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 2061 By: Nice
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to food policy; creating the Oklahoma
7 Food Policy Council Act; providing short title;
8 defining terms; establishing membership of the
8 Oklahoma Food Policy Council; providing for
9 membership terms; providing for filling of vacancies;
9 requiring compliance with the Oklahoma Open Meeting
10 Act and the Oklahoma Open Records Act; allowing for
10 reimbursement of certain expenses; providing for an
11 advisory and coordinating role to connect farmers,
11 community gardens, and local organizations; promoting
12 sustainable locally grown food and farm-to-school
12 initiatives; supporting producer-to-consumer access,
13 farmers markets, and agritourism; providing for
13 collaboration with the Oklahoma Department of
14 Agriculture, Food, and Forestry; requiring annual
14 reporting to the Governor and the Legislature;
15 providing for noncodification; providing for
15 codification; and providing an 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 not to be
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20 codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
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21 This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma Food
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22 Policy Council Act".
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1 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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2 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-3.6 of Title 2, unless there
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3 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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4 As used in this act:
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5 1. "Community garden" means any land cultivated by individuals
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6 or groups for production of food for personal or local use or
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7 community benefit;
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8 2. "Farmers hub" means a facility, organization, or coordinated
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9 network that supports the handling, storage, processing, or
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10 distribution of agricultural products produced by multiple farmers
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11 or producers;
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12 3. "Local food" means food produced, grown, or processed within
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13 this state; and
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14 4. "Sustainable food" means an integrated food system that
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15 supports economic viability for farmers or producers, protects
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16 natural resources, enhances efficient use of land and water, and
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17 promotes accessibility to safe and nutritious food.
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18 SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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19 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-3.7 of Title 2, unless there
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20 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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21 A. There is hereby created the Oklahoma Food Policy Council
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22 within the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry.
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23 B. The Council shall consist of nine (9) members:
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24 1. The Governor shall appoint three members as follows:
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Req. No. 2655 Page 2
1 a. one member representing the Farm to School program who
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2 shall serve an initial term of one (1) year,
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3 b. one member representing local and county food security
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4 initiatives who shall serve an initial term of two (2)
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5 years, and
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6 c. one member representing the State Department of Health
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7 who shall serve an initial term of three (3) years;
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8 2. The President Pro Tempore of the Senate shall appoint three
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9 members as follows:
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10 a. one member from the Food Safety Division of the
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11 Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry
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12 who shall serve an initial term of one (1) year,
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13 b. one member who is an agricultural producer within this
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14 state who shall serve an initial term of two (2)
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15 years, and
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16 c. one member representing conservation and sustainable
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17 agricultural practices who shall serve an initial term
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18 of three (3) years;
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19 3. The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall appoint
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20 three members as follows:
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21 a. one member from a food bank within this state who
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22 shall serve an initial term of one (1) year,
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1 b. one member representing local food distribution and
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2 local food supply chains who shall serve an initial
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3 term of two (2) years, and
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4 c. one member representing the Agricultural Environmental
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5 Management Division of the Oklahoma Department of
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6 Agriculture, Food, and Forestry who shall serve an
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7 initial term of three (3) years;
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8 4. Members appointed to the Council shall serve staggered terms
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9 of three (3) years, and after the initial appointment, each term
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10 shall be for three (3) years; and
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11 5. Any vacancy on the Council resulting from the resignation of
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12 a member or otherwise shall be filled in the same manner as the
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13 original appointment was made and the term shall be for the amount
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14 of time of the unexpired term of the member who created the vacancy.
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15 C. The Council shall elect from among its members a chair, vice
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16 chair, and any other officers that the Council deems necessary.
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17 D. The Council shall meet at least four (4) times per year or
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18 as the chair deems necessary and shall comply with the Oklahoma Open
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19 Meeting Act and the Oklahoma Open Records Act.
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20 E. The Council members shall receive no compensation for
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21 serving on the Council but shall be eligible for reimbursement of
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22 travel expenses incurred pursuant to the State Travel Reimbursement
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23 Act.
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1 SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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2 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-3.8 of Title 2, unless there
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3 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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4 A. The Oklahoma Food Policy Council shall serve in a solely
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5 advisory and coordinating capacity and shall:
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6 1. Create networks of farmers to local organizations to provide
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7 sustainable locally grown food to consumers throughout this state;
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8 2. Strengthen coordination between existing programs that
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9 support sustainable food production, farm-to-schools initiatives,
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10 and producer-to-consumer access;
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11 3. Assess the impact of the production of sustainable food
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12 distributed locally on the economic development of the state,
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13 enhancing the use of locally produced food for use in restaurants,
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14 retail, and agritourism;
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15 4. Assess the utilization of urban gardens and community
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16 gardens for the purpose of improving the health of citizens, and
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17 allowing for the use of urban property; and
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18 5. Connect producers of sustainable food to farmers markets in
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19 the state.
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20 B. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry
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21 may coordinate with the Council to identify any existing farmers
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22 hubs, and promote collaboration between producers, community
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23 gardens, local food banks or organizations, and local governments to
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1 share best practices and resources to support the distribution of
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2 sustainable food.
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3 C. The Council shall electronically submit an annual report to
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4 the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the
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5 Speaker of the House of Representatives with any recommendations and
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6 a summary of its findings.
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7 SECTION 5. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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9 60-2-2655 YG 1/15/2026 11:35:10 AM
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Req. No. 2655 Page 6Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.