EXECUTIVE ORDER 2024-14
WHEREAS, breaking the red tape that hinders job creation and eliminating barriers to professional opportunities remain priorities for my administration; and
WHEREAS, simplifying state-issued licenses processes and lowering costs will remove unnecessary barriers for those seeking to enter the workforce in Oklahoma.
NOW THEREFORE, I, J. Kevin Stitt, Governor of the State of Oklahoma, pursuant to the power and authority vested in me by Sections 1 and 2 of Article VI of the Oklahoma Constitution, and to the fullest extent permitted by law, hereby order as follows:
1. Each "state agency"1 (hereinafter "Agency") that issues licenses shall compile an electronic catalog2 of the types of licenses it issues and electronically submit that catalog to the Executive Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services ("OMES") within sixty (60) days of the effective date of this Executive Order. At minimum, the catalog shall include:a. A description of each type of license issued by the Agency, the term thereof, and the statutory, regulatory, or other basis therefor;b. The fee charged by the Agency for each type of license and the statutory, regulatory, or other basis therefor;c. The method by which the Agency receives applications for each type of license (e.g., paper, electronic, etc.) and when that method was last significantly updated;d. The Agency's analysis of and arguments justifying the need for each type of license issued by the Agency.2. The Efficiency in Licensing Task Force (the "Task Force") is hereby created. An organizational meeting of the Task Force shall be held not later than sixty (60) days after the effective date of this Executive Order. Using the catalogs generated pursuant to Section 1 above, the Task Force shall study evaluate, and make recommendations regarding policies and programs and propose legislation that will:a. Simplify the process of securing state-issued licenses, including but not limited to through the consolidation of the State's agencies, boards, and commissions;b. Eliminate barriers to professional opportunities; andc. Lower the costs associated with securing a state-issued license to work.The Task Force shall electronically submit to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives a report on or before December 31, 2024, detailing its findings and recommendations.
The Task Force shall be composed of eleven (11) members determined as follows:
a. The Executive Director of OMES or designee;b. The Secretary of Licensing and Regulation or designee;c. The Secretary of State or designee;d. The Commissioner of Labor or designee;e. The Chief Executive Officer of Service Oklahoma or designee;f. The State Chief Transformation Officer or designee;g. The State Chief Information Officer or designee;h. Two (2) members to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate; andi. Two (2) members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.The Governor shall designate from among the appointees a Chair of the Task Force. The Chair shall have the authority to create committees and name committee chairs to facilitate the work of the Task Force and shall have the authority to appoint Task Force members and non-members to serve on committees. The Task Force shall meet as often as deemed necessary by the Chair allowing for timely completion of its work. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting the business of the Task Force. Members, including those appointed to committees who are not members of the Task Force, shall serve without compensation.
OMES shall provide staff and administrative support for the Task Force. All executive departments, officers, agencies, and employees of the State shall cooperate with the Task Force, including providing any information, data, records, and reports as may be requested.
3. Nothing in this Executive Order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect the authority granted to an Agency by the Oklahoma Constitution, the Oklahoma Statutes, or the Oklahoma Administrative Code. Further, this Executive Order does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the State, its Agencies or agents, or any other person.4. If any provision of this Executive Order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this Executive Order and the applicability of its other provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.5. This Executive Order shall be distributed to each member of the Task Force specifically identified herein and to each person appointed to a Task Force Committee.IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Oklahoma to be affixed at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, this 17th day of June, 2024.
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA
J. KEVIN STITT
ATTEST:
Josh Cockroft
SECRETARY OF STATE
Okla. Admin. Code § 1:2024-14
Adopted by Oklahoma Register, Volume 41, Issue 21, July 15, 2024, eff. 6/18/20241 In this Executive Order, "state agency" means, as it does in 61 O.S. § 327(A), "any department, board, commission, institution, or agency or entity of state government."
2 An electronic catalog template will be distributed to Agency heads along with a copy of this Order.