Agency previews bills on UAS/AAM, engine test cell, tax credits and proposed merger of space authority into department

Commission staff and the director briefed commissioners on multiple legislative initiatives filed in the Oklahoma Legislature and on committee leadership relevant to aerospace policy.

Key bills flagged by staff included: - SB135 — an engine test cell program request (Sen. John Haste identified as sponsor in staff summary). - SB920 — an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM) bill that would expand the department’s role as a clearinghouse for UAS/AAM activities and update the Airport Zoning Act (Title 3) to include vertiports and heliports. - SB236 — a Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) tax-incentive bill intended to help defense contractors meet CMMC compliance and recruit aerospace companies to Oklahoma. - SB296 — a simulator instructor tax credit (Adam Pugh), modeled on an engineer tax credit, providing up to $5,000 per person for up to five years to attract simulator instructors. - SB287 — a bill to extend engineer/aerospace tax credits that are scheduled to sunset at the end of the current tax year. - SB730 — a statutory insertion of the agency’s five-year airport construction program into Title 3. - SB912 — a bill by Sen. Paul Racino proposing to merge the Space Industry Development Authority (OSIDA) into the department (ODAA), add two designated 'space' members to the commission and transfer staff responsibilities while retaining OSIDA as a Title 60 public trust, according to staff reading of the draft.

Director Grayson told the commissioners that reading the SB912 draft did not reveal obvious negative impacts to the agency, and staff will circulate the full set of aerospace-related bills and a tracking spreadsheet.