 the "Evacuation Vehicle Access Corridor Revolving Fund" or "EVAC

    Req. No. 11633                                        Page 1
1 Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal

2 year limitations, and shall consist of all monies directed for

3 deposit to the fund by law. All monies accruing to the credit of

4 said fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and expended

5 by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation in accordance with the

6 provisions provided in Section C of this act. Expenditures from

7 said fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer

8 against claims filed as prescribed by law with the Director of the

9 Office of Management and Enterprise Services for approval and

10 payment.

11  C. 1. There is hereby established the Evacuation Vehicle

12 Access Corridor Grant Program, which may also be cited as the "EVAC

13 Grant Program";

14  2. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation shall establish

15 and administer the EVAC Grant Program to support the state purpose

16 of ensuring the health and safety of the residents of Oklahoma

17 living in geographically landlock basins by creating evacuation

18 corridors. Such program shall embody the following procedures and

19 criteria:

20           a. the Department shall create and make available to

21            counties of the state a standardized Evacuation

22            Vehicle Access Corridor grant application;

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    Req. No. 11633                                                  Page 2
1   b. to be eligible for a grant from the EVAC Grant

2   Program, a county must demonstrate a material need to

3   construct a county road in a qualified area;

4   c. grant amounts awarded under the provisions of this act

5   shall not exceed the cumulative total of funds

6   directed for deposit to the EVAC Fund created in

7   subsection B of this act.

8   D. As used in the Evacuation Vehicle Access Corridor Act:

9   1. "Landlocked" means almost or entirely surrounded by land,

10 which lacks practical entry and egress by motor vehicles;

11  2. "Qualified area" means a landlocked basin in this state with

12 no fewer than two thousand (2,000) residents, and that has one or

13 fewer roads of entry or egress maintained by a state, county, town

14 or municipality road system or systems.

15  SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.

16  SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation

17 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby

18 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and

19 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.

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21  60-1-11633      JM  01/08/25

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    Req. No. 11633                                                Page 3