ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL NO. 1955 By: McCall, O'Donnell, and Waldron of the House and Bullard of the Senate An Act relating to revenue and taxation; amending 68 O.S. 2021, Section 1352 , which relates to sales tax; defining terms; providing for zero rate of state sales tax on certain food items; providing for effect of sales tax levies by political subd ivisions; prohibiting certain modifications with respect to levy of sales tax; specifying duration of prohibited action; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 68 O.S. 2021, Section 1352, is amended to read as follows: Section 1352. Definitions. As used in the Oklahoma Sales Tax Code: 1. "Alcoholic beverages" means beverages that are suitable for human consumption and contain one -half of one percent (0.5%) or more of alcohol by volume; 2. "Bundled transaction" means the retail sal e of two or more products, except real property and services to real property, where the products are otherwise distinct and identifiable, and th e products are sold for one nonitemized price. A "bundled transaction" does not include the sale of any produc ts in which the ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 sales price varies, or is negotiable, based on the selection by the purchaser of the products included in the transaction. As us ed in this paragraph: a. "distinct and identifiable products " does not include: (1) packaging such as container s, boxes, sacks, bags, and bottles, or other materials such as wrapping, labels, tags, and instruction guides, that accompany the retail sale of the products and are incidental or immaterial to the retail sale thereof, including but n ot limited to, grocery sacks, shoeboxes, dry cleanin g garment bags and express delivery envelopes and boxes, (2) a product provided free of charge with the required purchase of another product. A product is provided free of charge if the sales price of the product purchased do es not vary depending on the inclusion of the product provided free of charge, or (3) items included in the definition of gross receipts or sales price, pursuant to this section, b. "one nonitemized price " does not include a price tha t is separately identi fied by product on binding sal es or other supporting sales-related documentation made ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 available to the customer in paper or electronic form including, but not limited to an invoice, bill of sale, receipt, contract, service agreement, lease agreement, periodic notice of rates and servic es, rate card, or price list, A transaction that otherwise meets the definition of a bundled transaction shall not be considered a bundled transaction if it is: (1) the retail sale of tangible personal pr operty and a service where the tangible personal pro perty is essential to the use of the service, and is provided exclusively in connection with the service, and the true object of the transaction is the service, (2) the retail sale of services where one s ervice is provided that is essential to the use or r eceipt of a second service and the first service is provided exclusively in connection with the second service and the true object of the transaction is the second service, (3) a transaction that includes taxable products and nontaxable products and the pu rchase price or sales price of the taxable products is de minimis. For purposes of this subdivision, "de minimis" means the seller's purchase price or ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 sales price of taxable products is ten percent (10%) or less of the total purchase price or sales price of the bundled products. Sellers shall use either the purchase price or the sales price of the products to determi ne if the taxable products are de minimis. Sellers may not use a combination of the purc hase price and sales p rice of the products to determ ine if the taxable products are de minimis. Sellers shall use the full term of a service contract to determine if the taxable products are de minimis, or (4) the retail sale of exempt tangible personal property and taxable ta ngible personal property where: (a) the transaction includes food and food ingredients, drugs, durable medical equipment, mobility enhancing equi pment, over-the-counter drugs, prosthetic devices or medical supplies, and (b) the seller's purchase price or s ales price of the taxable tangible personal property is fifty percent (50%) or less of the total purchase price or sales price of the bundled tangible personal property. Sellers may not ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 use a combination of the purchase price and sales price of the tangib le personal property when making the fifty percent (50%) determination for a transaction; 2. 3. "Business" means any activity engaged in or caused to be engaged in by any person with the object of gain, benefit, or advantage, either direct or indirect; 3. 4. "Candy" means a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners in combination with chocolate, fruits, nuts, or other ingredients or flavorings in the form of bars, drops, or pieces. Candy shall not includ e any preparation containing flour or requiring refrigeration; 5. "Commission" or "Tax Commission" means the Oklahoma Tax Commission; 4. 6. "Computer" means an electronic device that ac cepts information in digital or similar form and manipulate s it for a result based on a sequence of instructions; 5. 7. "Computer software" means a set of coded instructions designed to cause a "computer" or automatic data processing equipment to perform a task; 6. 