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HB2445 HFLR Page 1
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 2445 By: Hill and Lawson of the
House
and
Gollihare of the Senate
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
An Act relating to roads, bridges, and ferries;
amending 69 O.S. 2021, Section 4020, which relates to
the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Forward Commission
Act; modifying the short title; amending 69 O.S.
2021, Section 4020.1, which relates to the Commission
purpose; updating references to the Commission name;
amending 69 O.S. 2021, Section 4020.2, which relates
to Commission duties; updating reference to
Commission name; modifying sunset date; and providing
an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 69 O.S. 2021, Section 4020, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 4020. This act shall be known and may be cited as the
"Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Forward Commission Act".
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SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 69 O.S. 2021, Section 4020.1, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 4020.1. Route 66 is one of the original highways within
the U.S. Highway System. Officially, the numerical designation 66
was assigned to the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route on November 11,
1926. From the outset, public road planners intended U.S. 66 to
connect the main streets of rural and urban communities along its
course for the most practical of reasons; most small towns had no
prior access to a major national thoroughfare. This was certainly
true in Oklahoma. Oklahoma's stretch of Route 66 runs from Miami
through Tulsa and Oklahoma City to Erick, passing through cities and
towns of all sizes and vast expanses of rural landscape, before
entering Texas and continuing on its way to Santa Monica,
California. The Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Forward Commission is
established to plan, coordinate and implement programs and special
events to celebrate the historic highway's centennial in 2026 with
the support of the Oklahoma Historical Society.
The centennial is an opportunity to celebrate the important
history of Route 66 in Oklahoma through commemorative, educational
and community events, including programs and exhibits about the
history of how local communities grew and changed with construction
of the highway; the development of a modern transportation system;
the cultural impact of Route 66 both within the United States and
internationally; the portrayal of Route 66 in music, artwork and
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folklore; and how we maintain the mystique and appeal of Route 66
for future generations.
The study, preservation and maintenance of Route-66-related
resources has been a public/private partnership in Oklahoma for
decades. Government agencies, private organizations and individual
citizens have played critical roles in these efforts, and the
Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Forward Commission shall seek input
from these partners and the general public as it develops plans for
the celebration and encourages their participation.
The significance of the Oklahoma stretch of Route 66 is
demonstrated through its status as both a state and a National
Scenic Byway and as a segment of the Route 66 National Historic
Trail (legislation for NHT designation is pending in the U.S.
Congress). Dozens of Oklahoma properties are related to Route 66,
such as roadbed segments, bridges, commercial buildings, service
stations and tourist attractions, and are listed in the National
Register of Historic Places. The significance of the highway is
further recognized through the National Trust for Historic
Preservation's selection of the entire length of the highway as one
of its National Treasures.
SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 69 O.S. 2021, Section 4020.2, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 4020.2. A. The Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Forward
Commission shall be composed of twenty-one (21) members. Appointed
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members shall reflect the interests, history and importance of the
communities along Route 66 in Oklahoma. The members are appointed
as follows:
1. Two members shall be appointed by the Speaker of the House
of Representatives;
2. Two members shall be appointed by the President Pro Tempore
of the Senate;
3. Three members of the public shall be appointed by the
Governor; and
4. Fourteen ex officio members shall be appointed as follows:
a. the Governor or his or her designee,
b. the Lieutenant Governor, who shall serve as
chairperson, or his or her designee,
c. the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of
Transportation or his or her designee,
d. the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Historical
Society or his or her designee,
e. the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Department of
Commerce or his or her designee,
f. the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Tourism and
Recreation Department or his or her designee,
g. the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Arts Council or
his or her designee,
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h. the President of the Route 66 Alliance or his or her
designee,
i. the President of the Oklahoma Route 66 Association or
his or her designee,
j. the Executive Director of Preservation Oklahoma, Inc.,
or his or her designee,
k. the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Museums
Association or his or her designee,
l. the Executive Director of Oklahoma Humanities or his
or her designee,
m. the Director of the Oklahoma Municipal League or his
or her designee, and
n. the President of the Oklahoma State Chamber of
Commerce or his or her designee.
An ex officio member of the Commission vacates the person's position
on the Commission if the person ceases to hold the position that
qualifies the person for service on the Commission.
B. The Commission shall meet at least quarterly at the times
and places in this state that the Commission designates. A majority
of the members of the Commission constitutes a quorum for
transacting Commission business. Subject to appropriation, the
Oklahoma Historical Society shall provide administrative and other
support to the Commission.
C. The Commission shall:
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1. Plan and sponsor official Route 66 Centennial events,
programs and activities appropriate to commemorate the Route 66
Centennial;
2. Encourage the development of programs designed to involve
all citizens in activities that commemorate the Route 66 Centennial
events; and
3. Make available to the public, to the best of the
Commission's ability, information on Route 66 Centennial events
happening throughout the State of Oklahoma.
D. The Commission may accept monetary gifts, grants or
appropriations from any public or private source to be held in a
nonappropriated revolving fund authorized for the Oklahoma
Historical Society and expended solely for the use of the Commission
in performing the Commission's powers and duties under this act.
The Commission may also accept in-kind gifts.
E. Each member of the Commission shall serve without
compensation or reimbursement for travel related to Commission
duties, aside from the compensation he or she might otherwise
receive as authorized by law.
F. The Commission shall be dissolved on June 30, 2027 June 30,
2030, and any assets remaining in the Commission's trust fund shall
be deposited into the state's General Revenue Fund. A final report
on the activities of the Oklahoma Route 66 Centennial Forward
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Commission shall be delivered to the Governor no later than June 30,
2027 June 30, 2030.
SECTION 4. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
OVERSIGHT, dated 03/02/2026 - DO PASS, As Amended and Coauthored.