{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-27a-27a-2203","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 27A, § 27A-2203","heading":"Relocation and rental assistance grants - Grants to","body":"municipalities, public entities and schools - Disposition of\n\nproperty.\n\nA. The Department of Environmental Quality is hereby authorized\n\nto make grants, from monies appropriated for that purpose, to state\n\nbeneficiary public trusts serving communities affected by historic\n\nlead and zinc mining and located within the boundaries of federal\n\nSuperfund sites; provided, that any trust receiving such a grant\n\nshall accept the following grant conditions:\n\n1. Funds shall be used to assist individuals or married couples\n\nliving within the most affected area of the site and who are parents\n\nor legal guardians of children six (6) years of age and younger.\n\nFor purposes of the Lead-Impacted Communities Relocation Assistance\n\nAct, \"most affected area\" shall mean the communities in which lead\n\nposes the greatest threat to children's health and shall include a\n\nreasonable buffer area around such communities. To be eligible for\n\nassistance under this subsection an individual or married couple\n\nshall have both:\n\na. continually resided in the most affected area of the\n\nsite since December 1, 2003, and\n\nb. on December 1, 2003, either been pregnant or had\n\nresiding with them a child or children six (6) years\n\nof age and younger;\n\n2. For those eligible for relocation assistance who have rented\n\ntheir living quarters since December l, 2003, and who can produce a\n\nvalid rental contract or other proof of rental arrangement,\n\nassistance shall be in an amount equal to the average cost of twelve\n\n(12) months of rent for comparable housing elsewhere in the county.\n\nThe trust shall provide such assistance in periodic payments and not\n\nin a single lump sum. In addition, eligible individuals or married\n\ncouples shall receive reimbursement up to One Thousand Dollars\n\n($1,000.00) for payment to a company in the moving business for at\n\nleast two (2) years or for reimbursement of actual moving expenses\n\nas demonstrated by receipts. Recipients must agree, prior to\n\naccepting such assistance, that they will not again reside within\n\none-half (1/2) mile of the most affected area of the site until the\n\nState Commissioner of Health formally determines that the area is\n\nsafe for children six (6) years of age and younger;\n\n3. For those individuals and married couples eligible for\n\nrelocation assistance who have owned their homes since December l,\n\n2003, the trust shall purchase their homes for an amount equal to\n\nthe average cost of comparable housing elsewhere in the county. In\n\naddition, such individuals shall receive reimbursement up to One\n\nThousand Dollars ($1,000.00) either for payment to a company in the\n\nmoving business for at least two (2) years or for reimbursement of\n\nactual moving expenses as demonstrated by receipts. Recipients must\n\nagree, prior to accepting such assistance, that they will not again\n\nreside within one-half (1/2) mile of the most affected area of the\n\nsite until the State Commissioner of Health formally determines that\n\nthe area is safe for children six (6) years of age and younger;\n\n4. In determining the purchase price of a recipient's home, the\n\ntrust shall deduct any amounts received by the recipient in\n\ncompensation for damage to the home caused by remedial action on the\n\nproperty; and\n\n5. Funds shall also be used to assist landlords whose tenants\n\ntake advantage of the relocation assistance provided in paragraph 2\n\nof this subsection. Landlords shall be eligible for an amount equal\n\nto twelve (12) months of rent at a monthly rate equal to the average\n\nmonthly rent received by the landlord for the vacated unit over the\n\nprevious twelve (12) months. Recipients of such assistance must\n\nagree, prior to accepting such assistance, that they will not permit\n\nany family with children six (6) years of age and younger to occupy\n\nany vacated unit until the State Commissioner of Health formally\nve (12) months of rent at a monthly rate equal to the average\n\nmonthly rent received by the landlord for the vacated unit over the\n\nprevious twelve (12) months. Recipients of such assistance must\n\nagree, prior to accepting such assistance, that they will not permit\n\nany family with children six (6) years of age and younger to occupy\n\nany vacated unit until the State Commissioner of Health formally\n\ndetermines that the area is safe for children of such an age.\n\n6. The trust shall agree to place a restriction which shall run\n\nwith the land on the deeds to all property obtained pursuant to\n\nparagraph 3 of subsection A of this section providing that the\n\nproperty may not be occupied by children six (6) years of age and\n\nyounger until the State Commissioner of Health formally determines\n\nthat the area is safe for children of such an age.