ENGROSSED SENATE
BILL NO. 996	By:	Justice and Fields of the Senate

			and

		Armes of the House

[ agriculture - Emergency Drought Protection Special Fund - providing approval of expenditures - codification - 		emergency ]

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 139 of Title 62, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A.  The Emergency Drought Protection Special Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury for the Oklahoma Conservation Commission.  The fund shall consist of monies transferred to it from funds appropriated to the Commission for this purpose.  The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall be under the control and management of the administrative authority of the Commission.  Expenditures from the fund shall be pursuant to the laws of this state and rules promulgated by the Commission.
B.  No expenditure from the Emergency Drought Protection Special Fund shall be expended unless the Governor has declared a drought emergency to exist pursuant to Section 16-26 of Title 2 of the Oklahoma Statutes.  The Governor shall set the funding priorities for each declaration of drought.
C.  The monies in the fund shall be expended for drought response activities that may include but shall not be limited to:
1.  Pond clean out and construction;
2.  Water conservation methods in production agriculture;
3.  Providing of water for livestock;
4.  Rural fire suppression activities, as directed by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry;
5.  Red cedar eradication;
6.  Drought-related soil conservation practices; and 
7.  Any other drought response activities identified by the Governor.
D.  All expenditures shall be approved by the Commission with preference given to funding activities that do not receive other legislative appropriations.  Warrants for expenditures from the fund shall be based on claims signed by an authorized employee of the Commission and approved for payment by the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services.
SECTION 2.  It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
Passed the Senate the 5th day of March, 2013.

	
	Presiding Officer of the Senate

Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 2013.

	
	Presiding Officer of the House
	of Representatives