The clock is ticking for lawmakers to submit their policy proposals for 2026.
Thursday, Jan. 15 at 5 p.m. is the deadline for House and Senate members to introduce bills and joint resolutions before the Legislature convenes on Feb. 2. Rank-and-file House members are limited to eight bills per session, while House majority leadership and members of the Senate may file as many bills as they like.
Bills filed last year will also be eligible for consideration, as Feb. 2 marks the beginning of the second regular session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature.
There are various maneuvers lawmakers use to introduce new policy proposals after the deadline, including filing shell bills and shucking a bill of its original language to introduce an unrelated policy proposal. But by and large, the public should have a decent understanding of what the Legislature intends to focus on by the end of the week.
If you’re interested in a particular topic or issue, the Oklahoma Legislature’s website categorizes proposals by subject matter. You can also sign up for email alerts when action is taken on a bill.
In the coming weeks, bills will be assigned to relevant committees for initial consideration. It’s up to that committee chair whether or not to schedule the bill for a vote. January is notorious for attention-grabbing headlines on controversial bills, but these proposals often don’t even get past the first review stage.
The first major deadline is March 5, when Senate bills must advance from Senate committees. House bills have a March 26 deadline to advance out of committee and pass the full House.
Comment to Kross@Oklahomawatch.org.