Oklahoma House Bill HB2673

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/3/25
• Refer: 2/4/25
• Refer: 2/17/25
• Report Pass: 3/6/25
• Engrossed: 3/31/25
• Refer: 4/1/25
• Report Pass: 4/23/25
• Enrolled: 5/12/25
• Passed: 5/19/25

Caption

State government; Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture Supplemental Revolving Fund; modifying determined funds provided for expenditures; effective date.

Summary

HB2673 amends the statute governing the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture Supplemental Revolving Fund. The bill keeps the fund in the State Treasury as a continuing revolving fund for the Oklahoma Historical Society and confirms that money in the fund is appropriated for repairs, planning, staging, refurbishments, improvements to real and personal property, and construction of the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture. The bill changes the conditions under which the fund may be spent. Before any expenditures can be made, the State Treasurer must determine that at least $18 million has been secured from local and county governments, the federal government, or monetary donations and enforceable pledges, with the added clarification that funds received before May 25, 2021 do not count toward that threshold. If the threshold is not met by November 15, 2025, any unencumbered balance in the fund must be transferred to the General Revenue Fund.

Impact

HB2673 affects state law by amending 74 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 2294.1, which governs the Oklahoma Museum of Popular Culture Supplemental Revolving Fund. It preserves the fund’s structure and purpose but tightens the financing trigger for spending and adds a fallback provision that redirects unused money to general revenue if the required matching funds are not certified by the deadline. The bill primarily affects the Oklahoma Historical Society, the State Treasurer, and the funding partners expected to contribute toward the museum project.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have generally favorable support, as reflected by strong committee and floor votes in both chambers. It passed the House Appropriations and Budget Committee unanimously and cleared the House and Senate with comfortable majorities, though the Senate third-reading vote was somewhat closer than earlier stages. Overall, the voting history suggests broad legislative support for continuing the museum project while imposing clearer funding conditions.

Contention

The main point of contention is not whether the museum fund should exist, but whether the state should allow expenditures before the full $18 million in outside support is secured and how strictly the qualifying funds should be counted. The bill’s deadline and transfer-to-general-revenue provision also suggest concern about leaving money idle if the project does not advance. The narrower Senate floor margin indicates some members may have been uneasy about the funding trigger, the project’s viability, or the use of state-controlled funds for a capital project dependent on outside contributions.