Senate Bill 913 became law with a stroke of the governor’s pen on Monday. Governor Stitt signed the legislation which creates the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules as part of his “Break the Tape” initiative.
“I am thrilled to sign this reform into law and am grateful for the shared commitment in the Legislature and across all level of government to cut red tape and reduce burdensome regulations for Oklahomans,” said Stitt. “SB 913 builds on our Break the Tape initiative and is another step forward to foster Oklahoma’s pro-business environment as we strive toward becoming a Top Ten state.”
Senator Julie Daniels is SB 913’s Senate author. She says the legislation better equips lawmakers to provide oversight to agencies which make and enforce regulations.
“State agency rules and regulations must be obeyed like any other laws. While many are necessary, others can be overly burdensome, expensive, or unnecessary. If we truly want to break the red tape, the legislature must take its oversight of the rule-making process more seriously. SB 913 provides the framework for the House and Senate jointly to do just that. We appreciate the Governor’s team working alongside us on this project and for his support on breaking the red tape,” said Daniels (R-Bartlesville). “I want to extend my thanks to Representatives Terry O’Donnell, Tom Gann, Denise Crosswhite Hader, Senator Nathan Dahm and to Governor Stitt’s legal counsel for their diligence on this important legislation.”
As ordered by Stitt last year, state agencies have nearly completed a comprehensive review of Oklahoma’s Administrative Code. So far, more than 3,700 sections of “red tape” have been identified.
Although this is a low-profile bill, it is one of the more important measures to pass this session. Congratulations to all who supported it.