Oklahoma 2025 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1541 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 03/10/2025

                     
 
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STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
FOR 
HOUSE BILL NO. 1541 	By: Patzkowsky 
 
 
 
 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
 
An Act relating to the Agriculture Linked Deposit 
Program; amending 2 O.S. 2021, Sections 5 -82, 5-85, 
and 5-86, which relate to administration of the 
linked deposit program; modifying definitions; 
modifying provisions related to guidelines; modifying 
certain deposit amount; amending 62 O.S. 2021, 
Section 88-1B, which relates to maximum deposits by 
State Treasurer; providing an effective date; and 
declaring an emergency. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     2 O.S. 2021, Section 5 -82, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 5-82. As used in the Oklahoma Agricultural Linked 
Deposit Program: 
1.  "Agricultural domestic corporation " means any domestic 
corporation formed or licensed pursuant to the Oklahoma General 
Corporation Act or a limited domestic liability company formed or 
licensed pursuant to the Oklahoma Limited Liability Company Act and   
 
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meeting the requirements of paragraph 5 of subsection A of Section 
955 of Title 18 of the Oklahoma Statutes and meeting the 
requirements of subsection A of Section 951 of Title 18 of the 
Oklahoma Statutes; 
2.  "Agricultural linked deposit " means a certificate of deposit 
placed by the State Treasurer with an eligible lending institution 
or an investment in bonds, notes, debentures, or other obligations 
or securities issued by the federal farm credit bank with regard to 
an eligible lending institution for the purpose of carrying out the 
intent of this program; 
3.  "Agricultural Linked Deposit Loan Package " means the forms 
provided by the State Treasurer for the purpose of applying for an 
agricultural linked deposit; 
4.  "Alternative agricultural products " means those products 
included in a report submitted by the Cooperative Extension Service 
of Oklahoma State University to the Oklahoma Department of 
Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, and any other products which the 
State Board of Agriculture determines will diversify Oklahoma 's 
agricultural industry so as to broaden Oklahoma 's economic base, but 
alternative agricultural products shall not mean medical marijuana 
growing operations; 
5.  "An at-risk farm or ranch business " shall be one that seeks 
a production loan and meets the following criteria:   
 
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a. at least sixty percent (60%) of gross income derived 
from farming and/or ranching, and 
b. a debt-to-asset ratio over forty percent (40%); 
6.  "Eligible agricultural business" means: 
a. any person engaged in producing, processing, or 
marketing alternative agricultural products, 
b. any person who is establishing a veterinary practice 
in which at least thirty percent (30%) of the practice 
consists of services for large animals and the total 
loan amount shall not exceed Two Hundred Fifty 
Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00), 
c. an at-risk farm or ranch business , operating within 
the State of Oklahoma in operation that has developed 
a management plan through the Intensive Financial 
Management and Planning Support ( IFMAPS) program of 
the Cooperative Extension Service of Oklahoma State 
University or the Farm Business Management Program of 
the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology 
Education, or 
d. a healthy corner store as certified by the Oklahoma 
Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry; 
7.  "Eligible lending institution " means a financial institution 
that agrees to participate in the Oklahoma Agricultural Linked 
Deposit Program, and:   
 
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a. is eligible to be a d epository of state funds, or 
b. is an institution of the farm credit system organized 
under the federal "Farm Credit Act of 1971 ", 12 U.S.C. 
2001, as amended; and 
8.  "Healthy corner store " means a grocery store certified by 
the Oklahoma Department of Agri culture, Food, and Forestry pursuant 
to rules adopted by the State Board of Agriculture that markets 
locally grown fresh fruits and vegetables and nutritious foods and 
for which the sale of beer and tobacco products constitutes less 
than ten percent (10%) of its gross sales excluding gasoline and 
other nongrocery products, such other requirements as may be 
established in rules adopted by the State Board of Agriculture, and 
that is located in a geographical area that is underserved by 
grocery outlets meeting those requirements. 
SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY     2 O.S. 2021, Section 5 -85, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 5-85. A.  The State Treasurer is authorized to issue 
guidelines and administer the Oklahoma Agricultural Linked Deposit 
Program.  The State Treasurer is further authorized to issue 
guidelines in a manner similar to Article I of the Administrative 
Procedures Act. 
B.  The State Treasurer shall submit an annual report outlining 
the status of the Oklahoma Agricultural Linked De posit Program to   
 
