An act relating to state government, the official text

1                        STATE OF OKLAHOMA

2   2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)

3 HOUSE BILL 3005                By: Kendrix

4

5

6                        AS INTRODUCED

7   An Act relating to state government; amending 74 O.S.

    2021, Section 245, as amended by Section 1, Chapter

8   92, O.S.L. 2023 (74 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 245),

    which relates to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey;

9   extending sunset date; providing an effective date;

    and declaring an emergency.

10

11

12

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

14  SECTION 1.      AMENDATORY  74 O.S. 2021, Section 245, as

15 amended by Section 1, Chapter 92, O.S.L. 2023 (74 O.S. Supp. 2025,

16 Section 245), is amended to read as follows:

17  Section 245. A. The Climate Office of the State of Oklahoma

18 located at Norman, Oklahoma, shall be under the direction and

19 supervision of the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma

20 and shall be known as the Oklahoma Climatological Survey. The

21 Oklahoma Climatological Survey is hereby re-created, to continue

22 until July 1, 2026 2027, in accordance with the provisions of the

23 Oklahoma Sunset Law.

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1   B. The director of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey shall be

2 appointed by the Board and shall either serve as the state

3 climatologist or appoint another current employee of the Survey to

4 serve as state climatologist. The salary of the director shall be

5 determined by the Board.

6   C. The Oklahoma Climatological Survey shall have for its object

7 and duties the following:

8   1. To acquire, archive, process and disseminate, in the most

9 cost-effective way possible, all climate and weather information

10 which is or could be of value to policy and decision makers in the

11 state;

12  2. To act as the representative of the state in all

13 climatological and meteorological matters both within and outside

14 the state when requested to do so by the legislative or executive

15 branches of the state government;

16  3. To prepare, publish and disseminate periodic regular climate

17 summaries for those individuals, agencies and organizations whose

18 activities are related to the welfare of the state and are affected

19 by climate and weather;

20  4. To conduct and report on studies of climate and weather

21 phenomena of significant socioeconomic importance to the state;

22  5. To evaluate the significance of natural and man-made,

23 deliberate and inadvertent changes or modifications in important

24 features of the climate and weather affecting the state, and to

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1 report this information to those agencies and organizations in the

2 state who are likely to be affected by such changes or

3 modifications; and

4   6. To maintain and operate the Oklahoma Mesonetwork, a

5 statewide environmental monitoring network which is overseen by the

6 Mesonet Steering Committee, comprised of representatives of the

7 University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University according to

8 its Memorandum of Agreement. The director of the Oklahoma

9 Climatological Survey shall be accountable for executing the

10 policies of the Mesonet Steering Committee.

11  D. The director is authorized to certify copies as being

12 authentic reproductions of weather records held in the state.

13  E. The director of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey shall

14 present a report each year to the Board of Regents of the University

15 of Oklahoma showing the progress, condition and all other

16 information which the Board may deem necessary.

17  SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.

18  SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation

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

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

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

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23  60-2-15585        SW  12/15/25

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    Req. No. 15585                                                 Page 3