Appropriations committee advances funding and policy bills, including insulin campaign and space authority investments

The Appropriations and Budget Committee on an evening session advanced a slate of bills that would direct funding to insulin affordability outreach, state spaceport and innovation-district infrastructure, firefighter cancer screenings, and other programs, while also approving policy changes ranging from epilepsy protections to tax treatment for a new class of heated tobacco products.

The committee moved the most significant funding requests forward, including a diabetes outreach and supply program and multi‑million dollar investments in the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) and an Innovation District aimed at microgravity research. Members also cleared bills to expand eligibility for college scholarship programs for children of long‑serving certified teachers, establish an ALS grant fund and make changes to juvenile detention pay caps. The panel recorded recorded votes on each measure and reported them out as "do pass" or "due pass" to the next stage of consideration.

Representative Dempsey presented House Bill 1380, saying the measure revisits a bill previously passed to help make insulin affordable. "This here is a bill we passed a couple of years ago just trying to help diabetes afford insulin," Representative Dempsey said. Representative Blancet asked for a confirmation of the bill's fiscal scale: "I think I'm correct. Your the bill calls for $1,100,000,000 for an information campaign regarding diabetes care and free or reduced diabetes supplies." Dempsey confirmed that figure on the record. The committee adopted the working substitute and voted 29–0 to report the bill out with a due pass.

A major capital request came with House Bill 2024, presented by Representative Archer, which seeks roughly $51.3 million (presenter said "1.3 30 5 million, so about $51,300,000") for the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority at Burns Flat and additional line items, including $35 million for infrastructure at the spaceport and $15 million toward an Innovation District supporting microgravity research. Archer told the committee the Burns Flat facility covers about "1,200 acres" and is "one of 14 space ports in the nation." Questions from members focused on prior ARPA and PREP funding already granted to OSIDA, the status of contracted obligations, and whether local or private partners would share costs; Archer replied that some administrative needs were not fully covered by prior awards and that the state funds would be leveraged with other investors. The committee voted to report the bill 29–0.

Lawmakers also approved several health‑related measures:

- House Bill 2011 (firefighter cancer screening coverage) was reported 33–0 after questions clarified that moving plans from OMES to the Health Care Authority does not change the funding mechanism and that the number of firefighters who could use the benefit is "not specified" precisely but expected to be "in the thousands."

- House Bill 2013, "Dylan's Law," which creates a package of epilepsy protections and reporting (including provisions addressing SUDEP reporting and a voluntary driver's-license designation), passed 26–7. Sponsor testimony included Health Care Authority and Health Department fiscal estimates: an initial insurance-coverage estimate of $150,000 to $1.2 million and roughly $45,000 for medical‑professional guidance, according to testimony in the hearing.

- House Bill 1278 establishes an ALS grant program and was advanced 32–0 with a $1,000,000 deposit to start the fund.

Committee members debated House Bill 1863, a cleanup and database‑use emphasis requested by the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth (OCCY). The sponsor said the database already exists and that the bill increases penalties when data are misused (jail time from six to 12 months and fines from $500 to $5,000 at OCCY's request). The measure passed 31–1.

On economic development and tax policy matters, members passed several measures including a civil engineering tax credit (House Bill 2260, 30–2), an update to the state's advanced air mobility law to clarify authority for ground radar and command/control systems (House Bill 2266, 32–0), and a bill extending or reauthorizing a business tax‑credit program (House Bill 2753, 31–0).

The committee also considered and approved policy and programmatic bills affecting municipalities and Main Street programs (House Bill 2407, reported 32–0) and approved an agriculture lending tax exclusion-style measure aimed at lowering borrowing costs for certain rural and agriculture loans (House Bill 2745, 30–1). Representative Fettgater said the Main Street bill would create a revolving fund for state Main Street programs and that rules for eligibility would be developed by the State Main Street office; she also said the program was developed after constituent requests from local Main Street organizations.

Contested measures included House Bill 2742, which defines a new category of "heated tobacco products" and sets a separate tax rate. Sponsors said the product is a tobacco product rather than an e‑liquid vaping product and that a new tax rate was needed because the product's form differs from cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. The bill passed 18–14. Members expressed concerns about youth access and potential price effects; sponsors said regulating sales to minors remains a priority but the bill does not itself set retail prices.

On juvenile justice, House Bill 1579 — a request from the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau — removes a statutory salary cap on detention officers, allowing counties to set pay without the current percentage cap tied to county deputy pay. Steve Lewis, who represents the Tulsa County Juvenile Bureau, told the panel "The cap right now for Tulsa County would be a hundred and $17,000, and they haven't been able to find a qualified ... candidate at that rate." The committee advanced the bill 31–0.

Votes at a glance (bill — short purpose — committee vote):

- HB 1380 — diabetes information campaign and reduced/free supplies — Do pass, 29–0 - HB 1727 — expand Oklahoma's Promise eligibility for children of long‑serving certified teachers — Do pass, 31–0 - HB 1863 — OCCY database language and increased penalties for misuse — Do pass, 31–1 - HB 2024 — OSIDA infrastructure and Innovation District funding (spaceport) — Do pass, 29–0 - HB 2011 — firefighter cancer screenings/insurance plan movement — Do pass, 33–0 - HB 2013 — "Dylan's Law" (epilepsy/SUDEP reporting and insurance protections) — Do pass, 26–7 - HB 2260 — civil engineering tax credit — Do pass, 30–2 - HB 2266 — advanced air mobility: radar/command & control authority — Do pass, 32–0 - HB 1278 — ALS grant program ($1,000,000 deposit) — Do pass, 32–0 - HB 2407 — Main Street program revolving fund/rules — Do pass, 32–0 - HB 2742 — define/tax heated tobacco products — Do pass, 18–14 - HB 1579 — remove cap on juvenile detention officer salary — Do pass, 31–0 - HB 2745 — targeted tax treatment for specified rural/ag loans — Do pass, 30–1 - HB 2753 — continuation/adjustment of state tax‑credit program (work in progress) — Do pass, 31–0

Context and next steps: The committee frequently adopted working committee substitutes (PCS) or amendments on the floor and struck titles on multiple bills before voting. Where presenters cited fiscal impacts or Department estimates, committee members pressed for details on funding sources and local match, and several sponsors said previously appropriated ARPA or PREP funds remain under contract or obligation. Bills that received "do pass" recommendations will move to further committee or floor consideration; amounts and program details may be adjusted in subsequent stages.

Ending: The committee closed with scheduling housekeeping: it will reconvene the following day with a full agenda. Several supporters and questioners said they expected to continue negotiating language as bills move through the process.