On Tuesday, lawmakers sent Senate Bill 1439 to Gov. Kevin Stitt for approval. The bill, authored by Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, and Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, would create the Energy Security and Independence Act.
Oklahomans would be barred from suing companies engaged in fossil fuel operations for money related to the effects of climate change, such as increased severe weather and infrastructure damage, or harm done by greenhouse gas pollution, should the bill become law. Fossil fuel companies violating their permits or established environmental laws are exempt from the bill’s language.
House author Moore has said throughout the legislative process that climate change damage is not quantifiable.
“There is no provable harm,” Moore said on the House floor Monday. “It's just pure speculation, and we're not going to allow it in Oklahoma because the reality is, you can't ever get there. There is no harm, there can be no harm, and then there can be no liability, there can be no cost, so it's [an] absolute waste of time.”
Federal scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have estimated the U.S. sees billions of dollars worth of damages related to severe weather and climate disasters annually.
Moore referred to the consensus on climate change as “junk science,” and read a definition of it, claiming to be invented by anti-oil and gas activists.
Scientists, including some with oil and gas companies, have warned for decades the planet is warming at unprecedented rates. Greenhouse gases emitted to the atmosphere trap in the sun’s heat, leading to rising global temperatures.
On the House floor, Rep. Arturo Alonso-Sandoval, D-Oklahoma City, said the legislation could set a precedent for placing certain industries above accountability.
“ Taxpayers fund emergency response, taxpayers help rebuild infrastructure, taxpayers support disaster recovery,” he said. “It's our families that pay through higher insurance premiums and higher utility rates.”
“So when we pass bills like these, we're not eliminating costs. We're shifting those costs from corporations to Oklahoma families.”
Oklahoma is one of several states with legislation to shield the fossil fuel industry from litigation related to the effects of climate change. Utah recently enacted House Bill 222, protecting entities from greenhouse gas lawsuits. Louisiana is considering a bill to block climate-related lawsuits against fossil fuel companies.
Nonprofit news outlet ProPublica recently published an investigation showing model policy to shield fossil fuel companies from climate liability lawsuits was shared during a presentation at last year’s annual States and Nation Policy Summit of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
Senate author Daniels, who serves as the 2026 treasurer of ALEC, told StateImpact the bill’s language did not come from the organization. She said she worked with members of the fossil fuel industry to draft the legislation.
In an interview with StateImpact, Moore said he did not know of any climate liability lawsuits being filed in Oklahoma, but the measure was introduced to prevent them. He also claimed quantifying climate effects would make regular people who consume fossil fuel products liable in lawsuits against the industry.
The bill would become law Nov. 1, 2026, should it receive Stitt’s signature.
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