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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
HOUSE BILL 2034 By: Archer
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to transportation; creating the
Regional Rural Transportation Task Force;
establishing membership; requiring majority for
quorum; providing for election of chair; providing
for meeting times; authorizing chair to designate
meeting venue; prohibiting compensation for duties;
detailing duties of the Task Force; setting time
frames for the meeting of certain goals of Task
Force; requiring delivery of certain reports;
designating staffing; providing for codification;
providing an effective date; and declaring an
emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 4050 of Title 69, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. The Regional Rural Transportation Task Force is hereby
created, until December 31, 2026, unless further legislative action
extends its mandate; to address critical transportation needs and
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challenges across western Oklahoma, encompassing areas of
responsibility for the Northern Oklahoma Regional Transportation
Planning Organization (NORTPO) and the Southwest Oklahoma Regional
Transportation Planning Organization (SORTPO). Task Force members
shall appoint alternative members to ensure quorum and continuity of
the project. The Task Force shall consist of, but may not be
limited to, representation from the following:
1. One member designated by the Speaker of the Oklahoma House
of Representatives, who shall be a current member of the Oklahoma
House of Representatives who represents the region of western
Oklahoma;
2. One member designated by the President Pro Tempore of the
Oklahoma State Senate, who shall be a current member of the Oklahoma
State Senate who represents the region of western Oklahoma;
3. The NORTPO Transportation Director;
4. The SORTPO Transportation Director;
5. The Deputy Administrator of the Oklahoma Health Care
Authority;
6. A representative from the State Department of Health;
7. A representative from South Western Oklahoma Development
Authority;
8. A representative from the Oklahoma Department of Human
Services;
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9. A representative from the Oklahoma Department of
Transportation Office of Mobility and Public Transit;
10. A representative from Oklahoma Rural Health Association or
Duncan Regional Hospital; and
11. Regional development specialist from the Oklahoma
Department of Commerce.
B. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum for the
purpose of conducting the business of the Task Force. The Task
Force shall select a chair from its membership. The Task Force
shall meet at least bimonthly and at such other times as may be
called by the chair. The chair shall designate a venue within the
state for meetings.
C. Members of the Task Force shall receive no compensation for
serving on the Task Force but shall receive travel reimbursement for
necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of their
duties by their respective agencies in accordance with the State
Travel Reimbursement Act.
D. The Regional Rural Transportation Task Force shall:
1. Gather and analyze transportation-related data to identify
gaps, needs, duplications, inefficiencies, and provide
recommendations and strategies for improving transit services;
2. Facilitate coordination among regional stakeholders to align
goals and leverage collective expertise;
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3. Identify and pursue state, federal, and other funding
opportunities to support infrastructure and capital improvements;
4. Expand the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's statewide
mobility management program to include two mobility navigators in
both the NORTPO and SORTPO regions; this number excludes mobility
navigators in the region working within a metropolitan planning
organization, transit operator, or similar entity; funding to one
hundred percent (100%) of eligible program costs;
5. Benchmark western Oklahoma's transportation initiatives
against similar projects in other states and regions to adopt best
practices and innovative strategies;
6. Collaborate with NORTPO, SORTPO, and other regional agencies
and groups;
7. Engage stakeholders, including, but not limited to, health
care professionals, aging services professionals, veterans' groups,
and transit operators, and define a framework to engage these groups
through in-person interviews, summits, and coordination with other
activities or event opportunities;
8. Develop and begin implementation of at least three separate
pilot programs by December 31, 2026, that are focused on volunteer
drivers, mileage reimbursement, real-time tracking and dispatch
software tailored for rural use, centralized transit hubs and
integrated scheduling systems;
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9. Initiate reports, studies, and analysis among agencies or
organizations that provide public transportation, identifying
service gaps, evaluating the feasibility of extension of service and
coordinating to reduce duplication of service coverage;
10. Identify funding sources and develop opportunities for
rural transit innovation grants;
11. Evaluate and identify potential tax incentives for private
entities partnering in transit solutions;
12. Identify opportunities with state agencies to streamline
grant funding applications for smaller transportation providers; and
13. In coordination with the Oklahoma Broadband Office,
internet providers or state agencies overseeing technology
infrastructure prioritize areas for improved broadband and cellular
service to allow for innovative technology and dispatch.
E. The Task Force shall meet the duties listed in subsection D
of this section in the following time frames:
1. In years one and two, immediate duties to be accomplished:
a. establish the Task Force with diverse stakeholder
representation and agencies with expertise in rural
communities, services, and needs to ensure a broad
spectrum of perspective,
b. commission feasibility studies for pilot programs
focusing on service gaps identified by the Oklahoma
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Public Transit Policy Plan and legislative interim
studies,
c. establish dedicated funding streams and secure
commitments from state and federal sources, and
d. expand the Oklahoma Department of Transportation's
statewide mobility management program to include a
minimum of two mobility navigators in the NORTPO and
two mobility navigators in the SORTPO regions this
number excludes mobility navigators in the region
working within a metropolitan planning organization,
transit operator, or similar entity; funding to one
hundred percent (100%) of eligible program costs;
2. In years three through five, mid-term duties to be
accomplished:
a. launch pilot programs in counties and municipalities
not served by public transit or microtransit services,
and
b. in coordination with the Oklahoma Department of
Transportation, and other state agencies that include
transportation funding in budget, NORTPO, and SORTPO,
identify areas for development of inter-county transit
hubs using data collected and identify funding
sources; and
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3. In years six through ten, long-term duties to be
accomplished:
a. identify funding sources to support expansion of pilot
programs into sustainable regional transit systems,
b. institutionalize technology solutions and improve
broadband infrastructure to support operations,
c. increase driver recruitment and retention through
competitive pay and benefits programs, and
d. integrate transit with autonomous vehicles.
F. On or before October 1, the Task Force shall prepare a
report of its findings, recommendations, and progress to be
submitted to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma
State Senate, the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives,
and Chairs of the Transportation Committees in both the Oklahoma
State Senate and the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the
minority leaders of both the Oklahoma State Senate and Oklahoma
House of Representatives. The first report shall be due October 1,
2025.
G. Staffing for the Task Force shall be provided by the
Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
60-1-10303 JBH 01/08/25