A. The Department of Environmental Quality Executive Director shall submit an application to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate for the sale of the headquarters building and connected appurtenances of the Department located at 707 N. Robinson in downtown Oklahoma City. The Commissioners of the Land Office shall be responsible for the sale of the building. The funds from the sale of the building shall be deposited in the Commissioners of the Land Office Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 1011 of Title 64 of the Oklahoma Statutes. However, the sale of the building shall not proceed if the Commissioners of the Land Office determine the proceeds offered for the building are not financially sufficient.
B. The Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, State Department of Health, Oklahoma Tax Commission, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Oklahoma Department of Labor and Department of Mines, in addition to the other powers and duties vested by Oklahoma law, shall be authorized to relocate agency offices to a site in Oklahoma County including but not limited to buildings or units, as defined by the Unit Ownership Estate Act provided in Section 503 of Title 60 of the Oklahoma Statutes, owned by the Commissioners of the Land Office.
C. The new office location or locations shall be occupied by the Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, State Department of Health, Oklahoma Tax Commission, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Oklahoma Department of Labor and Department of Mines and shall consist of sufficient square footage to accommodate staff offices, program areas, staff conference areas, records and computer areas, general storage areas, security equipment storage areas, main room, reception areas and other necessary areas for operation of the state agencies.
D. The Department of Environmental Quality, Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, State Department of Health, Oklahoma Tax Commission, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Oklahoma Department of Labor and Department of Mines are authorized to purchase real estate including but not limited to buildings or units, for no more than appraised value or, in the alternative, the Executive Director of the Department of Environmental Quality, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, Oklahoma Tax Commission, Oklahoma Water Resources Board, Commissioner of Labor and Oklahoma Mining Commission are authorized to enter into a lease-purchase agreement for the acquisition of such buildings or units from the person or entity that will develop or build the buildings or units. In order to maintain the value of the purchased or lease-purchase property, each state agency identified in this section may establish a Capital Account Fund for the purpose of paying any proportionate share of common area maintenance, repair and maintenance of agency unit(s), fixtures and appliances contained therein, improvements and betterments for agency unit(s) and all required maintenance and repair work. The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of monies transferred from the agency's standard appropriations. All monies accruing to the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the agency for the purpose described in this section. For the purposes of the purchase or build-out of the new office location, the state agencies identified in this section are hereby exempted from the requirements of the Public Competitive Bidding Act of 1974 as provided in Sections 101 through 139 of Title 61 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The state agencies identified in this section shall, either individually or through the Commissioners of the Land Office, be required to collect multiple bids from qualified contractors for the build-out of new office locations.
Added by Laws 2020, c. 117, § 1. Amended by Laws 2021, c. 535, § 1, eff. July 1, 2021.