HB1543 HFLR Page 1
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
HOUSE BILL 1543 By: Patzkowsky of the House
and
Green of the Senate
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to the Oklahoma Conservation
Commission; amending 27A O.S. 2021, Section 3 -2-106,
which relates to the powers and dut ies of the
Commission; providing that the Commission may enter
into contracts and agreements and execute certain
instruments in certain circumstances; updating
language to include tribes; removing the ability of
the Commission to establish and maintain a
Conservation District Consolidation Fund; and
providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 27A O.S. 2021, Section 3 -2-106, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 3-2-106. A. In addition to other powers and duties
specified by law and except as otherwise provided by law, the
Oklahoma Conservation Commission shall have the powe r and duty to:
HB1543 HFLR Page 2
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 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. Offer the assistance as may be appropriate to the directors
of conservation districts in the carrying out of any of their powers
and programs and to:
a. assist and guide districts in the preparation and
carrying out of programs for resou rce conservation
authorized under the Conservation District Act,
b. review district programs,
c. coordinate the programs of the several districts and
resolve any conflicts in such programs, and
d. facilitate, promote, assist, harmonize, coordinate ,
and guide the resource conservation programs and
activities of districts as they relate to oth er
special purpose districts, counties , and other public
agencies;
2. Keep the directors of each of the several districts informed
of the activities and experience of a ll other districts, and to
facilitate an interchange of advice and experience between t he
districts and cooperation between them;
3. Enter into contracts and agreements and execute such
instruments in the judgment of the Commission as are necessary,
beneficial, or convenient toward the exercise of any of the
Commission's powers conferred up on it by law. This includes, but is
not limited to, creating shared positions , administering statewide
HB1543 HFLR Page 3
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
programs with districts, and exploring funding sources for
conservation programs, practices, and pilot projects;
4. Review agreements, or forms of agre ements, proposed to be
entered into by districts with other districts or with any state,
federal, or tribal, interstate, or other public or private agency,
organization, or individual, and advise the districts concerning the
agreements or forms of agreemen ts;
4. 5. Secure the cooperation and assistance of the United
States and any of its agencies, and of any tribe, agencies of this
state, other entities, or individuals in the work of the Commission
or districts and to accept;
6. Accept donations, grants, gifts and contributions in money,
services, or otherwise from the United States or any of its agencies
or from, tribes, the state or any of its agencies , other entities,
or individuals in order to carry out the purposes of the
Conservation District Act;
5. 7. Disseminate information throughout the state concerning
the activities and programs of the conservation districts and to
make available information concerning the n eeds and the work of the
conservation districts and Commission to the Governor, the
Legislature, executive agencies of the government of this state,
political subdivisions of this state, cooperating federal agencies ,
and the general public;
HB1543 HFLR Page 4
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
6. 8. Serve along with conservation districts as the official
state agencies for cooperating with the Natural Resources
Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agr iculture
and carrying on conservation operations within the boundaries of
conservation districts;
7. 9. Cooperate with and give such assistance as it deems
necessary and proper to conservancy districts, watershed
associations, and other special purpose districts in the State of
Oklahoma for the purpose of cooperating with the United States
through the Secretary of Agriculture in the furtherance of
conservation pursuant to the pro visions of the Federal Watershed
Protection and Flood Prevention Act, as amend ed;
8. 10. Recommend the inclusion in annual and longer term
longer-term budgets and appropriation legislation of the State of
Oklahoma of funds necessary for appropriation by t he Legislature to
finance the activities of the Commission and the conservation
districts and to:
a. administer the provisions of the Conservation District
Act hereafter enacted by the Legislature appropriating
funds for expenditure in connection with the
activities of conservation districts,
b. distribute to conservation districts funds, equipment,
supplies, and services received by the Commission for
that purpose from any source, subject to such
HB1543 HFLR Page 5
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
conditions as shall be made applicable thereto in any
state or federal statute or local ordinance making
available such funds, property , or services,
c. issue rules establishing guidelines and suitable
controls to govern the use by conservation districts
of funds, property, and services, and
d. review all budgets, administrative procedures , and
operations of such districts and advise the dis tricts
concerning their conformance with applicable laws and
regulations;
9. 11. Enlist the cooperation and collaboration of state,
federal, tribal, regional, interstate, local, public, and private
agencies with the conservation districts and to facilitate
arrangements under which the conservation districts may serve county
governing bodies and other agencies as their local operating
agencies in the administration of any activity concerned with the
conservation of renewable natural resources;
10. 12. Pursuant to procedures developed mutually by the
Commission and federal, tribal, state, and local agencies that are
authorized to plan or administer activities significantly affectin g
the conservation of renewable natural resources, receive from these
agencies for review and comment suitable descriptions of their
plans, programs, and activities for purposes of coordination with
district conservation programs and to arrange for and par ticipate in
HB1543 HFLR Page 6
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
conferences necessary to avoid conflict among plans and programs, to
call attention to omissions , and to avoid duplication of effort;
11. 13. Compile information and make studies, summaries, and
analyses of district programs in relation to eac h other and to other
resource conservation programs on a statewide basis;
12. 14. Except as otherwise assigned by law, carry out the
policies of this state in programs at the state level for the
conservation of the renewable natural resources of this stat e and
represent the state in matters affecting such resources;
