Committee advances bill to streamline OWRB contracting; reported out 9-0

The Oklahoma House Energy Committee on Feb. 18 voted 9-0 to report House Bill 2440 out of committee after adopting a proposed committee substitute (PCS) as the working draft.

Representative Pfeiffer, who explained the measure, said HB 2440 is an Oklahoma Water Resources Board (OWRB) request bill that would change how the agency handles certain contracts. "OWRB hires engineers and consultants for many projects that the agency does not have adequate staff or resources for," Pfeiffer said, and the bill "would just allow them an easier way to treat all contracts and stuff without allowing them to have to go through OMS." The committee did not record extended debate before the vote.

Chair moved to adopt the PCS "without objection" as the working draft, after which a motion for a "due pass" on the bill was made and seconded. The clerk called the roll; Waldron and May were recorded as voting "aye" and the final tally was announced as 9 aye, 0 nay. Representative Pfeiffer reported the bill out of committee as due pass.

The measure was described in committee as administrative and procurement-focused; the transcript identifies the central change as easing the internal contract process for OWRB when it hires engineers and consultants for projects the agency cannot staff internally. The transcript references "OMS" as the existing route that the bill would avoid; the committee record does not define the acronym or provide statutory citations in this hearing.

The committee did not take public comment during the recorded segment, and no amendments or legal references beyond the agency request were introduced in the discussion. The bill's next procedural step will be whatever House scheduling requires to place the measure on a subsequent calendar or committee of the whole, as appropriate.