8. "Consumer" or "user" means a person to whom a taxa ble sale of tangible personal property is made or to who m a taxable service is furnished. "Consumer" or "user" includes all contractors to whom a taxable sale of materials, supplies, equipme nt, or other ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 tangible personal prop erty is made or to whom a taxa ble service is furnished to be used or consumed in the p erformance of any contract; 7. 9. "Contractor" means any person who performs any improvement upon real property and who, as a necessar y and incidental part of performing su ch improvement, incorporates tangible personal property belonging to or purchased b y the person into the real property being improved; 8. 10. "Dietary supplements" means any product, other than tobacco, intended to su pplement the diet that: a. contains one or more of the following diet ary ingredients: (1) a vitamin, (2) a mineral, (3) an herb or other botanical, (4) an amino acid, (5) a dietary substance to supplement the diet by increasing the total dietary intake, or (6) a concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract, or combination of any ingredient described in divisions (1) through (5) of this subparagraph, b. is intended for ingestion in tablet, capsule, powder, softgel, gelcap, or liquid form, or, if not intende d for ingestion in such form, is not represented as ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 conventional food and is not represented for use as a sole item of a meal or of the diet, and c. is required to be labeled as a dietary supplement, identifiable by the label and as required pursuant to Section 101.36 of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations; 11. "Drug" means a compound, substance o r preparation, and any component of a compound, substance or preparation: a. recognized in the official United States Pharmacopoeia, official Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States, or official National Formulary, a nd supplement to any of them, b. intended for use in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or c. intended to affect the structure or any function of the body; 9. 12. "Electronic" means relating to technology having electrical, digital, magnetic, wireless, opti cal, electromagnetic, or similar capabilities; 10. 13. "Established place of business" means the location at which any person regularly engages in, c onducts, or operates a business in a continuou s manner for any length of time, that is open to the public during the hours customary to such business, in which a stock of merchandise for resale is maintained, and which is not ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 exempted by law from attachmen t, execution, or other species of forced sale barring any satisfactio n of any delinquent tax liability accrued under the Oklahoma Sales Tax Code; 11. 14. "Fair authority" means: a. any county, municipality, school district, public trust or any other polit ical subdivision of this state, or b. any not-for-profit corporation acting pursuant to an agency, operating or ma nagement agreement which has been approved or authorized by the governing body of any of the entities specified in subparagraph a of this paragraph which conduct, operate or produce a fair commonly understood to be a county, district or state fair; 15. "Food and food ingredients" means substances, whether in liquid, concentrated, solid, frozen, dried , or dehydrated form, that are sold for ingestion or chewing by humans and are consumed for their taste or nutriti onal value. Food and food ingredients shall include bottled water, candy, and soft drinks. Food and food ingredients shall not include: a. alcoholic beverages, b. dietary supplements, c. marijuana, usable marijuana , or marijuana-infused products, ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 d. prepared food, or e. tobacco; 12. 16. a. "Gross receipts", "gross proceeds" or "sales price" means the total amount of consideration, including cash, credit, property and services, for which personal property or services are sold, le ased or rented, valued in money, whether received in money or otherwise, without any deduction for the following: (1) the seller's cost of the property sold, (2) the cost of materials used, labor or service cost, (3) interest, losses, all costs of transpor tation to the seller, all taxes imposed on the seller, and any other expense of the seller, (4) charges by the seller for any services necessary to complete the sale, other th an delivery and installation charges, (5) delivery charges and installation charg es, unless separately stated on the invoice, billing or similar document given to the purchaser, and (6) credit for any trade-in. b. Such term shall not include: ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (1) discounts, including cash, term, or coupons that are not reimbursed by a third party that are allowed by a seller and taken by a purchaser on a sale, (2) interest, financing, and carrying charges from credit extended on the sale of personal property or services, if the amount is separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale or similar document given to the purchaser, an d (3) any taxes legally imposed direc tly on the consumer that are separately stated on the invoice, bill of sale or similar document given to the purchaser. c. Such term shall include con sideration received by the seller from third parties if: (1) the seller actually receives consideration fr om a party other than the purchaser and the consideration