The bill amends the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Act and the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics Act, primarily enhancing the governance structure of the Oklahoma Aerospace and Aeronautics Commission by increasing its membership from seven to nine. The President Pro Tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives will each appoint one member, and the qualifications for members appointed by the Governor will now require at least three years of experience in aeronautical activities. The bill also redefines terms related to the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority, allowing it to contract with the Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics and designating the Department's Executive Director as the Authority's chief executive officer.

Additionally, the bill strengthens the powers of the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority, allowing it to own and operate public utilities and ensuring compliance with various administrative acts while maintaining confidentiality for trade secrets. It streamlines the process for adjusting spaceport boundaries by removing provisions for landowner exclusion applications and emphasizes the need for majority landowner consent for new municipalities within spaceport territories. The bill also mandates the involvement of women, minorities, and disadvantaged business enterprises in spaceport development, and it sets an effective date of November 1, 2025, for the amendments and recodification of relevant sections of the Oklahoma Statutes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 74-5207, 74-5206