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
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1573 By: Frix
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to the Rural Economic Action Plan of
7 1996; amending 62 O.S. 2021, Section 2003, as amended
8 by Section 1, Chapter 77, O.S.L. 2025 (62 O.S. Supp.
8 2025, Section 2003), which relates to the
9 administration of appropriations to the Oklahoma
9 Water Resources Board; expanding entities eligible to
10 receive monies; expanding eligible water quality
10 projects; updating statutory language; and declaring
11 an emergency.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 62 O.S. 2021, Section 2003, as
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15 amended by Section 1, Chapter 77, O.S.L. 2025 (62 O.S. Supp. 2025,
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16 Section 2003), is amended to read as follows:
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17 Section 2003. A. Monies appropriated by law to the Oklahoma
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18 Water Resources Board for the purpose of funding the Rural Economic
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19 Action Plan grant program and the Rural Economic Action Plan Water
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20 Projects Fund shall be administered by the Oklahoma Water Resources
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21 Board as provided by this section.
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22 B. The monies referred to in subsection A of this section shall
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23 be distributed to eligible cities and towns, unincorporated areas,
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24 irrigation districts, rural water districts, or other qualified
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1 entities located within the areas represented by the following
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2 organizations:
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3 1. Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG);
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4 2. Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments (ASCOG);
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5 3. Central Oklahoma Economic Development District (COEDD);
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6 4. Eastern Oklahoma Economic Development District (EOEDD)
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7 (EODD);
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8 5. Grand Gateway Economic Development Association (GGEDA);
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9 6. Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG);
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10 7. Kiamichi Economic Development District of Oklahoma (KEDDO);
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11 8. Northern Oklahoma Development Association Authority (NODA);
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12 9. Oklahoma Economic Development Association Authority (OEDA);
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13 10. Southern Oklahoma Development Association (SODA); and
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14 11. South Western Oklahoma Development Authority (SWODA).
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15 C. The monies referred to in subsection A of this section shall
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16 not be expended for the benefit of cities or towns with a population
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17 in excess of seven thousand (7,000) persons according to the latest
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18 Federal Decennial Census. Funds may also be expended for any city
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19 or town with a population below seven thousand (7,000) persons based
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20 upon the current population estimate according to the U.S. Census
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21 Bureau. Funds may be expended for such cities and towns until the
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22 next following Federal Decennial Census. Any municipality may enter
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23 into an agreement with an entity described in subsection B of this
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24 section to apply for available funds described by this section if
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1 the municipality is located within the area served by the entity.
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2 Upon approval of the application, funds shall be paid to the
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3 municipality requesting the funds.
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4 D. An entity described in subsection B of this section may
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5 apply for a grant to be used for the benefit of an unincorporated
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6 area within a county served by that entity if the area benefited
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7 does not contain a population in excess of seven thousand (7,000)
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8 persons. Any county may enter into an agreement with an entity
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9 described in subsection B of this section if the county is located
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10 within the area served by the entity. Upon approval of the
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11 application, funds shall be paid to the county requesting the funds.
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12 E. The monies referred to in subsection A of this section may
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13 be expended for water quality projects, including, but not limited
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14 to, sewer line construction or repair and related storm or sanitary
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15 sewer projects, water line construction or repair, improvements and
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16 repairs to existing water infrastructure of rural water districts
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17 and irrigation districts, water treatment, water acquisition,
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18 distribution or recovery and related projects.
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19 F. Any city or town with a population less than one thousand
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20 seven hundred fifty (1,750) persons according to the latest Federal
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21 Decennial Census shall have a higher priority for funds allocated by
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22 the Oklahoma Water Resources Board from the amount referred to in
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23 subsection A of this section than jurisdictions of greater size.
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24 Among such cities or towns, those municipalities having relatively
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1 weaker fiscal capacity shall have a priority for project funding in
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2 preference to other municipalities.
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3 G. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board shall establish ten
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4 separate accounts containing one-tenth (1/10) of the amount annually
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5 appropriated to the Rural Economic Action Plan Water Projects Fund
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6 per account. Each account shall be available for distribution to
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7 qualified entities located within the area served by entities
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8 described in subsection A of Section 2007 of this title or for
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9 distribution to benefit unincorporated areas with the exception of
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10 one account which shall be divided equally into two subaccounts.
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11 Each one of the two subaccounts shall be available for distribution
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12 to qualified entities located within the respective jurisdiction of
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13 one of the entities described by subsection B of Section 2007 of
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14 this title or for distribution to benefit unincorporated areas. No
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15 funds deposited into one account or subaccount shall be transferred
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16 to any other account. The total expenditure from any one account or
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17 subaccount for each fiscal year may not exceed the amount of funds
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18 available to each account as may be provided by law.
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19 H. No city, town or other entity to which funds will be awarded
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20 pursuant to this section shall be required to provide any form of
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21 match to obtain the funds, whether through cash, services or any
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22 other method.
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23 I. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board shall not be allowed to
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24 retain any of the funds referred to in subsection A of this section
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1 for administration. All such funds shall be distributed to eligible
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2 entities as authorized by law.
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3 J. In order to ensure fair and equitable distribution of the
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4 funds referred to in subsection A of this section, the Oklahoma
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5 Water Resources Board shall promulgate rules for administering,
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6 determining priority of, approving and funding applications for such
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7 funds. The rules shall implement the provisions of this section
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8 including the following:
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9 1. No qualified entity shall be approved nor funded for more
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10 than Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($350,000.00) from such
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11 funds in any twelve-month period;
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12 2. If a qualified entity has previously been approved for or
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13 received such funds and makes a subsequent application, that
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14 subsequent application may be assigned lower priority than an
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15 application by qualified entities who have not previously been
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16 approved for or received such funds;
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17 3. In order to prevent substantially the same entity or area
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18 from receiving an undue advantage, a political subdivision and all
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19 its public trusts and similar subordinate entities together shall be
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20 treated as one and the same qualified entity; provided rural water
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21 or sewer districts shall not be construed to be subordinate entities
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22 of counties unless the effect would be to make multiple grants to
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23 substantially the same entity or service area; and
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1 4. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board may establish limited
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2 time periods for processing applications for available funds.
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3 SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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4 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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5 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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6 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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8 60-2-3222 QD 1/12/2026 10:18:45 PM
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Req. No. 3222 Page 6Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.