\n\nB. Beginning June 6, 2006, the Department of Environmental\n\nQuality is authorized to make grants to state beneficiary public\n\ntrusts serving communities affected by historic lead and zinc mining\n\nand located within the boundaries of federal Superfund sites;\n\nprovided that any trust receiving such a grant shall accept the\n\nfollowing conditions:\n\n1. Funds shall be used to assist those persons owning or\n\nrenting property within the area of greatest subsidence risk. For\n\npurposes of the Lead-Impacted Communities Relocation Assistance Act,\n\n\"area of greatest subsidence risk\" shall mean the communities in\n\nwhich subsurface lead and zinc mine caverns pose the greatest threat\n\nto public safety and shall include a reasonable buffer area around\n\nsuch communities;\n\n2. To be eligible for residential assistance under this\n\nsubsection, an individual must have continually resided in the area\n\nof greatest subsidence risk since January 31, 2006. For those\n\neligible for relocation assistance who have rented their living\n\nquarters since January 3l, 2006, and who can produce a valid rental\n\ncontract or other proof of rental arrangement, assistance shall be\n\nin an amount equal to the average cost of twelve (12) months of rent\n\nfor comparable housing elsewhere in the county. The trust may, in\n\nits discretion, provide such assistance in periodic payments rather\n\nthan in a single lump sum. In addition, eligible individuals may\n\nreceive up to One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) for moving expenses.\n\nRecipients must agree, prior to accepting such assistance, that they\n\nwill not again reside within the area of greatest subsidence risk\n\nuntil the Secretary of the Environment determines that the area is\n\nsafe for habitation;\n\n3. For those individuals eligible for relocation assistance\n\nunder this subsection who own their place of residence, the trust\n\nshall purchase such homes for an amount equal to the value of\n\ncomparable housing elsewhere in the county. In addition, such\n\nindividuals may receive up to One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) for\n\nmoving expenses. Recipients must agree, prior to accepting such\n\nassistance, that they will not again reside within the area of\n\ngreatest subsidence risk until the Office of the Secretary of the\n\nEnvironment determines that the area is safe for habitation;\n\n4. To be eligible for commercial assistance under this\n\nsubsection, an individual or legal entity must have continually\n\noperated in the area of greatest subsidence risk since January 31,\n\n2006. For those eligible for relocation assistance who have rented\n\ntheir business or nonprofit organization premises continually since\n\nJanuary 3l, 2006, and who can produce a valid rental contract or\n\nother proof of rental arrangement, assistance shall be in an amount\n\nequal to the average cost of twelve (12) months of rent for\n\ncomparable premises elsewhere in the county. The trust may, in its\n\ndiscretion, provide such assistance in periodic payments rather than\n\nin a single lump sum. In addition, such businesses or organizations\nanuary 3l, 2006, and who can produce a valid rental contract or\n\nother proof of rental arrangement, assistance shall be in an amount\n\nequal to the average cost of twelve (12) months of rent for\n\ncomparable premises elsewhere in the county. The trust may, in its\n\ndiscretion, provide such assistance in periodic payments rather than\n\nin a single lump sum. In addition, such businesses or organizations\n\nmay receive up to Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00) for moving\n\nexpenses. Recipients must agree, prior to accepting such\n\nassistance, that they will not again operate within the area of\n\ngreatest subsidence risk until the Office of the Secretary of the\n\nEnvironment determines the area is safe for occupation;\n\n5. For those individuals or legal entities eligible for\n\nrelocation assistance under this subsection that operate businesses\n\nor nonprofit organizations in structures they own which are located\n\nin the area of greatest subsidence risk, the trust shall purchase\n\nthe property for an amount equal to the value of comparable\n\ncommercial property elsewhere in the county. In addition, such\n\nbusinesses or organizations may receive up to Two Thousand Dollars\n\n($2,000.00) for moving expenses. Recipients must agree, prior to\n\naccepting such assistance, that they will not again operate within\n\nthe area of greatest subsidence risk until the Office of the\n\nSecretary of the Environment determines the area is safe for\n\noccupation; and\n\n6. All other owners of real property in the area of greatest\n\nsubsidence risk may be eligible under this subsection to sell their\n\nproperty to the trust for an amount equal to the value of comparable\n\nproperty elsewhere in the county.\n\nC. Where application for relocation assistance is made by one\n\nof multiple owners or lessees of a particular property or rental\n\nunit, the sum of all payments for acquisition of such property shall\n\nnot exceed the amount that would have been paid had the property\n\nbelonged to a single owner and the sum of all rental assistance\n\nshall not exceed the amount that would have been paid had the unit\n\nbeen rented by a single lessee.\n\nD. Participation in the assistance program shall be voluntary.\n\nNo person shall be required to relocate under the provisions of the\n\nLead-Impacted Communities Relocation Assistance Act.