Among the first bills passed by the Oklahoma House are two restoring some of the legislature’s oversight of rules written by state agencies.
Muskogee Republican George Faught said in 2013 the state changed from requiring standalone legislation for new rules to an omnibus process, where all new rules are in a single, lengthy bill. Faught said the Senate hasn’t passed an omnibus resolution since.
"If there's no action by the legislature on the omnibus right now, we, by default, are seceding our right to have any purview, and those rules just take effect immediately," Faught said.
Faught’s House Bill 1552 would require any rule modifying the scope of dozens of professions overseen by state boards to be backed by standalone legislation. The affected occupations are under Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Many are related to health care, but accountants, engineers and architects are among others under that title.
Oklahoma City Democrat Shane Stone said there’s no fundamental change with HB1552.
"We have the right to deny any rule we want to. So, we aren't giving the legislature any new power, but we're simply taking it out of the experts' hands and moving it into a political process," Stone said.
HB1552 would also change it so new rules are disapproved by default if lawmakers don’t approve them by the end of session. The bill passed 71–23 with only Democrats opposed.
Faught's related bill, HB1553, requires any agency rule increasing a fee to be presented as standalone legislation as well.
Faught pointed to Oklahoma Water Resources Board well fee increases made through rules bringing the agency $500,000 in additional revenue and Oklahoma Department of Agriculture lab fee increases bringing the agency $200,000 as abuses.
Stillwater Democrat Cory Williams said he likes Faught’s idea, but there’s an issue with requiring individual bills.
"The will to pass a fee increase or a tax increase or anything else is pretty much nonexistent," Williams said. "And we have been cutting agencies for, like, six years running."
Ultimately, HB1553 passed on a 76–19 vote, with Williams and three other Democrats in support.
