Committee clears bill allowing counties to use aerial and satellite stills for property assessments; bill excludes drones

Senator Albert presented SB 21-43 to allow Oklahoma counties to use digital tools — specifically aerial and satellite still imagery taken by fixed‑wing piloted aircraft — as an option for property inspections used in ad valorem assessments. The bill explicitly excludes drone imagery by defining the permitted imagery source as fixed‑wing piloted aircraft.

Supporters said the option could reduce costs and safety risks for assessors, especially in very remote counties where properties may not have changed in decades and physical inspections are time‑consuming. Senator Albert told the committee that still photos are similar to commercial imagery already available (for example, Google Earth) and that physical inspections would remain an option when imagery does not answer necessary questions.

Opponents raised several concerns. Senator Jett and Senator Hamilton questioned whether the change would increase the number of structures added to tax rolls and expressed skepticism about potential impacts on property owners' taxes. Hamilton also asked whether parent companies operating the fixed‑wing aircraft could be foreign and whether the state has visibility into data security and handling; he said past contracting had included foreign companies and urged care around securing citizens' data. Senator Gillespie and others warned of unintended consequences and asked for tightened language; those concerns were discussed but did not prevent a committee majority from advancing the bill.

Senator Sakieri (a former assessor) spoke in favor, noting many counties already use similar aerial imagery and that it can complement physical inspection processes.

The committee adopted striking the bill title for further refinement and then voted; the clerk recorded 7 ayes and 4 nays and the chair declared SB 21-43 passed out of committee.

Quotes
"This bill... defines fixed wing piloted aircraft," Senator Albert said when explaining the exclusion of drones.

"If these still shots... do not answer all the questions, then a physical inspection can and will happen," Albert added.

"If we end up and we do in fact have a foreign company that's the parent company of this aviation operation, we're also gonna need to take a look at how we're gonna secure data that we're collecting on Oklahoma citizens," Senator Hamilton said.

Ending
SB 21-43 was advanced to the Senate floor in committee with instructions that authors and staff may refine language; committee members signaled further work on privacy and data‑security language as it moves forward.