13. 15. Assist conservation districts in obtaining legal
services from state and local legal officers;
14. 16. Require annual reports from conservation districts, the
form and content of whic h shall be developed by the Commission in
consultation with the district directors;
15. 17. Establish by rules, with the assistance and advice of
the State Auditor and Inspector, adequate and reasonably uniform
accounting and auditing procedures which that shall be used by
conservation districts;
16. 18. Conduct workshops for dist rict directors to instruct
them on the subjects of district finances, the Conservation Dist rict
Law and related laws, and their duties and responsibilities as
directors;
17. 19. Assist and supervise districts in carrying out their
responsibilities in accordance with the Oklahoma laws;
HB1543 HFLR Page 7
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 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. 20. Have power, by administrative order, upon the writt en
request of the board of directors of the conservation district or
districts involved, with a showing that such request has been
approved by a majority vote of the members of each of the boards
involved, to:
a. transfer lands and assign easements from one district
established under the provisions of the Conservation
District Act to another ,
b. divide a single district into two or more districts,
each of which shall thereafter operate as a separate
district under the provisions of the Conservation
District Act, and
c. consolidate two or more districts established under
the provisions of the Conservation District Act, which
consolidated area shall operate thereafter as a single
district under the provisions of the Conservation
District Act;
19. 21. Except as otherwise provided by law, act as the
management agency having jurisdiction over and responsibility for
directing nonpoint source pollution prevention programs outside the
jurisdiction or control of cities or towns in Oklahoma. The
Commission, otherwise , shall be responsible for all identified
nonpoint source categories except silvicultur e, urban storm water
stormwater runoff and industrial runoff;
HB1543 HFLR Page 8
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
20. 22. Establish and maintain an Equipment Revolving Fund for
the purpose of loaning conservation distric ts funds to purchase
equipment to be used for the installation of conservation practice s.
The fund shall consist of all monies appropriated to, deposited in
or credited to the fund;
21. Establish and maintain a Conservation District
Consolidation Fund fo r the purpose of providing financial assistance
to conservation districts who choose to consolidate as outlined in
subparagraph c of paragraph 18 of this subsection. The fund shall
consist of all monies appropriated to, deposited in or credited to
the fund;
22. 23. Administer cost-share programs for the purpose of
carrying to carry out conservation or best management practices on
the land to benefit the public through the prevention or reduction
of soil erosion and nonpoint source pollution and through general
resource management. The Commission is not authorized to implement
mandatory compliance with management practices, except as otherwise
provided by law, to aba te agricultural nonpoint source pollution;
23. 24. Plan watershed-based nonpoint source po llution control
activities, including the development and implementation of
conservation plans for the improvement and protection of the
resources of the state;
24. Provide assistance to 25. Assist the Oklahoma Water
Resources Board on lake projects thro ugh stream and river
HB1543 HFLR Page 9
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
monitoring, assessing watershed activities impacting lake water
quality, and assisting in the development of a watershed management
plan;
25. 26. Maintain the activities of the state 's nonpoint source
working group;
26. 27. Prepare, revise, and review Oklahoma's nonpoint source
management program and nonpoint source as sessment report in
coordination with other state environmental agencies and compile a
comprehensive assessment for the state every five (5) years. The
management program and assessment report shall be distributed to the
Governor, Secretary of Energy and Environment, the President Pro
Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate, and the Speaker of the
Oklahoma House of Representatives;
27. 28. Under the direction of the Office of the Secretary of
the Energy and Environment, develop and implement the state 's
nonpoint source water quality monitoring strategy in coordination
with other environmental agencies;
28. 29. Monitor, evaluate, and assess the waters of the state
to determine the condition of streams and rivers impacted by
nonpoint source pollution. In carry ing out this area of
responsibility, the Conservation Commission shall serve a s the
technical lead agency for nonpoint source pollution categories as
defined in Section 319 of the Federal Clean Water Act or other
subsequent federal or state nonpoint source programs;
HB1543 HFLR Page 10
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
29. 30. Administer the Blue Thumb Program;
30. 31. Enter into agreements or contracts for services with
any of the substate planning districts recognized by the Oklahoma
Department of Commerce;
31. 32. Cooperate with the federal government, o r any agency
thereof, to participate in and coordinate with federal programs t hat
will yield additional federal funds to the state for programs within
the jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission. This participation
shall be subject to the availability of state funds;
32. 33. Implement pilot projects and programs, subject to the
availability of funds, that will demonstrate the latest technologies
and applications in conservation programs that may provide direct or
residual benefits to conservation prac tices in the state; and
33. 34. Promulgate rules necessary, expedient, or app ropriate
to carry out the purposes, objectives, or provisions or appropriate
to the performance of the Conservation District Act and the Oklahoma
Carbon Sequestration Enhancement Act and:
a. may establish and collect fees for services provided
pursuant to the Conservation District Act and the
Oklahoma Carbon Sequestration Enhancement Act,
including any services for the certification or
verification of sustainable agricultural prod uction
practices, including but not limited to , the Natural
HB1543 HFLR Page 11
BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
Resources Conservation Service Soil Condition Index,
and
b. shall promulgate all rules establishing fees in
accordance with the Administrative Procedures Act,
which fees shall be fair and equitabl e to all parties
concerned.
B. Nothing in this act shall take away any of the present
duties or responsibilities delegated by law or constitution to other
environmental agencies.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025 .
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET, dated
03/05/2025 - DO PASS, As Coauthored.