NFIB is watching eight bills tied to small business issues
The 2020 Oklahoma legislative session is underway! The session began on February 3rd and our state legislators have been busy hearing bills in committee and voting on them on the floor. Well over 4,000 bills were introduced in advance of the session. After the first committee deadline on February 27th and floor deadline of March 12th, only around 1,100 bills remain and can be considered. The legislature has until Friday, May 29th to complete their work for the year.
Some of the bills that have our eyes and efforts are:
SJR 40 – A constitutional change to place caps on non-economic damages. Future legislatures could raise the cap amount, but this change would make caps constitutional.
HB 3096 – Links the number of weeks an unemployed worker is eligible for unemployment benefits to the overall unemployment rate.
HB 3390 – Provides greater transparency and accountability on how Oklahoma state agencies hire outside attorneys.
HB 3619 – Ensures Oklahomans continue to have access to energy choices by keeping municipalities from passing bans on certain energy sources such as natural gas.
SB 521 – Provides that the state’s Corporation Commission’s rules be no more stringent than any federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards or regulations.
SB 1663 – Directs the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission to review Oklahoma’s unemployment compensation structure and develop a method that ties unemployment benefits and employer contribution rates to the economic conditions and employment rates.
SB 1820 – Similar to HB 3390, provides greater transparency and accountability on how Oklahoma state agencies hire outside attorneys.
SB 1890 – Creates a state-sponsored retirement fund. Employers with 10 or more employees that do not already offer employees retirement benefits will be required to offer the plan to employees.