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the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the President Pro Tempore of 
the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. 
SECTION 3.     AMENDATORY     2 O.S. 2021, Section 5 -86, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 5-86. A.  The State Treasurer is authorized to 
disseminate information and provide agricultural linked deposit loan 
packages to the lending institutions eligible for participation in 
the Oklahoma Agricultural Linked Deposit Program. 
B.  The agricultural linked deposit loan package shall be 
completed by the borrower before being forwarded to the lending 
institution for consideration.  Any technical assistance in 
completing the agricultural loan package shall be provided by the 
Oklahoma Department of Agr iculture, Food, and Forestry. 
C.  1.  An eligible lending institution that desires to receive 
an agricultural linked deposit shall accept and review applications 
for loans from eligible agricultural businesses.  The lending 
institution shall apply all usua l lending standards to determine the 
credit worthiness of each eligible agricultural business.  No single 
linked deposit for an alternative agricultural product shall exceed 
One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00).  No single linked deposit for 
an at-risk farm or ranch operation or a healthy corner store shall 
exceed Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($350,000.00) One 
Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00).  No single linked deposit for a   
 
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healthy corner store shall exceed Three Hundred Fifty Thousand 
Dollars ($350,000.00). 
2.  Only one linked deposit loan shall be made and be 
outstanding at any one time to any farmer eligible agriculture 
business.  However, the linked deposit loan may be refinanced. 
3.  No loan shall be made to any officer or director of the 
lending institution making the loan. 
D.  An eligible agricultural business shall certify on its loan 
application that the reduced rate loan will be used exclusively for 
the purposes outlined in paragraph 6 of Section 5 -82 of this title. 
E.  In considering which e ligible agricultural businesses to 
include in the agricultural linked deposit loan package for reduced 
rate loans, the eligible lending institution shall give priority to 
the economic and health needs of the area in which the business is 
located and other factors it considers appropriate to determine the 
relative financial need of the business. 
F.  1.  The eligible lending institution shall forward to the 
State Treasurer an agricultural linked deposit loan package in the 
form and manner prescribed and appro ved by the State Treasurer.  The 
package shall include information regarding the amount of the loan 
requested by each eligible agricultural business and any other 
information regarding each business the State Treasurer and the 
State Board of Agriculture re quires.  The institution shall certify 
that each applicant is an eligible agricultural business, and shall,   
 
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for each business, certify the present borrowing rate applicable to 
each specific eligible agricultural business. 
2.  The institution and applicant shall certify that each 
applicant is an eligible agricultural business and that the values 
used to calculate the ratios of debt to assets have not been changed 
or manipulated in order to qualify the applicant for the program. 
3.  Whoever knowingly makes a false statement concerning a 
linked deposit loan application shall be prohibited from 
participating in the linked deposit loan program. 
G.  Upon receipt of a completed agricultural linked deposit loan 
package, the State Treasurer may review or audit the in formation 
contained in the completed agricultural linked deposit loan package, 
including, but not limited to, a review or audit of the values used 
to calculate the ratios of debts to assets as provided by the 
applicant and the institution.  The State Treas urer shall forward 
the completed agricultural linked deposit loan package to the Board.  
The Board or its designee shall review the agricultural linked 
deposit loan package to determine if the package qualifies under 
this program.  The Board shall make a r ecommendation concerning the 
package within ten (10) business days.  The Board or its designee 
shall return the package to the State Treasurer with a written 
recommendation of approval or rejection within ten (10) business 
days.  If the Board or its designee recommends rejection, the 
written recommendation shall include reasons for the rejection.  The   
 
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Board or its designee shall forward a copy of the rejection notice 
to the lending institution and the borrower.  The State Treasurer 
shall keep a chronologica l list of applications forwarded by the 
Board for approval or rejection all application recommendations 
received. 
SECTION 4.     AMENDATORY     62 O.S. 2021, Section 88.1B, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 88.1B. A.  The amount that the State Treasurer may 
invest in all linked deposit programs authorized by law shall not 
exceed the lesser of Two Hundred Twenty-five Million Dollars 
($225,000,000.00) Five Hundred Million Dollars ($500,000,000.00) or 
fifteen percent (15%) of all monies available to the State Treasurer 
for investment as calculated by taking the average of the quarter -
end amount for the previous four (4) quarters. 
B.  The State Treasurer shall on a quarterly basis review the 
percentage of total investable state funds inve sted in all linked 
deposit programs created by law to determine compliance with 
subsection A of this section. 
C.  If the State Treasurer determines that more than the amount 
allowable pursuant to subsection A of this section is invested in 
all linked deposit programs created by law, the State Treasurer 
shall suspend any renewal or any initiation of new linked deposit 
program investments until the time that the State Treasurer 
determines the investment percentage limitation established by this   
 
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section has been met and except as provided by Section 88.1A of this 
title. 
SECTION 5.  This act shall become effective July 1, 2025. 
SECTION 6.  It being immediately necessary for the preservation 
of the public peace, health or safety, a n emergency is hereby 
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and 
be in full force from and after its passage and approval. 
 
60-1-13289 MJ 03/06/25