A water permitting bill that has already been passed in the Oklahoma Senate will go before the House Energy Committee this week.
The measure, SB259, deals with water and water rights and creates procedures for permitting, monitoring and reporting of groundwater use. The authors are Sen. Brent Howard, R-Altus and Rep. Carl Newton, R-Cherokee.
It will be voted by members of the Committee who are scheduled to meet Wednesday, April 8 at 10:30 a.m.
NOTE: Meeting content will be live streamed via internet.
As Oklahoma deals with a growing shortage of groundwater and diminishing availability of certain important aquifers, water permitting by farmers and other users has become more important.
The proposed new law details new rules and regulators by holders of water permits.
“Holders of permits shall be required to report to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board annually their use of water pursuant to their permits. Holders of permits shall remit the report as required by the Board in the period following the permitted use. Willful failure to report annual usage may result in cancellation penalties, fines, or suspension of the permit by the Board upon proper notice and hearing as provided in the Administrative Procedures Act. Nonuse, conservation, or usage practices that result in less usage than the permit maximum shall not result in diminishment of the permit holder’s future permitted equal proportional share.”
The bill was approved in the Senate on a 36-10 vote after the Senate Energy Committee approved it on a 7-1 vote.
The following is a list showing the Senate vote.
AYES: 34 RCS# 249
NAYS: 8 03/25/2026
EXC : 6 03:01 PM
AYES: 34
Bergstrom Gillespie Jech Reinhardt
Boren Gollihare Kern Rosino
Brooks Goodwin Kirt Seifried
Bullard Green Logan Stanley
Burns Hall Mann Stewart
Coleman Hamilton Nice Thompson
Daniels Hicks Pederson Weaver
Dossett Hines Rader Wingard
Frix Howard
NAYS: 8
Deevers Guthrie McIntosh Prieto
Grellner Jett Murdock Standridge
EXCUSED: 6
Alvord Paxton Sacchieri Woods
Haste Pugh