Speaker Kyle Hilbert

R

District 29

Hi, I’m Kyle Hilbert and I represent the people of Oklahoma’s 29th District.


representative

Leadership

Speaker Pro Tempore

59th Legislature

Speaker Pro Tempore

58th Legislature

Speaker of the House

60th Legislature

News & Announcements

Apr 1, 2026
Recent Posts

House, Senate, and Governor Reach Early Agreement on FY27 State Budget

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, legislative leaders in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and Oklahoma Senate, along with the Governor, announced they have reached an agreement on the state budget for Fiscal Year 2027. The agreement marks the earliest a comprehensive budget deal has been reached in recent state history. The FY27 budget prioritizes fiscal discipline while making strategic investments in critical areas of state government. The budget makes significant strategic investments in education, including $27.3 million to fund health insurance increases for teachers, almost $80 million dedicated to reading and math initiatives, including support for the Strong Readers Act, and $85 million for teacher pay raises. These investments, along with others reinforce the Legislature’s commitment to improving student outcomes while strengthening Oklahoma’s education workforce. The budget also increases funding for the Department of Mental Health to support efforts with the ongoing consent decree, the Oklahoma Healthcare Authority for increased Medicaid utilization and the Department of Human Services for Advantage waiver, changes to the SNAP program and child care teacher recruitment and retention.  “Even in a challenging fiscal environment, our priority has been protecting core services for Oklahomans while maintaining a responsible approach to taxpayer dollars,” said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. “This early agreement is the result of leaders coming to the table prepared to do the work." "This budget is the result of a collaborative, good-faith effort between the Senate, House and Governor’s Office to put Oklahomans first,” said Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton. “By holding our state agencies harmless, we are ensuring that the core services our citizens rely on, from public safety to infrastructure, remain fully funded and reliable. At the same time, we are making a historic, targeted investment in our future. This plan provides our teachers with a much-needed pay raise to keep Oklahoma competitive, ensures our students benefit from more instructional days in the classroom and honors our commitment to retirees through a critical cost-of-living adjustment. I want to thank everyone involved for the tireless effort and dedication they have shown in crafting a responsible, forward-looking budget that sets Oklahoma up for long-term success." “I am grateful to leaders in the Senate and House for their work on this budget deal and for their commitment to fiscally responsible reforms that will put our state in an even better position,” said Governor Stitt. “This agreement reflects the important priorities for Oklahoma while keeping an eye on the horizon and planning for the future needs of our state.” House Appropriations and Budget Chairman Trey Caldwell, R-Faxon, and Vice Chairman John Kane, R-Bartlesville and Senate Appropriations and Budget Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry, and Vice Chairman John Haste, Broken Arrow, who led budget negotiations, emphasized the disciplined approach taken during the process. “This budget reflects months of responsible planning,” Caldwell and Kane said in a joint statement. “Even in a year when revenues are tighter, we remained focused on protecting essential services while identifying strategic investments that strengthen our state. By working closely with our Senate counterparts and the Governor’s office, we were able to produce a budget that keeps Oklahoma on stable financial footing.” “Every dollar in this budget reflects the needs and priorities of Oklahomans,” said Senate Appropriations Chairman Chuck Hall, R-Perry. “This spending plan makes a significant investment in public education and provides pay raises for our hardworking teachers. It supports the dedicated public servants who show up every day to serve our state and gives retirees an overdue cost-of-living adjustment after years of high inflation. By investing in the Oklahomans who are the backbone of this state, we’re building a brighter future for Oklahoma. I’m also proud that this budget is a fiscally responsible proposal that protects core government services and does right by the taxpayers who fund our state government.” Hilbert also emphasized the Legislature’s responsibility to thoroughly examine agency spending. “As legislators, our job is not simply to approve budgets but to provide meaningful oversight of the agencies entrusted with taxpayer resources,” Hilbert said. “That means digging into the details, asking hard questions and examining every single line in an agency’s budget. Oklahomans expect us to ensure their tax dollars are spent wisely, and that work requires diligence and accountability.” More details on the FY27 budget can be found on the Oklahoma House website at https://former.okhouse.gov/fiscal/FiscalPortal.aspx and the Oklahoma Senate website at https://oksenate.gov/appropriations . “Oklahomans expect us to lead, and that means coming to the table with solutions,” Hilbert said. “Throughout this process, leadership has remained focused on delivering a responsible budget that protects services without unnecessary spending increases.”

