Broadband; modifying make-up of fund; effective date.
Summary
HB1124 amends the statute governing Oklahoma’s Statewide Recovery Fund, a special fund in the State Treasury used for certain federal recovery-related dollars. The bill updates the fund’s composition to include monies the Legislature directs into the fund and monies received by the state under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, specifically the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund and Coronavirus State and Local Recovery Funds, while excluding amounts dedicated to nonentitlement units of local government. It also clarifies that all interest and income earned on deposits in the fund must be credited back to the fund.
In practical terms, the bill is a fiscal and administrative measure tied to broadband and other recovery-related infrastructure spending. It does not create a new program or tax, but it changes how federal recovery funds are housed and managed in state law, which can affect the timing, accounting, and use of those dollars. The act becomes effective November 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill amends 62 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 255, which governs the Statewide Recovery Fund, by modifying the fund’s make-up and ensuring interest earnings remain in the fund. This affects state treasury administration and the handling of federal ARPA-related funds, especially those associated with broadband and capital projects, and may influence how appropriated recovery monies are tracked and deployed by state agencies and the Legislature.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have enjoyed broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed unanimously in the House committee stages, on House third reading, in the Senate committee, and on Senate third reading, suggesting general agreement that the fund update was a routine or technical adjustment rather than a controversial policy change.
Contention
No substantive controversy is reflected in the available record. The only potentially notable issue is the fund’s revised composition and the exclusion of monies dedicated to nonentitlement units of local government, but the unanimous votes and lack of committee transcript discussion indicate no recorded disagreement over that point. The measure seems to have been treated as a straightforward cleanup or clarification bill related to broadband recovery funding.