The Oklahoma House of Representatives is returning for the Second Regular Session of the 59th Legislature on Monday, February 5.

We completed bill filing on Jan. 18 with 1,210 House Bills, 12 House Joint Resolutions, and one House Concurrent Resolution.

A joint resolution is similar to a bill but is mainly used as legislasend tive referenda placed on statewide ballots. These are typically constitutional amendments submitted for the people to vote on, but sometimes legislators will send a proposed change in statute to the ballot voluntarily.

Once session begins, bills are first and second read in their chamber of origin, typically occurring the first week of session. Then, they are assigned to committees.

Committees must approve each bill before it can be heard on the House floor. We have until the end of February to pass bills out of subcommittees and until the first week of March to pass bills out of regular standing committees.

Not all bills that pass in committee are heard on the House floor. In March, we will finish passing bills off the House floor and then begin considering Senate bills.

Once a bill passes in both chambers, it is sent to the governor. If the governor signs a bill, it becomes state law. If the governor vetoes a bill, it does not become state

See HAYS, page A5 law unless the Legislature overrides the veto. A two-thirds vote is needed in each chamber to override a veto.

Here’s a quick update on finding bills so everyone can stay informed.

Filed bills may be viewed at okhouse.gov by visiting “Legislation,” then “Basic Bill Search,” where you can enter the bill number to view the full text of the bill.

To view bills filed by a certain legislator, select “Advanced Bill Search” under “Legislation.” From there, you can select the legislator’s last name to view bills they’ve filed.

You can also view all the bills that have been filed to date by visiting “Selected Step Reports” on the far left and select “Introduced.” Here, you can choose bills filed only in one chamber or you can select everything and view all the bills.

You can also view committee meetings and floor proceedings at okhouse.gov by visiting “News & Media,” where you can watch live proceedings or recordings.

It is truly an honor and privilege to represent you at the State Capitol. As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any concerns at 405-557-7302 or neil. hays@okhouse.gov.

Rep. Neil Hays, a Republican, serves District 13 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Mc-Intosh, Muskogee and Wagoner County.