State government; Chief Information Officer; salary minimum and maximum; effective date.
HB3336 amends Oklahoma law governing the Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Information Services Division within the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. The bill removes the current statutory salary floor and ceiling for the CIO, replacing the fixed compensation range with a structure that allows the salary and related expenses to be budgeted as a separate line item. It also preserves and expands the CIO’s role as the state’s top information technology and telecommunications official, including oversight of statewide IT strategy, shared services, procurement, standards, and modernization efforts.
The bill requires the first CIO appointed under the revised framework to complete a statewide assessment of IT and telecommunications systems within 12 months and to submit a detailed action plan for shared services, consolidation, resource reallocation, cost-benefit analysis, and projected savings. It further directs annual reporting on net savings, authorizes the use of private consultants, and gives the CIO broad authority over procurement, staffing, standards, open-source adoption, interoperable radio communications, and coordination with state agencies. The measure also clarifies definitions and reinforces that state agencies must cooperate with the CIO and the Information Services Division.
HB3336 would amend 62 O.S. 2021, Section 34.11.1, affecting the statutory framework for state information technology governance. Its main legal effect is to eliminate the fixed salary range for the Chief Information Officer and to formalize the CIO’s authority over statewide IT and telecommunications planning, procurement, shared services, and reporting. The bill would also strengthen the CIO’s control over purchasing decisions and contract management for state agencies, while requiring annual reporting on savings and implementation progress. The act would take effect November 1, 2026, if enacted.
The available voting history suggests limited support at the subcommittee level: the House Appropriations and Budget General Government Subcommittee vote was 2 yeas to 5 nays on a DO PASS motion. No committee transcript is available, so there is no recorded debate to indicate broader public or legislative arguments. Based on the vote, the bill appears to have faced skepticism or resistance in committee rather than strong momentum.
The most likely points of contention are the removal of the CIO salary minimum and maximum, the concentration of procurement and operational authority in a single executive office, and the bill’s broad mandate to consolidate and modernize agency IT systems. Legislators may also have concerns about the cost and scope of the required assessment, the use of private consultants, and the potential impact on agency autonomy, especially given the CIO’s power to approve purchases, designate statewide contracts, and deem unauthorized contracts unenforceable. The negative subcommittee vote indicates that at least some members were not persuaded that the bill’s governance changes or fiscal implications were justified.