is directly related to a price reduction or discount on the sale, (2) the seller has an obli gation to pass the price reduction or discount through to the purchas er, (3) the amount of the considerati on attributable to the sale is fixed and determinable by the seller ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 11 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 at the time of the sale of the item to the purchaser, and (4) one of the following criteria is met: (a) the purchaser presen ts a coupon, certificate or other documentation to the seller to claim a price reduction or discount where the coupon, certificate or documentation is authorized, distributed or granted by a third party with the un derstanding that the third party will reim burse any seller to whom the coupon, certificate or documentation is presented, (b) the purchaser identifies himself or herself to the seller as a member of a group or organization entitled to a price reduction or discount; provided, a "preferred customer" card that is available to any patron does not constitute member ship in such a group, or (c) the price reduction or discount is identified as a third-party price reduction or discount on the invoice received by the purchaser or on a coupon, certificate or ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 other documentation present ed by the purchaser; 13. 17. a. "Maintaining a place of business in this state" means and shall be presumed to include: (1) (a) utilizing or maintainin g in this state, directly or by subsidiary, an office, distribution house, sales house, warehouse, or other physical place of business, whether owned or operated by the vendor or any other person, other than a common carrier acting in its capacity as such, or (b) having agents operating in this state, whether the place of business or a gent is within this state temporarily or permanently or whether the person or agent is authorized to do business within this state, and (2) the presence of any person, other t han a common carrier acting in its capacity as such, that has substantial nexus in this state and that: (a) sells a similar line of products as t he vendor and does so under the same or a similar business name, ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 13 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 (b) uses trademarks, service marks or trade names in this state that are the same or substantially similar to those used by the vendor, (c) delivers, installs, assembles or performs maintenance services for the vendor, (d) facilitates the vendor's delivery of property to customers in the state by allowing the vendor's customers to pick up property sold by the vendor at an office, distribution facility, warehouse, storage place or similar place of business maintained by the person in this state, or (e) conducts any other activities in this state that are significantly associated with the vendor's ability to establish and maintain a market in this state fo r the vendor's sale. b. The presumptions in divisions (1) and (2) of subparagraph a of this paragraph may be rebutted by demonstrating that the person 's activities in this state are not significantly associated with the ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 vendor's ability to establish and ma intain a market in this state for the ven dor's sales. c. Any ruling, agreement or contract, whether written or oral, express or implied, between a perso n and executive branch of this stat e, or any other state agency or department, st ating, agreeing or ruli ng that the person is not "maintaining a place of business in this state" or is not required to collect sales and use tax in this state despite the pres ence of a warehouse, distribution c enter or fulfillment center in this state that is owned or operated b y the vendor or an affiliated person of t he vendor shall be null and void unless it is specifically approved by a majority vote of each house of the Okl ahoma Legislature; 14. 18. "Manufacturing" means and includes the activity of converting or conditioning tangible personal property by changing the form, composition, or quality of character of some existing material or materials , including natural resources, by procedures commonly regarded by the average person as manufacturing, compounding, processing or assembling, into a material or materials with a different form or use. "Manufacturing" does not include extractive industrial activities such as mining, qu arrying, logging, and drilling for oil, gas and water, nor oil and gas field ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 processes, such as natural pressure reduction, mechanical separation, heating, cooling, dehydration and compression; 15. 19. "Manufacturing operation " means the designing, manufacturing, compounding, processin g, assembling, warehousing, or preparing of articles f or sale as tangible personal property. A manufacturing operatio n begins at the point where the materials enter the manufacturing site and ends a t the point where a finished product leaves the manufactu ring site. "Manufacturing operation " does not include administration, sales, distribution, transportation, site const ruction, or site maintenance. Extractive activities and field processes shall no t be deemed to be a part of a manufacturing operation eve n when performed by a person otherwise engaged in manufacturing; 16. 20. "Manufacturing site" means a location where a manufacturing operation is conducted, including a location consisting of one or mor e buildings or structures in a n area owned, leased, or controlled by a manufacturer; 17. 