by Rep. John Pfeiffer
March 5 was the deadline for House bills and joint resolutions to pass out of oversight, Appropriations and Budget or rules committees in our legislative chamber. We passed 269 measures during the week in these committees.
Bills that survived this stage in the legislative process are eligible to be considered by the full membership of the House.
Here’s a look at my bills that passed oversight committees before the deadline.
House Bill 3279 would clean up some areas of a law we enacted last year aimed at curbing public corruption. This bill would clarify when and who needs to sign conflict-of-interest documents for purchases of $25,000 or above.
House Bill 3919 would allow county commissioners to take free fair boards from a membership of nine down to five members if needed to help them get a quorum for board meetings. These boards get to pick who judges county fair entries, so they are a big deal.
Also recently, the House passed two bills ensuring taxpayer-funded assistance programs are reserved for American citizens and those who are lawfully present in the United States. The measures advance the state’s commitment to Safeguarding Eligibility, Compliance and Use of Resources Efficiently (SECURE) when administering state and federal assistance.
House Bills 4422 and 4423 reinforce eligibility standards for public assistance programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and Medicaid. The legislation clarifies that individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States are ineligible for taxpayer-funded benefits and strengthens verification requirements to ensure state agencies are complying with federal law and directing benefits only to qualified recipients.
Applicants would be verified through the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Systematic Alien Verification of Entitlements (SAVE) system. Children eligible for these benefits will continue to receive them. If a child’s parents are here illegally, however, they risk the consequences of breaking the law.
This helps us protect taxpayer dollars and ensure our state is not serving as a magnet for those in our country illegally. The bills now move to the Senate for consideration.
We started the Second Regular Session of the 60th Legislature with a total of 1,578 House bills and 50 House joint resolutions filed. About 500 of those are still active.
The House already has passed a number of measures. The next three weeks will be devoted to hearing many of those that remain.
The third-reading deadline for legislation to advance from its chamber of origin is March 26.
It’s an honor to serve the folks of House District 38. As always, if you have concerns about bills, or problems I can assist you in solving, please reach out to me at [email protected] or call my office at 405-557-7332.
John Pfeiffer serves District 38 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes Grant County and parts of Garfield, Kay, Logan and Noble counties.
