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 1696 By: Coleman
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to state government; creating the
7 Oklahoma Talent Attraction and Relocation Revolving
8 Fund; providing for composition of funds; requiring
8 deposit of certain monies appropriated by the
9 Oklahoma Department of Commerce; prescribing
9 procedures for expenditures; creating the Oklahoma
10 Talent Attraction and Relocation Program; providing
10 for administration by the Oklahoma Department of
11 Commerce; defining terms; specifying requirements for
11 disbursement of funds; establishing grant eligibility
12 requirements; requiring recipients of grants to
12 report certain information to the Department
13 semiannually; specifying eligibility requirements for
13 households to receive incentives; requiring certain
14 electronic report; directing promulgation of rules;
14 providing for codification; and providing an
15 effective date.
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18 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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19 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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20 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5013.4 of Title 74, unless there
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21 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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22 There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
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23 for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to be designated the
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24 "Oklahoma Talent Attraction and Relocation Revolving Fund". The
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Req. No. 2740 Page 1
1 fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year
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2 limitations, and shall consist of all monies designated to the fund
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3 by law. All monies accruing to the credit of the fund are hereby
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4 appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the Department for
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5 the purpose of implementing and administering the Oklahoma Talent
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6 Attraction and Relocation Program, including the awarding and
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7 administration of grants, program evaluation, and related
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8 administrative costs. Expenditures from the fund shall be made upon
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9 warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claims filed as
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10 prescribed by law with the Director of the Office of Management and
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11 Enterprise Services for approval and payment.
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12 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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13 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 7020 of Title 74, unless there
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14 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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15 A. There is hereby created within the Oklahoma Department of
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16 Commerce the Oklahoma Talent Attraction and Relocation Program, to
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17 be administered by the Department for the purpose of awarding grants
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18 to support talent recruitment programs that motivate households to
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19 relocate to Oklahoma from outside the state.
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20 B. As used in this section:
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21 1. "Eligible applicant" means:
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22 a. a city, town, or county, or
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1 b. a nonprofit corporation whose primary purpose includes
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2 economic development, workforce development, or
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3 community development;
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4 2. "Household" means a group of one or more individuals who
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5 live together within the same dwelling; and
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6 3. "Household goals" means the total number of households that
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7 a talent recruitment program seeks to successfully incentivize to
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8 relocate or commit to relocate from outside this state to a
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9 municipality in this state.
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10 C. Subject to availability of funds, the Department may award
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11 grants to eligible applicants for the administration of talent
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12 recruitment programs and for costs associated with providing
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13 incentives for households to relocate from outside this state to
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14 establish residency within this state. No more than Two Hundred
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15 Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00) in grant funds may be awarded
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16 to a single municipality in a single fiscal year.
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17 D. To the extent funds are available, the Department shall
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18 disburse fifty percent (50%) of the total grant amount upon
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19 execution of a grant contract and fifty percent (50%) of the total
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20 grant amount upon verification that the recipient has successfully
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21 met at least one-half (1/2) of the household goal stated in the
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22 approved talent recruitment program plan. If the recipient fails to
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23 meet at least one-half (1/2) of its stated household goal, the
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24 remaining portion of the grant shall not be disbursed.
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1 E. To be considered for a grant, an eligible applicant shall
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2 submit to the Department a written talent recruitment program plan
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3 that includes:
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4 1. The total estimated cost of the program and the estimated
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5 costs associated with program design, administration, marketing, and
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6 relocation incentive initiatives;
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7 2. The household goal and the estimated total grant amount per
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8 household;
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9 3. The estimated state and local tax impact;
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10 4. The estimated total economic impact; and
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11 5. Evidence that the proposed incentives do not duplicate
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12 existing state or local relocation programs serving the same
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13 households or geographic area.
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14 F. The applicant shall demonstrate the ability to contribute at
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15 least twenty percent (20%) of the total cost of the talent
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16 recruitment program, which may include local investments and in-kind
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17 donations. An applicant that has previously received a grant under
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18 this section shall not be eligible for an additional grant unless
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19 the applicant has met or exceeded the household goal stated in its
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20 prior approved talent recruitment program plan.
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21 G. If a recipient fails to meet its household goal by the end
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22 of the program period, or if after notice and hearing the Department
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23 determines grant funds were used for unauthorized purposes or
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24 obtained through material misrepresentation of fact, the Department
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1 may require repayment of all or part of the grant disbursed, plus
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2 interest at the rate provided in Section 2375 of Title 68 of the
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3 Oklahoma Statutes. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce Board shall
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4 promulgate rules for repayment procedures pursuant to the
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5 Administrative Procedures Act.
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6 H. Each recipient of a grant under this section shall provide
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7 semiannual reports to the Department that include:
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8 1. The total number of household applications;
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9 2. The total number of approved households;
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10 3. The cost per approved household;
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11 4. The annual incomes and occupations of approved households,
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12 reported in aggregate form;
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13 5. The economic impact of the talent recruitment program,
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14 including state and local tax revenue and new consumer spending, to
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15 the extent such information can be reasonably estimated;
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16 6. Certification by a certified public accountant or other
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17 independent third party acceptable to the Department verifying
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18 household relocations through documentation including lease
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19 agreements, utility service transfers, or employment records; and
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20 7. If total grant funds exceed One Hundred Thousand Dollars
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21 ($100,000.00), a financial audit of program expenditures.
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22 I. A household shall be eligible to receive incentives under a
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23 talent recruitment program funded pursuant to this section if:
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1 1. The household resides outside this state at the time the
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2 household applies for incentives;
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3 2. The household has an individual household income of at least
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4 Fifty-five Thousand Dollars ($55,000.00); and
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5 3. The household submits an application to a grant recipient
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6 for incentives under the talent recruitment program.
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7 J. Beginning two (2) years after the effective date of this
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8 act, and every two (2) years thereafter, the Department shall submit
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9 an electronic report to the Governor, President Pro Tempore of the
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10 Senate, and Speaker of the House of Representatives evaluating:
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11 1. The total grants awarded versus verified household
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12 relocations;
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13 2. Actual versus projected state and local tax revenue
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14 generated;
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15 3. Cost per verified household; and
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16 4. Net economic impact.
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17 K. The Oklahoma Department of Commerce shall promulgate rules
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18 as necessary to implement and administer the provisions of this
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19 section pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act.
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20 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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22 60-2-2740 BRC 1/14/2026 10:18:27 AM
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Req. No. 2740 Page 6Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.