Oklahoma § 62-2003 - Administration of Rural Economic Action Plan grant

§ 62-2003. Administration of Rural Economic Action Plan grant

program – Distribution of monies - Limitations.

A. Monies appropriated by law to the Oklahoma Water Resources

Board for the purpose of funding the Rural Economic Action Plan

grant program and the Rural Economic Action Plan Water Projects Fund

shall be administered by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board as

provided by this section.

B. The monies referred to in subsection A of this section shall

be distributed to eligible cities and towns, unincorporated areas or

other qualified entities located within the areas represented by the

following organizations:

1. Association of Central Oklahoma Governments (ACOG);

2. Association of South Central Oklahoma Governments (ASCOG);

3. Central Oklahoma Economic Development District (COEDD);

4. Eastern Oklahoma Economic Development District (EOEDD);

5. Grand Gateway Economic Development Association (GGEDA);

6. Indian Nations Council of Governments (INCOG);

7. Kiamichi Economic Development District (KEDDO);

8. Northern Oklahoma Development Association (NODA);

9. Oklahoma Economic Development Association (OEDA);

10. Southern Oklahoma Development Association (SODA); and

11. South Western Oklahoma Development Authority (SWODA).

C. The monies referred to in subsection A of this section shall

not be expended for the benefit of cities or towns with a population

in excess of seven thousand (7,000) persons according to the latest

Federal Decennial Census. Funds may also be expended for any city

or town with a population below seven thousand (7,000) persons based

upon the current population estimate according to the U.S. Census

Bureau. Funds may be expended for such cities and towns until the

next following Federal Decennial Census. Any municipality may enter

into an agreement with an entity described in subsection B of this

section to apply for available funds described by this section if

the municipality is located within the area served by the entity.

Upon approval of the application, funds shall be paid to the

municipality requesting the funds.

D. An entity described in subsection B of this section may

apply for a grant to be used for the benefit of an unincorporated

area within a county served by that entity if the area benefited

does not contain a population in excess of seven thousand (7,000)

persons. Any county may enter into an agreement with an entity

described in subsection B of this section if the county is located

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 62. Public Finance

within the area served by the entity. Upon approval of the

application, funds shall be paid to the county requesting the funds.

E. The monies referred to in subsection A of this section may

be expended for water quality projects, including but not limited to

sewer line construction or repair and related storm or sanitary

sewer projects, water line construction or repair, water treatment,

water acquisition, distribution or recovery and related projects.

F. Any city or town with a population less than one thousand

seven hundred fifty (1,750) persons according to the latest Federal

Decennial Census shall have a higher priority for funds allocated by

the Oklahoma Water Resources Board from the amount referred to in

subsection A of this section than jurisdictions of greater size.

Among such cities or towns, those municipalities having relatively

weaker fiscal capacity shall have a priority for project funding in

preference to other municipalities.

G. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board shall establish ten

separate accounts containing one-tenth (1/10) of the amount annually

appropriated to the Rural Economic Action Plan Water Projects Fund

per account. Each account shall be available for distribution to

qualified entities located within the area served by entities

described in subsection A of Section 2007 of this title or for

distribution to benefit unincorporated areas with the exception of

one account which shall be divided equally into two subaccounts.

Each one of the two subaccounts shall be available for distribution

to qualified entities located within the respective jurisdiction of

one of the entities described by subsection B of Section 2007 of

this title or for distribution to benefit unincorporated areas. No

funds deposited into one account or subaccount shall be transferred

to any other account. The total expenditure from any one account or

subaccount for each fiscal year may not exceed the amount of funds

available to each account as may be provided by law.

H. No city, town or other entity to which funds will be awarded

pursuant to this section shall be required to provide any form of

match to obtain the funds, whether through cash, services or any

other method.

I. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board shall not be allowed to

retain any of the funds referred to in subsection A of this section

for administration. All such funds shall be distributed to eligible

entities as authorized by law.

J. In order to ensure fair and equitable distribution of the

funds referred to in subsection A of this section, the Oklahoma

Water Resources Board shall promulgate rules for administering,

determining priority of, approving and funding applications for such

funds. The rules shall implement the provisions of this section

including the following:

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 62. Public Finance

1. No qualified entity shall be approved nor funded for more

than Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($350,000.00) from such

funds in any twelve-month period;

2. If a qualified entity has previously been approved for or

received such funds and makes a subsequent application, that

subsequent application may be assigned lower priority than an

application by qualified entities who have not previously been

approved for or received such funds;

3. In order to prevent substantially the same entity or area

from receiving an undue advantage, a political subdivision and all

its public trusts and similar subordinate entities together shall be

treated as one and the same qualified entity; provided rural water

or sewer districts shall not be construed to be subordinate entities

of counties unless the effect would be to make multiple grants to

substantially the same entity or service area; and

4. The Oklahoma Water Resources Board may establish limited

time periods for processing applications for available funds.

Added by Laws 1996, c. 193, § 3, eff. July 1, 1996. Amended by Laws

1997, c. 382, § 1, eff. July 1, 1997; Laws 1998, c. 373, § 3, eff.

July 1, 1998; Laws 1999, c. 1, § 18, emerg. eff. Feb. 24, 1999; Laws

1999, c. 377, § 5, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2002, c. 219, § 1, eff.

July 1, 2002; Laws 2010, c. 378, § 1; Laws 2025, c. 77, § 1, eff.

Nov. 1, 2025.

NOTE: Laws 1998, c. 283, §3 repealed by Laws 1999, c. 1, § 45,

emerg. eff. Feb. 24, 1999.