Water and water rights; directing creation of centralized hotline for water quality concerns. Effective date.
Summary
SB 613 creates a new statewide system for reporting water quality concerns in Oklahoma. It directs the Office of the Attorney General to establish a centralized hotline for complaints and requires that office to work with the Department of Environmental Quality to investigate reports and carry out any sampling, testing, or enforcement actions that are needed. The bill also authorizes the Attorney General to adopt rules to implement the program.
The measure is a procedural and administrative change rather than a broad substantive rewrite of water law. It adds a new section to Title 27A of the Oklahoma Statutes and would take effect on November 1, 2025. By placing the hotline within the Attorney General’s office and linking it to DEQ’s technical and enforcement role, the bill creates a formal intake and response process for water quality complaints statewide.
Impact
SB 613 would add a new statutory duty for the Office of the Attorney General to operate a centralized water quality hotline and coordinate complaint response with the Department of Environmental Quality. It would likely affect how residents, local governments, and other stakeholders report suspected contamination or water quality problems, while also giving state agencies a clearer pathway for investigation, testing, and enforcement. The bill would be codified in Title 27A, which governs environmental law in Oklahoma.
Sentiment
Based on the available legislative history, the bill appears to have been introduced without recorded committee debate or floor votes in the provided materials. Its referral to the Energy committee suggests it was treated as an environmental and utility-related measure. Because there are no transcripts or votes included, the overall sentiment cannot be measured directly, but the bill’s structure suggests a generally practical, consumer-protection-oriented approach to water quality concerns.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of debate, if the bill were discussed further, could include whether the Attorney General is the appropriate office to host the hotline, how responsibilities would be divided between the Attorney General and the Department of Environmental Quality, and whether the state would need additional resources to handle investigations and enforcement. The absence of committee transcripts and votes means no opposition or support is identifiable from the record provided.
Waters and water rights; stating legislative findings; creating the Oklahoma Water Resources Board Well Driller and Pump Installer Program; effective date.
Water and water rights; creating the Oklahoma Regional Water District Act; requiring development and coordination of certain districts for promulgation of regional water plans. Effective date.