A rural broadband expansion plan for Oklahoma was enacted by a legislative veto override last week.

House Bill 4018 and Senate Bill 1002 cause a 14-member council to develop a plan to improve availability, quality and affordability of high speed internet in rural Oklahoma, which lags significantly behind the rest of the country in access to high speed internet.

“We are bringing all stakeholders together for step one of what will be several years of successful rural broadband expansion in Oklahoma,” said Rep. Logan Phillips, R-Mounds, an information technology college professor who carried the legislation.

The legislation was carried in the Senate by Sen. James Leewright, R-Bristow.

“Even before the pandemic, rural Oklahoma needed faster, cheaper internet in a serious way,” Leewright said.

The Rural Broadband Expansion Council includes representation appointed by the House, Senate and governor to ensure all expertise and perspectives are represented in developing a rural broadband expansion plan.

The broadband bills take effect immediately and require the council to be named and convened within 60 days.

All meetings of the council, which will be staffed by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, will be subject to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act.