In a special meeting this week, Oklahoma Corporation Commissioners will begin a deep exploration of their Motor Carrier Enforcement Practices and Efficiencies Under the Commission’s Jurisdiction, an issue that arose from a recent legislative attempt to transfer such enforcement to the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety.
Commissioners, apparently worried about losing millions in revenue if the jurisdiction were to be transferred to the Highway Patrol, will meet Thursday afternoon to consider issuing what is known as a Notice of Inquiry to examine motor carrier enforcement practices and efficiencies under the Commission’s jurisdiction.
In explaining what prompted the NOI (CASE NO. GD2025-000003), the commission said the issue arose in the 60th legislative session this year in which House Bill 2603 was introduced. The bill’s sponsors were Rep. Dick Lowe of Amber and Sen. Darrel Weaver of Moore. They proposed moving the commercial motor vehicle enforcement into the hands of the DPS.
A fiscal impact provided by the Corporation Commission indicated there would be a FY26 impact of $22,720,371 due to a $20 million transfer to DPS, the loss of OCC revenue, training costs and rulemaking costs. The FY27 impact was estimated to be $21,885,132 and an annually recurring impact of $21,052,103 thereafter.
The bill won approval in the House on a vote of 54-35 but in the Senate, its last action was April 1 when HB2603 was first referred to the Aeronautics and Transportation Committee, then to the Appropriations Committee. It failed to make it out of committee for a vote.
As the Commission noted in its agenda explanation, similar legislation had been introduced in previous legislative session. The three Commissioners plan an examination with a series of detailed questions should such legislation ever be passed.
If HB 2603 or similar legislation is passed, what would be the impact to the following areas:
a. Under HB 2603, the previously handled administrative cases at the OCC would now be considered criminal actions in local district courts.
1. What is the potential loss of revenue to the state?
2. How would the program be funded without this revenue?
3. What impact will HB 2603 have on appropriations?
b. How does this legislation impact the state’s ability to comply with its interstate compact obligations, particularly International Fuel Tax Agreement (“IFTA”) and International Registration Plan (“IRP”) administration?
c. If there is a violation of the IFTA or IRP obligations, what potential penalties could occur?
d. What is the potential loss of federal funding to the state if a violation of IFTA or IRP obligations occur?
e. What specific goals do the proponents of proposed transfer legislation expect to accomplish by moving OCC personnel to DPS or another agency?
f. What impact do these proposals have on OCC program administration and employee morale and recruiting efforts, even when not passed?
The meeting will be held Thursday at 2 p.m.
2:00 p.m. Thursday, August 07, 2025
Place: Concourse Theater, Suite C50, Will Rogers Memorial Office
Building, 2401 North Lincoln Boulevard, Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma 73105
Item Topic
I. A. Call to order
B. Announcement concerning public notice
C. Determination of quorum
II. Consideration of and possible vote(s) on proposed or potential orders in cases on the daily signing agenda docket. The Commission may discuss and consider alterations, revisions,
or amendments to the proposed or potential orders. (Votes may be taken on individual cases, on the daily signing agenda docket as a whole, or both by individual cases and the remaining docket. The vote on daily signing agenda cases may be combined with the vote
on 24-hour signing agenda cases.)
III. Consideration of and possible vote(s) on proposed or potential orders in cases on attached 24-hour signing agenda docket. The Commission may discuss and consider alterations, revisions, or amendments to the proposed or potential orders. (Votes may be taken on individual cases on the 24-hour signing agenda docket as a whole, or both by individual cases and the remaining docket.)
IV. Discussion of and possible vote(s) on a Transportation Division Staff recommendation to issue a Notice of Inquiry that would be numbered and captioned as GD2025-000003, In re: Inquiry of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to Examine Motor Carrier
Enforcement Practices and Efficiencies Under the Commission’s Jurisdiction
V. Discussion and possible votes on creation of an internal policy working group and direction to legislative team to meet, coordinate, and discuss with such policy working group regarding agency legislative priorities
VI. Discussion and public comment of, and possible vote(s) on the issuance of a Notice of Proposed Emergency Rulemaking that would be numbered and captioned as RM2025-000001, In the Matter of an Emergency Rulemaking of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission Amending OAC 165:35, Electric Utility Rules
VII. Adjournment