The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed House Speaker T.W. Shannon’s initiative to create an eight-year plan to manage Oklahoma’s infrastructure on Tuesday.
House Bill 1910 calls for the consolidation of several infrastructure committees and redirecting their authority to the Long-Range Capital Planning Commission (LRCPC). The LRCPC will take the lead in liquidating underused assets identified by the Omnibus Asset Consolidation Act and direct those funds to the Maintenance of State Buildings Revolving Fund for much needed infrastructure repairs.
The Omnibus Asset Consolidation Act mandated that the Office of Management and Enterprise Services identify the state’s most underutilized assets. The State of Oklahoma is one of the largest property owners in the state.
“It’s time Oklahoma become better stewards of our state assets and the taxpayer’s money,” said Speaker Shannon, R-Lawton. “For too long we have allowed state building to decay, neglected to carry out much needed repairs and held on to properties that remain empty and unused.”
Under HB 1910, the LRCPC will prepare an annual capital budget plan addressing the state’s infrastructure needs over the next eight years, similar to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s eight-year funding plan. The legislature will also be able to deposit money from the General Fund directly into the Maintenance of State Buildings Revolving Fund.
“Reducing the need for unnecessary debt is a priority and this sets the stage for a ‘pay-as-you-go’ plan,” said Speaker Shannon. “We must take measures that reduce the debt load future generations may carry.”
HB 1910 will now move on to the Senate.
