HB 2202 Summary

• Amends 82 O.S. 2011, Section 105.6 regarding the Oklahoma Water Resources Board's authority to institute suits for determining stream water rights.

• Establishes three conditions for Board action: (1) provide notice to all affected counties, (2) explain suit rationale to notice recipients, (3) consider environmental impacts and groundwater flows, (4) hold public hearings with comment periods, and (5) respond to all comments received.

• Prohibits the Board from instituting adjudication suits if a majority of persons claiming rights in a stream system object; limits the Board to pursuing only one adjudication suit per stream system statewide at any given time.

• Restricts stream water adjudication suits to the specific stream system only, excluding tributaries or receiving bodies of water.

• Declares an emergency effective upon passage and approval.