Mar 26, 2026
Recent Posts

House Overwhelmingly Passes Comprehensive Reading Law

OKLAHOMA CITY – Today the Oklahoma House passed House Bill 4420 strengthening the Strong Reader’s Act and ensuring our students can read by the third grade.  The legislation includes early identification of reading deficiencies through consistent, statewide screening; targeted intervention grounded in the science of reading; clear communication with parents about their child’s reading progress and available at-home supports; accountability measures to ensure students demonstrate reading ability before advancing to the next grade; giving 2nd graders the option of taking the state test; expanded teacher training and classroom support to improve instruction outcomes; new requirements and accountability for colleges of education preparing our state’s future teachers; a new funding formula that supports all students, while also giving additional funds to students who need more help and rewarding schools seeing growth; and creates a revolving fund to encourage public-private partnerships. “Our goal is to have the strongest reading bill in the country,” said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow and author of the bill. “This bill is not a partisan issue - we all want our kids to read by the third grade. This legislation balances accountability with support for teachers, schools and parents, all of whom play an important role in teaching a child to read. We are taking what we have seen states like Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana do - with similar state demographics - and building upon it to make our law even stronger and unique to our students’ needs.” The legislation has received overwhelming support, largely because the statistics around Oklahoma’s reading levels are alarming. In 2015, Oklahoma students performed near the national average in reading. Today, we trail peer states by more than a full grade level. Based on Spring 2025 testing, just 27 percent of Oklahoma third graders are reading at or above grade level. “Before third grade, students learn to read. After third grade, they read to learn. When that transition does not happen, the consequences compound quickly and follow students for life,” said Hilbert. “ We want to talk about career pathways and dream jobs for our students, but our children will be perpetually underemployed if they cannot read. Oklahoma has already taken important steps, and I am proud of the work our educators are doing. But we must be honest about where our current approach falls short and make immediate shifts to ensure more of our students are reading on grade level.” The bill passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 86-6 and now moves to the Senate for further consideration. 

Mar 24, 2026
Recent Posts

House Passes “Good Faith Reporting for Child Protection Act”

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives yesterday unanimously passed House Bill 4425, authored by House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, establishing the Good Faith Reporting for Child Protection Act to encourage prompt reporting of sexually inappropriate conduct involving minors while protecting those who report in good faith. House Bill 4425 provides civil liability protection for charitable organizations and volunteers who report suspected sexually inappropriate conduct involving a minor, provided the report is made in good faith and follows clear reporting guidelines. To qualify for the protections, the report must be made within 72 hours to both law enforcement and the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. The legislation also creates a presumption of good faith when a report is made in accordance with an organization’s established reporting policy defining sexually inappropriate conduct. The immunity does not apply to individuals reporting their own misconduct. Speaker Hilbert said the bill is designed to ensure adults feel supported and obligated to speak up quickly when a child may be in danger. “Protecting children must always come first,” said Hilbert. “This bill makes it clear that when someone sees warning signs of inappropriate conduct involving a child, they should report it immediately. By protecting those who act in good faith, we’re removing barriers that might prevent someone from speaking up and ensuring potential abuse is reported as quickly as possible.” Representative Collin Duel, R-Guthrie, also helped champion the legislation. “House Bill 4425 sends a clear message that protecting children must always come first,” Duel said. “This bill empowers people to speak up when they see suspicious behavior involving a child and establishes clear standards for how those reports are made. Just as importantly, it protects those who act in good faith and ensures law enforcement receives critical information quickly so potential threats can be addressed before a child is harmed.” Both the Catholic Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and Oklahoma Baptists applaud this legislation. "I commend Speaker Hilbert's legislation and his leadership in protecting children from abuse," said Archbishop Coakley. It is imperative that we encourage all adults aware of potential abuse to swiftly report their concerns without fear to proper authorities to ensure children are protected." “It is essential that children are protected from harm, and a key to help in that is to create a culture of timely reporting and accountability," said Dr. Todd Fisher, Executive Director-Treasurer of Oklahoma Baptists. "This bill does just that.”  House Bill 4425 now advances to the Oklahoma Senate for consideration.