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Oklahoma Legislature· HB 4350Second Reading referred to Rules

An act relating to waters and water rights, the official text

Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1                   STATE OF OKLAHOMA

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

3 HOUSE BILL 4350                 By: Moore

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6                               AS INTRODUCED

7   An Act relating to waters and water rights; amending

    82 O.S. 2021, Section 1020.19, which relates to

8   metering of wells; removing certain meter use;

    authorizing the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to

9   implement certain allocation to encourage

    conservation after certain date; specifying

10  requirements for participation; prohibiting excessive

    use; exempting certain wells from provisions; and

11  providing an effective date.

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

16  SECTION 1.      AMENDATORY  82 O.S. 2021, Section 1020.19, is

17 amended to read as follows:

18  Section 1020.19. Upon request of a majority of the landowners

19 residing within a A. To encourage groundwater conservation,

20 beginning January 1, 2027, the Oklahoma Water Resources Board shall

21 provide a five-year flex allocation of groundwater usage based off

22 the previously determined allocated annual use of the basin or

23 subbasin, the Board is authorized to require that water wells be

24 metered and that such meters as the Board shall approve be utilized

    Req. No. 14750                                                 Page 1
1 by the applicant and placed under seal, subject to reading by the

2 agents of the Board at any time. The Board may also require that

3 the applicant report the reading of such meters at reasonable

4 intervals. A five-year flex allocation shall not require a new

5 permit for existing permit holders. A five-year flex allocation

6 shall be available for:

7       1. Existing permit holders for groundwater use permits in

8 basins or subbasins, based upon the maximum annual yield

9 determination at the time of the original application;

10      2. New applicants for groundwater use permits in basins or

11 subbasins based upon the current maximum annual yield determination;

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13      3. New and existing applicants and temporary permit holders for

14 groundwater use permits in basins or subbasins where the maximum

15 annual yield has yet to be determined.

16      B. An applicant for a five-year flex allocation shall be

17 required to:

18      1. Submit an annual usage report of the prior year's usage from

19 a Board-approved water measurement system; and

20      2. Pay the annual groundwater permit fee.

21      C. A five-year flex allocation shall allow the permit holder to

22 exceed the determined annual allocation in any year of the five-year

23 allocation; provided, that the applicant shall adhere to the

24 cumulative annually determined allocation of the basin or subbasin

    Req. No. 14750                                                  Page 2
1 over the five-year period. The permit holder shall not exceed the

2 permitted annual allocation by over two hundred percent (200%) in

3 any of the five (5) years.

4   D. Nothing in this section shall apply to domestic wells.

5   SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.

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7   60-2-14750      JBH       12/18/25

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    Req. No. 14750                                             Page 3
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