OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma’s legislature has passed a bill to simplify sale of state-owned rail lines, sending the legislation to Gov. Kevin Stitt for his signature.
Senate Bill 341 calls for the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to seek requests for proposals to purchase railroad assets owned by the state. Interested parties would have 120 days to respond, after which ODOT would evaluate any proposals and make a recommendation to the state Transportation Commission within 90 days. Any deals made under a lease-purchase agreement would also be subject to Transportation Commission approval.
Sen. Avery Frix (R-Muskogee) authored the bill, while Rep. Dell Kerbs (R-Shawnee) led the legislation in the house. The House passed the bill by an 81-8 margin on Monday (April 28); the Senate had passed it 47-0 in February.
“Putting these rail lines back in the hands of the private sector will strengthen our state’s railroads and our transportation system overall,” Frix said in a press release on the House website. “This bill is an important step toward modernizing our rail infrastructure, and I look forward to seeing it signed into law.
As of 2021, Oklahoma owned 150 miles of track; all but 8.2 miles were leased to Class III shortlines.
