Big Dreams, Small Budgets: How a New Bill is Trying to Bring Hollywood to Your Oklahoma Backyard

OKLAHOMA CITY — February 16, 2026

If you’ve ever walked past a film set in downtown OKC and thought, “I wish I could do that, but I don’t have a Marvel-sized budget,” there’s a new piece of paper at the State Capitol that might change your life.

It’s called House Bill 3348 (or HB 3348), and while "House Bill" sounds like something out of a boring high school civics class, it’s actually a potential game-changer for local actors, small business owners, and indie creators.

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First off: What is a "House Bill" anyway?

Think of a House Bill as a suggestion for a new rule. In Oklahoma, a lawmaker (a Representative) writes down an idea they think will help the state. That "suggestion" then has to go through a series of "job interviews" (called committee meetings and floor votes) where other lawmakers decide if it’s a good idea. If it passes all its interviews and gets a signature from the Governor, it becomes an official Law.

HB 3348 is currently in the middle of that interview process.

The "Discount" That Makes Movies Possible

To understand why HB 3348 matters, you have to understand Rebates. When a movie films in Oklahoma, the state essentially says: "If you spend your money here—hiring our actors, buying our lumber, and renting our hotel rooms—we will give you some of that money back." It’s like a giant mail-in rebate for a TV, but for a whole movie.

Currently, our state has some strict rules. To get that money back, you usually have to be a big production with a massive budget. This often leaves out the local filmmaker who wants to tell a smaller, "grounded" story.

Enter HB 3348: The "Indie-Friendly" Bill

HB 3348 wants to change the rules so that smaller, faith-based films can get in on the action. Here is the "too long; didn't read" version of what it does:

1. Lowers the "Buy-In": Right now, you often have to spend a lot of money before the state even looks at you. This bill says that if you’re making a faith-based movie for $2 million or less, you’re invited to the party.
2. Encourages the "Little Guy": It removes some of the red tape that usually makes these rebates too complicated for small productions.
3. Hires Local: Because these are smaller movies, they are much more likely to hire local actors and use local voice-over artists (like the ones working out of home studios in OKC!) rather than flying in a huge cast from California.

Why should you care if you aren't a filmmaker?

Even if you’ve never touched a camera, this bill affects you. When a $2 million movie shoots in an Oklahoma neighborhood:

• The Coffee Shop down the street sells 50 lattes a day to the crew.
• The Local Actor gets their first big break without having to move to LA.
• The General Contractor gets paid to build sets.

What Happens Next?

HB 3348 was introduced on February 2nd and is currently moving through the "Rules" committee. If it keeps passing its "interviews," it could become law by November 1, 2026.

In short: This bill is about making sure Oklahoma isn't just a playground for Hollywood blockbusters, but a place where local creators can afford to tell their own stories, too.