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Oklahoma lawmakers seek oversight after mental health budget turmoil

By: Emma Burch

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TULSA, Okla. — Since March of 2025, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services has thrown lawmakers in every direction with their budget.

But State Representative Melissa Provenzano believes they know where to go from here.

"I think we're slowly getting our arms around what's, what's, what has gone on,” Provenzano said.

House Bill 2785 would keep an eye on the agency's budget while they are out of session. Prior to that, they didn't have financial oversight. Senator John Haste of Broken Arrow is one of the bill's authors.

Watch: Oklahoma lawmakers seek oversight after mental health budget turmoil

Oklahoma lawmakers seek oversight after mental health budget turmoil

2 News asked Sen. Haste how this bill impacts ODMHSAS and OMES.

"Being very fiscally responsible, related to the dollars and cents, we want the agency to have what they need, what's necessary,” Haste said.

If passed, it would require the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to review the agency's budget before it gets its money. They'd also prohibit expenditures not budgeted for, and the governor and legislature would have to okay the budget.

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Representatives still looking for answers within the ODMHSAS budgeting

Emma Burch

Statement from ODMHSAS:

ODMHSAS doesn’t have an official stance on this measure and our leadership is steadfast in its commitment to transparently address long-standing financial and operational challenges.

2 News has been following this story since the beginning from the confusion of a $43 million shortfall to the agency to not being able to pay state employees.