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Oklahoma Department of Labor seeks flat budget, says online licensure contract near finalization
Summary
Commissioner Osborne told the appropriations subcommittee the Department of Labor will again seek a flat budget for FY26, highlighted safety and licensing work including a state SHARP program, and said the agency is close to contracting with Tyler Technologies to implement online occupational licensure after six years of procurement setbacks.
Commissioner Osborne of the Oklahoma Department of Labor told the Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Regulatory Services that the agency is asking for a flat budget for a seventh consecutive year and listed priority programs that justify that posture. "For the last 7 years, this is the seventh year of the last 6, we have never asked for an increase in what you give us, and we are once again asking for a flat budget," Osborne said.
Osborne outlined the Department's core responsibilities: workplace safety inspections, asbestos abatement oversight, elevator and amusement-ride inspections, and an employment-standards unit that handles unpaid-wage claims. He described a state-based OSHA initiative—SHARP certification—that embeds state-trained safety staff with small businesses (500 employees or fewer) and with public-sector employers such as small cities and school districts. Osborne said SHARP certification reduces federal OSHA follow-up when demonstrated compliance is in place.
The commissioner credited a multiyear licensing task force with reducing occupational licenses from 508 to 206 and said the change has put the department near the national median for licensing requirements. He stressed the department's role in low-cost dispute resolution for unpaid wages, noting administrative law judges can expedite recovery for workers who cannot afford district-court litigation.
Osborne spent significant time describing a long-running effort to move the agency's licensure system online. He attributed delays to prior sole-source procurements and unsuccessful vendors and said the department is close to a contract with Tyler Technologies, an Oklahoma-based vendor, pending revisions to the statement of work and liability language. "We are this close to signing a contract with Tyler Media," Osborne said, adding the agency has savings on hand to pay for implementation and does not plan to request additional appropriation for the system.
Committee members asked for updates on the procurement and implementation timeline; Osborne agreed to keep the committee informed. The exchange closed with members thanking the commissioner for the flat-budget request and noting concerns about the length of the procurement process.
