The Oklahoma Legislature has completed its work on administrative rules for the 2025 session, approving a total of six joint resolutions addressing rules submitted by state agencies and finalizing four major reform bills

The House and Senate concluded the rules process with the passage of six joint resolutions this week, each disapproving specific proposed rules from state agencies. In total, 62 agencies, boards and commissions submitted more than 5,600 pages of rules ahead of the Feb. 1 deadline. The Legislature cannot amend rules; it only has the authority to approve or disapprove them. Once approved, rules carry the full force of law.

"When we allow rules that lack proper statutory grounding, we are complicit in the erosion of that authority and willingly hand over the reins of lawmaking to unelected administrators," said House Administrative Rules Chair Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus. "Rules without specific statutory authority are not merely overstepping—they bypass the will of the people and their elected representatives. Disapproving such rules is not obstruction; it is fidelity. It is our constitutional responsibility to preserve the boundaries of government power and to protect the liberty of the governed."

"This work doesn't get done without the hard work and dedication of my House colleagues who spent hours reviewing hundreds of proposed rules and their related statutes," Kendrix added. "I also appreciate the House staff that has worked long hours with us and for us." 

The final three resolutions, all adopted unanimously by the House, were:

• Senate Joint Resolution 22, disapproving certain rules proposed by the State Department of Education.
• Senate Joint Resolution 21, disapproving certain rules from the Oklahoma Department of Securities and the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority.
• Senate Joint Resolution 18, disapproving certain rules submitted by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.

On Wednesday, the Senate gave final approval to three additional resolutions addressing rules related to energy, agriculture and wildlife agencies; judicial and public safety agencies; and health-related agencies. All six resolutions were authored by Kendrix and Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, chair of the Senate Administrative Rules Committee.

"As these pieces of legislation become law, we are taking significant steps to ensure that regulations are no longer created in isolation by state agencies, but instead, are subject to greater oversight by the people’s elected representatives," Bergstrom said. "With these reforms in statute, Oklahomans will see a more transparent, accountable, and responsive administrative rules process that will better serve our state. I appreciate and commend everyone who played a role in getting these bills across the finish line."

In addition to reviewing rules, lawmakers this year passed a suite of reforms aimed at modernizing and strengthening legislative oversight of the rulemaking process.

"These reforms mark a significant step forward in restoring legislative oversight and reinforcing the separation of powers in Oklahoma," said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. "By strengthening the rulemaking process, we are ensuring that agencies remain accountable to the law and, ultimately, to the people of Oklahoma. I’m proud of the work our members have done to uphold the Legislature’s constitutional responsibility."

Three reform measures have now been signed into law:

• House Bill 2728 creates the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2025, which establishes new statutory requirements for state agencies adopting major administrative rules. The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) is tasked with conducting impact analyses for proposed rules with a significant fiscal impact.
• House Bill 2729 brings an end to the Chevron deference in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2024 decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine. The measure establishes that state courts must independently interpret state statutes, regulations and sub-regulatory documents rather than deferring to a state agency’s interpretation.
• Senate Bill 1024 would prohibit the adoption of a proposed rule by an agency unless the agency receives approval from the Governor or the appropriate cabinet secretary.

A fourth bill is still on the governor's desk. Senate Bill 995 clarifies that any rule not explicitly approved by the Legislature is considered disapproved. He has until Saturday, May 24, at midnight to act on the measure.