\n\nE. In addition to the relocation assistance program described\n\nin subsections A and B of this section, funds granted to the trust\n\nmay be used for the following purposes:\n\n1. To provide grants to municipalities, public trusts, or other\n\npublic entities operating utility systems located within the most\n\naffected area of the site in order to lessen the debt burden on such\n\nentities as a result of the relocation of families pursuant to the\n\nLead-Impacted Communities Relocation Assistance Act. The amount of\n\nsuch grants may be based on the outstanding debt of such entities\n\nand the proportion that the number of persons relocated bears to the\n\ntotal population of the community served by such entity; and\n\n2. To benefit public school districts, public trusts, and other\n\npublic entities located within the most affected area of the site or\n\narea of greatest subsidence risk;\n\nF. Real property acquired by the trust pursuant to the\n\nrelocation assistance provisions of the Lead-Impacted Communities\n\nRelocation Assistance Act may be utilized or disposed of in the\n\nmanner that the trust determines shall best serve the public\n\ninterest. Disposition of these properties shall not be subject to\n\nthe requirements of Section 129.4 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes, but the disposition and future use of these properties\n\nshall be subject to any land use restrictions recorded pursuant to\n\nstate and federal law in the land records of the county in which the\n\nproperty is located. The trust may transfer real property acquired\n\nunder this act to any state or federal entity or other sovereign\nthe requirements of Section 129.4 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma\n\nStatutes, but the disposition and future use of these properties\n\nshall be subject to any land use restrictions recorded pursuant to\n\nstate and federal law in the land records of the county in which the\n\nproperty is located. The trust may transfer real property acquired\n\nunder this act to any state or federal entity or other sovereign\n\nentity consistent with the requirements of Section 15 of Article X\n\nof the Oklahoma Constitution.\n\nG. A trust receiving a grant from the Department of\n\nEnvironmental Quality shall be authorized to establish appropriate\n\nprocedures for eligible residents to apply for the relocation\n\nassistance described in this section; provided, however, that such a\n\ntrust must set a deadline requiring eligible residents to submit\n\ntheir initial application for assistance. The trust is further\n\nauthorized to make reasonable use of grant funds for the\n\nadministration of the relocation assistance program.\n\nH. In addition to the expenditure of funds according to the\n\nprovisions of the Lead-Impacted Communities Relocation Assistance\n\nAct, a trust receiving a grant from the Department of Environmental\n\nQuality, shall be authorized to seek and expend funds from any other\n\nsource, whether public or private, to further the purposes of the\n\ntrust. The funds granted to a trust by the state shall be\n\ntransferred in periodic payments rather than a single lump sum.\n\nI. Prior to determining what constitutes the most affected area\n\nor area of greatest subsidence risk, the trust shall consult with\n\nthe Department of Environmental Quality, which shall provide a\n\nrecommendation regarding what it believes the boundaries of such an\n\narea should be.\n\nJ. Any trust receiving funds under the Lead-Impacted\n\nCommunities Relocation Assistance Act shall be subject to the\n\nprovisions of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act and the Oklahoma Open\n\nRecords Act.\n\nK. At no time shall a majority of the trustees of a trust\n\nreceiving funds under the Lead-Impacted Communities Relocation\n\nAssistance Act be residents of the most affected area or area of\n\ngreatest subsidence risk. All trustees shall abstain from\n\nparticipating in any decision in which they have a direct pecuniary\n\ninterest.\n\nL. A trust receiving funds under the Lead-Impacted Communities\n\nRelocation Assistance Act is authorized to purchase property\n\nbelonging to a trustee or a member of the trustee's immediate family\n\nprovided such purchase meets the requirements of the Lead-Impacted\n\nCommunities Relocation Assistance Act, such trustee discloses the\n\ntrustee's interest in the transaction, such trustee plays no role in\n\nthe discussions or vote approving such purchase and the value of the\n\npurchase is based upon an independent appraiser's determination of\n\nthe value of comparable property elsewhere in the county.\n\nM. Any person eligible to receive assistance under the\n\nprovisions of the Lead-Impacted Communities Relocation Assistance\n\nAct prior to May 10, 2008, shall remain eligible to receive the same\n\namount of assistance adjusted for the amount of any private\n\ninsurance payments for storm related damage if applicable. Any\n\nproperty valuation or other type of relocation assistance assessment\n\nmade for the purposes of the Lead-Impacted Communities Relocation\n\nAssistance Act shall be based on the value of property as it existed\n\nno earlier than January 31, 2006, and not later than May 10, 2008,\n\nand comparable to property elsewhere in the county. The trust shall\n\nbe authorized to enact or amend any of its procedures or deadlines\n\nas necessary to implement the provisions of this subsection.\n\nN. The trust shall establish priorities among those seeking\n\nassistance, making certain that those at the greatest risk for loss\n\nof life and property receive the highest priority. All assistance\n\nprograms shall be contingent upon the availability of funds.","path":["OK Code","Title 27A"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os27A.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"66837c9ef2a0bbe26afc5c9c7cfd4c19e06d6941d74c9137d4e317e2dd0c2bc3","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-27a-27a-2202","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-27a-27a-2204"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}