OK HB2729

Courts and administrative hearing officers must interpret statutes, rules, and regulations de novo without deferring to state agency interpretations, and must resolve any remaining ambiguity in favor of limiting agency power and maximizing individual liberty.

Claims under the Administrative Procedures Act accrue at the earliest when a party is aggrieved by final agency action, clarifying when the statute of limitations begins.

Civil penalties cannot be awarded in administrative agency enforcement actions where the defendant would be entitled to a jury trial at common law, unless the case proceeds through a jury trial in a constitutional court.

Exceptions allow civil penalties through summary judgment under existing standards and in equity cases that historically did not involve jury trial rights.

Effective date is November 1, 2025.