Interim study focused on improving accessibility to rulesmaking process

OKLAHOMA CITY— An Altus member of the Oklahoma House joined forces with an Adair senator to examine Oklahoma’s current administrative rules process and how it could be made more efficient and transparent.

Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, and Sen. Micheal Bergstrom, R-Adair, said they intend to use their findings from the recent interim study to consider potential improvements that would make Oklahoma’s administrative rulemaking process more efficient and accountable to the people.

“One of the things we’ve been working on is trying to make this process more transparent, get more people involved in it, make it more accountable not only to us as legislators but also to the public, where more people are aware of the rules process — how it works, the notification process, the public comment process,” Kendrix said. “We’ve been working with the secretary of state on the portal that they have, to try to make that better for everybody involved.”

Chris Coffman, from the Office of the Oklahoma Secretary of State, told study committee members about two websites the Office of Administrative Rules (OAR) Division operates to increase transparency and accountability. OAR is responsible for publishing public body meeting notices and maintaining official records of the state’s rules and rulemaking notices, among other responsibilities.

One website, openmeetings.ok.gov, provides options to search for upcoming and archived open meetings, view a calendar of upcoming meetings, and view a list of all public bodies and agencies that must adhere to the Open Meetings Act. Oklahomans also can subscribe to be alerted via email or text notifications when public bodies post open meeting notices and documents, Coffman said.

Coffman said while the website is a work in progress, 400 active public bodies have begun submitting meeting notices. He said these meeting notices could include rulemaking hearings.

Proposed administrative rules, which hold the effect of law once approved, may be viewed at rules.ok.gov. Coffman said the website is designed to be a “one-stop rules portal” that residents, agencies and elected officials can access at each step of the rulemaking process.

Kendrix, who serves as chair of the House Administrative Rules Committee, said he has multiple people reaching out directly to him during each session for help viewing proposed rules because the process has historically been so cumbersome.

“Oklahoma’s administrative rules process has an enormous impact on our state’s communities and businesses, so it’s essential that this process is both clear and accessible to everyone,” Bergstrom said.