Oklahoma SB 259 Groundwater Modernization Act (2026)
Oklahoma — SB 259, the Groundwater Modernization Act: Annual Water-Use Reporting and Penalties for Overuse (Effective November 1, 2026)
Oklahoma · Okla. S.B. 259 (2026) (Groundwater Modernization Act) (eff. Nov. 1, 2026)
- Status
- Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Takes effect
- November 1, 2026
- Applies to
- All Oklahoma water permit holders, including data center operators holding permits; the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, which must promulgate the implementing rules.
- Enforced by
- Oklahoma Water Resources Board
Oklahoma's Groundwater Modernization Act, Senate Bill 259, was signed on August 6, 2026 and takes effect November 1, 2026. It requires water permit holders to file annual water-use reports with the Oklahoma Water Resources Board, and directs the Board to write rules for reviewing those reports, investigating complaints of waste, and imposing penalties for overuse. The structure matters: reporting alone produces data nobody acts on, so the Act pairs the disclosure duty with an investigation power and a penalty power in the same statute. It was signed as half of a package with House Bill 2992, the Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act — legislators presented the two together as addressing the two resources data centers strain hardest. The Act is not limited to data centers; it reaches all water permit holders, which makes it broader in application than most 2026 data-center-driven measures while still being the instrument Oklahoma chose to answer data center water use.
Who is protected: Oklahoma groundwater users and communities dependent on aquifers, through mandatory annual water-use reporting by permit holders and Water Resources Board authority to investigate waste and penalise overuse.
Legal detail
Oklahoma Senate Bill 259, the Groundwater Modernization Act, authored by Sen. Brent Howard (R-Altus) and Rep. Carl Newton (R-Cherokee), signed August 6, 2026, effective November 1, 2026. Operative provisions: (1) water permit holders must submit annual water-use reports to the Oklahoma Water Resources Board; (2) the OWRB is directed to promulgate rules governing review of those reports, investigation of complaints of waste, and imposition of penalties for overuse. Design note: the statute pairs a reporting mandate with investigative and penalty authority in one instrument, avoiding the common failure mode where disclosure requirements create data without consequence. SCOPE: applies to water permit holders generally, not solely to data centers — broader in application than most 2026 data-center-driven legislation, though it was enacted and presented as Oklahoma's answer to data center water demand. Enacted as a package with HB 2992, the Data Center Customer Ratepayer Protection Act (see Oklahoma HB 2992 data center ratepayer protection (2026)), covering electricity and infrastructure cost allocation. Status recorded as `enacted` rather than `effective` because the November 1 2026 operative date had not arrived at verification.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Oklahoma |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Strength | Moderate |
| Enacted | August 6, 2026 |
| Citation | Okla. S.B. 259 (2026) (Groundwater Modernization Act) (eff. Nov. 1, 2026) |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | The Water Resources Board is directed to establish rules imposing penalties for overuse; specific amounts to be set by rule |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · AI disclosure and transparency · government use of AI |
| Agency page | Lawmakers Mark Signing of Landmark Data Center Protections — Oklahoma House of Representatives |
More AI rules in Oklahoma
- Oklahoma HB 2992 data center ratepayer protection (2026) · In effect
- OK AI Revenge Porn Law · In effect
- Oklahoma HB 3642 (AI-generated CSAM is a crime) · In effect
- Oklahoma SB 546 (opt out of profiling for significant decisions) · Enacted (not yet in effect)
- Use of AI in Oklahoma State Government Standard · In effect
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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