§ 68-4204. Quality Investment Contracts – Application – Requirements – Qualifications.

A.  An establishment which meets the qualifications specified in the Oklahoma Quality Investment Act may apply to enter into a Quality Investment Contract to receive annual incentive payments over a five-year period from the Oklahoma Tax Commission pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Quality Investment Act in an amount which shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the amount of actual capital costs invested pursuant to a Quality Investment Contract developed and executed pursuant to this act.  The Committee shall review economic impacts, historical contributions trends and tax revenue projections analyses conducted by or on behalf of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, and shall consider whether or not the establishment is located in an economically distressed area of the state, the number of jobs which are at risk, and the average salary of the jobs which are at risk for the purposes of making recommendations for offering a Quality Investment Contract and the percentage of investment which shall be provided as incentive payments.  Provided, incentive payments shall in no event exceed ten percent (10%) of the capital costs actually incurred for the Oklahoma site that is the subject of the agreement.  Provided, a county, town or municipality in which an establishment eligible to receive annual incentive payments pursuant to this section is located may join in the Quality Investment Contract with the state and the establishment and set out that it intends to annually appropriate a portion of local sales tax revenue that shall be included in the incentive payments.

Provided further, the Quality Investment Committee may not recommend and the state shall not enter into contracts that would result in payments from state revenues to all establishments in the program in an amount in excess of Ten Million Dollars ($10,000,000.00) in any fiscal year.  The maximum amount of projected investment for purposes of a contract made pursuant to this act shall not exceed Fifty Million Dollars ($50,000,000.00).

B.  In order to receive incentive payments, an establishment shall apply to and enter into a Quality Investment Contract with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce on behalf of the state and the local community when the town, city or county resolve to join with the agreement.  The application shall be on a form prescribed by the Committee and shall contain such information as may be required by the Committee and the Oklahoma Department of Commerce to determine if the applicant is qualified.

C.  In order to qualify to receive such payments, the establishment applying shall be required to:

1.  Be engaged in manufacturing in activities described under Industry Group Nos. 31 through 33 of the NAICS Manual;

2.  Incur capital costs for new retooling or modernization projected to equal or exceed One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) within twenty-four (24) months of the start date; and

3.  Apply to and enter into a Quality Investment Contract specifying:

a.the amount of capital investment the establishment must make within twenty-four (24) months of the start date in order to remain in the Oklahoma Quality Investment Program,

b.the total minimum amount of Oklahoma taxable payroll it will maintain in this state during the course of the agreement,

c.the total amount in incentive payments it may receive,

d.if applicable, the amount of local revenues a county or municipality intends to apportion to the establishment annually, and

e.that it will offer “basic health insurance” as defined in the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, within twelve (12) months of entering into a Quality Investment Contract.

Added by Laws 2006, c. 1, § 4, eff. July 1, 2007, following passage of State Question No. 725 (SB 755, Laws 2005, c. 239) on Nov. 7, 2006.