AFP-OK praises Stitt for signing landmark guidance transparency bill

AFP-OK Praises Gov. Stitt for Putting Signature to Landmark Guidance Transparency Legislation 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (May 11th) - Americans for Prosperity-Oklahoma (AFP-OK) praised Gov. Kevin Stitt for signing a new guidance transparency bill. Senate Bill (SB) 1433 reforms the state’s Administrative Procedures Act to ensure that any state agency guidance documents – such as memos, policy statements, or directives – are made public so that people can better understand how agencies interpret and enforce laws and regulations.  

AFP-OK State Director John Tidwell gave the following statement: 

“Oklahomans deserve to know how agencies are directing their staff to enforce laws and regulations that directly affect their personal lives. Bureaucratic rules should not be hidden from the public. It comes down to if we want basic accountability in our state, which is why AFP-OK has pushed for the passage of this bill since day one of the legislative session. 

“SB 1433 is a historic win for Oklahomans, the first truly comprehensive guidance transparency package passed by any state. Governor Stitt, Sen. Michael Bergstrom, Rep. Rob Hall, and all lawmakers who supported this bill deserve a resounding thank you for codifying transparency into Oklahoma law. Their previous support for the REINS Act helped make this bill possible, and thanks to their work with us Oklahomans will no longer have to endure arbitrary requirements imposed through informal guidance.” 

While some states have enacted statutory requirements to list or notice guidance documents, Oklahoma is the first state to enact comprehensive guidance transparency requirements in statute that mandate publication and constrain misuse of informal guidance. Specifically, SB 1433 explicitly requires agencies to state that guidance documents aren’t intended to bind the public and do not have the force or effect of the law.