The Oklahoma House has taken a decisive step towards exerting greater control over the administrative rulemaking process with the passage of the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act of 2025. Through House Bill 2728, authored by Rep. Gerrid Kendrix, R-Altus, the House aims to increase transparency and legislative oversight for state agency regulations, as per a report from the Oklahoma House of Representatives' official website.
Under this new legislative push, not only will all proposed agency rules be accompanied by an economic impact statement, but those with a forecasted cost of over $1 million throughout five years will need explicit legislative approval before activation. Rep. Kendrix, speaking on the matter, highlighted, "This is a major step toward ensuring the people’s elected representatives—not unelected agencies—have the final say on costly regulations." The legislation engenders a tighter rein, with Kendrix asserting the importance of lawmakers playing a more active part in the rulemaking process, aiming to curb significant power that state agencies currently wield, as per the Oklahoma House's website
Commenting on the bill's alignment with public sentiment on accountability and transparency, John Tidwell, state director with Americans for Prosperity Oklahoma, said, "The rise of decentralized movements like DOGE shows that people value transparency, accountability, and freedom from unchecked control." Tidwell told the Oklahoma House's website, "The REINS Act embodies these same principles by ensuring that unelected bureaucrats can't impose costly regulations without legislative approval."
In a move designed to bolster accountability, the House will be establishing the Legislative Economic Analysis Unit (LEAU) within the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT). Tasked with reviewing agencies' economic impact statements, LEAU's creation aims to ensure the prevention of unnecessary regulatory burdens and hopes to provide independent accuracy checks. Besides introducing legislative diligence, this model echoes similar successful initiatives in other states, which have pared down excessive bureaucracy and cut costs for taxpayers. House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, emphasized this by stating, "This legislation strengthens accountability by making sure agency rules receive independent review before becoming law," as per the Oklahoma House's website
With a strong vote of 86-3, House Bill 2728 has passed and is now moving to the Oklahoma Senate for further review. Another key bill, House Bill 1276, which bans cell phones in schools, was also approved and sent to the Senate, where it could be signed into law if passed.
