The House Transportation Committee amended and passed House Bill 2026, which updates a statute establishing an engine-testing program originally focused on turbine engines and would expand the policy to include rocket engines.

Representative Archer, the bill sponsor, explained that the engine-testing program created last year was aimed at turbine engines ("traditional airliner, jet engine, turbine engine") but had not been funded. Archer said he proposed adding rocket engines to the permissible scope so that, “if next year or 10 years from now, this program is funded, we are able to not only test these jet engines, but also rocket engines within the state of Oklahoma.”

Archer offered and the committee adopted an amendment striking section 4, which the sponsor said contained fiscal language to fund the program; the committee chair stated there was no objection and the amendment was adopted. Representative Cross White Haider asked whether the sponsor intended to seek funding in the current session; Archer replied that, following conversations with the budget office and leadership and “given flat nature, budget pushes,” he did not believe funding was likely this year and therefore removed the appropriation language.

The committee gave the bill a due pass on an 11-0 vote. The transcript records no mover or seconder for the motions and provides no fiscal estimate in the hearing beyond the sponsor’s statement that funding was not likely this session.