21. "Over-the-counter drug" means a drug that contains a label that identifies the p roduct as a drug as required by 21 C.F.R., Section 201.66. The over-the-counter-drug label includes: a. a "Drug Facts" panel, or b. a statement of the "active ingredient(s) " with a list of those ingredients contained in the compound, substance or preparat ion; ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 16 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 18. 22. "Person" means any individual, company, partnership, joint venture, joint ag reement, association, mutual o r otherwise, limited liability company, corporation, estate, trust, business trust, receiver or trustee appointed by any state or federa l court or otherwise, syndicate, this state, any county, city, municipality, school district, any other political subdiv ision of the state, or any group or combination acting as a unit, in the plural o r singular number; 23. "Prepared food" means: a. food sold in a heated state or that is heated by the seller, b. two or more food ingredients mixed or com bined by the seller for sale as a single item, or c. food sold with eating utensils provided by the sell er, including plates, knives, forks, spoons, glasses, cups, napkins, or straws; 19. 24. "Prescription" means an order, formula o r recipe issued in any form of oral, written, electronic, or other means of transmission by a duly licensed "practitioner" as defined in Section 1357.6 of this title; 20. 25. "Prewritten computer software" means "computer software", including prewritten upgra des, which is not designed and developed by the author or other creator to the sp ecifications of a specific purchaser. The combining of two or more prewritten ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 17 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 computer software programs or prewritten portions thereof does not cause the combination to be o ther than prewritten computer software. Prewritten software includes software de signed and developed by the author or other creator to the specifications of a specific purchaser when it is sold to a person other than the purchaser. Where a person modifie s or enhances computer software of which the person is not the author or creator, the person shall be deemed to be the author or creator only of such person 's modifications or enhancements. Prewritten software or a prewritten portion thereof that is modified or enhanced to any degree, where such modification or enhancement is designed and developed to the specific ations of a specific purchaser, remains prewritten software; pro vided, however, that where there is a reasonable, separately stated charge or an invoice or other statement of the price given to the p urchaser for such modification or enhancement, such modif ication or enhancement shall not constitute prewritten computer software; 21. 26. "Repairman" means any person who performs any repair service upon tangible personal property of the consumer, whethe r or not the repairman, as a ne cessary and incidental part of performing the service, incorporates tangible personal prop erty belonging to or purchased by the repairman into the tangible personal property b eing repaired; 22. 27. "Sale" means the transfer of either title or possession of tangible personal property for a valuable consideration ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 18 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 regardless of the manner, method , instrumentality, or device by which the transfer is accomplished in this state, or othe r transactions as provided by this paragraph, including but not limited to: a. the exchange, barter, lease, or rental of tangible personal property resulting in the tr ansfer of the title to or possession of the property, b. the disposition for consumption or use in any business or by any person of all goods, wares, merchandise, or property which has been purchased for resale, manufacturing, or further processing, c. the sale, gift, exchange, or other disposition of admission, dues, or fees to clubs, places of amusement, or recreational or athletic even ts or for the privilege of having a ccess to or the use of amusement, recreational, athletic or entertainment facilities, d. the furnishing or rendering of services taxable under the Oklahoma Sales Tax Code, and e. any use of motor fuel or diesel fuel by a supplier, as defined in Section 500 .3 of this title, upon which sales tax has not previously been paid, for purposes other than to propel motor vehicles over the public highways of this state. Motor fuel or di esel fuel ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 19 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 purchased outside the state and used for purposes other than to propel motor vehicles over the public highways of this state shall not constitute a sale within the meaning of this paragraph; 23. 