Oklahoma City, OK — A bill authored by state Rep. Anthony Moore, a Republican from Clinton, is set for consideration this week by the Oklahoma House Energy Committee.
House Bill 4338, known as the Oklahoma Brine Development Act, was introduced into the 2026 legislative session on Feb. 2 and refers to revisions of the state’s existing brine law. The measure would update the purpose and definitions in the Brine Development Act, clarify terms related to brine and associated solution gas, and modernize statutory language tied to how brine is classified and regulated in Oklahoma. The bill also explicitly includes reuse, recycling and reclaiming of produced water as public policy goals.
Under the bill’s changes, key terms such as “brine,” “brine well,” “brine owner,” “solution gas,” and “effluent” would be redefined to align with current industry and regulatory practice. The legislation also makes clear that brine recovered incidentally during oil and gas production is not considered “brine” under the act if it is saved or sold for further processing or chemical extraction.
HB 4338 carries no direct fiscal impact on the state budget, according to a fiscal analysis prepared by House research staff.
The bill is scheduled for discussion at the Energy Committee this week. Alongside HB 4338, lawmakers will consider several other energy-related measures dealing with water, mining, rural water districts and related utility issues.
Moore’s legislation aims to bring statutory clarity to Oklahoma’s management of brine and solution gas resources as the state continues dealing with produced water and related energy industry challenges. The bill would take effect Nov. 1, 2026, if enacted.
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