28. "Sale for resale" means: a. a sale of tangible per sonal property to any purchaser who is purchasing tangible personal property for the purpose of reselling it wi thin the geographical limits of the United States of America or its territories or possessions, in the normal course of business either in the form or condition in which it is purchased o r as an attachment to or integral part of other tangible personal property, b. a sale of tangible personal property to a purchaser for the sole purpose of the renting or leasing, within the geographical limits of t he United States of America or its territo ries or possessions, of the tangible personal property to another per son by the purchaser, but not if incidental to the r enting or leasing of real estate, c. a sale of tangible goods and products within this state if, simultaneously with the sale, the vend or issues an export bill of lading, or other documentation that the p oint of delivery of such goods ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 20 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 for use and consumpti on is in a foreign country and not within the territorial confines of the United States. If the vendor is not in the business of shipping the tangible goods and products tha t are purchased from the vendo r, the buyer or purchaser of the tangible goods and products is responsible for providing an export bill of lading or other documentation to the vendor from whom the tangible goods and products were purchased showing that the point of delivery of such good s for use and consumption is a foreign country and n ot within the territorial confines of the United States, or d. a sales of any carrier access services, right of access services, teleco mmunications services to be resold, or telecommunications used in the subsequent provision of, use as a component part of , or integrated into, end-to-end telecommunications service; 29. "Soft drinks" means any nonalcoholic beverages that co ntain natural or artificial sweeteners. Soft drinks shall not include beverages that contain: a. milk or milk products, b. soy, rice, oat, or similar milk substitutes, or ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 21 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 c. greater than fifty percent (50%) of vegetable or fruit juice by volume; 24. 30. "Tangible personal property" means personal property that can be seen, weighed, meas ured, felt, or touched o r that is in any other manner perceptible to the senses. "Tangible personal property" includes electricity, wa ter, gas, steam and prewritten computer software. T his definition shall be applicable only for purposes of the Oklahoma Sales Tax Code; 25. 31. "Taxpayer" means any person liable to pay a tax imposed by the Oklahoma Sales Tax Code; 26. 32. "Tax period" or "taxable period" means the calendar period or the taxpayer's fiscal period for which a taxpayer has obtained a permit from the Tax Commission to use a fiscal period in lieu of a calendar period; 27. 33. "Tax remitter" means any person required to collect, report, or remit the tax imposed by the Oklahoma Sales Tax Code. A tax remitter who fails, for any reason, to collec t, report, or remit the tax shall be considered a taxpayer for purposes of assessment, collection, and enforcement of the tax imposed by the Oklaho ma Sales Tax Code; and 28. 34. "Vendor" means: a. any person making sales of tangible personal property or services in this state, the gross receipt s or gross ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 22 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 proceeds from which are taxed by the Oklahoma Sales Tax Code, b. any person maintaining a place of b usiness in this state and making sal es of tangible personal prop erty or services, whether at the place of business or elsewhere, to persons withi n this state, the gross receipts or gross proceeds from which are taxed by the Oklahoma Sales Tax Code, c. any person who solicits business by empl oyees, independent contracto rs, agents, or other representatives in t his state, and thereby makes sales to persons within this state of tangible personal property or services, the gross receipts or gross proceeds from which are taxed by the Oklahoma Sales Tax Code, or d. any person, pursuant to an agreement with the person with an ownership interest in or title t o tangible personal property, who has been entrusted with the possession of any such property and has the power to designate who is to obtain title , to physically transfer possession of, or otherwise make sales of th e property. ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 23 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1357.11 of Title 68, unless there is created a dupli cation in numbering, reads as follow s: A. 1. On or after the effective date of this act, an excise tax of zero percent (0%) is hereby imposed upon all retail sales of food and food ingredients sold for human consumption off the premises where sold. 2. Any sales tax or excise tax levied by a city, town, county, or any other jurisdiction in this state upon sales of food and food ingredients shall be in effect regardless of ordinance or contractual provisions referring to previously imposed state sales tax on the items. 3. On or after the effective date of this act, until June 30, 2025, a county or a municipality that submits the question of a sales tax or excise tax to its voters shall provide that the increased rate does not apply to "food and food ingredients" as that term is defined in Section 1352 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes. B. The Oklahoma Tax Commission shall promulgate any necessary rules to implement the provisions of this section in accordance with the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement. SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby ENGR. H. B. NO. 1955 Page 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 declared to exist, by reason whereof thi s act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval. Passed the House of Representatives the 21st day of March, 2023. Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2023. Presiding Officer of the Senate