| August 2008 | |
| OKLAHOMA'S eGOV NEWS REPORT | |
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Welcome to Oklahoma's eGovernment News Report providing you with up-to-date information on Oklahoma's eGovernment achievements.
State Encourages Over 23,600 Real Estate Licensees to Renew Online, Avoid the Paper Process Oklahoma real estate licensees handle paper daily in real estate transactions with buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords. Renewing their license is often viewed as another cumbersome paper process they must manage. Real estate licensees now have an easy way to renew their licenses, thanks to an online renewal service offered by the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission (OREC). The online renewal service provides more than 23,600 individuals with convenience available through their Web site. "In this information age, we are pleased to be able to provide business-friendly technology to real estate licensees," said Anne Woody, OREC’s executive director. “Eliminating paper and reducing the time it takes to renew a license just makes sense for our customers and state government as a whole.” In its second year of service, OREC expects adoption to rise as licensees see the benefits of renewing in a secure online environment. Licensees can log in 24/7 and complete the renewal in about 5 minutes, much faster than taking pen to paper, finding an envelope, and mailing the renewal to OREC. Licensees have the option of renewing their license with Electronic Check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover Card. A printable license verification and receipt of payment is also available at the end of the renewal process. In addition to renewing online, the system enables real estate licensees to keep track of continuing education hours, and keep their personal contact information current with OREC.
Out-of-Compliance Gas Stations Featured on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission Web Site Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner, Jim Roth, recently announced an addition to his Web site that lists gasoline-station violations. “For the most part, our state gas stations do a great job of staying in compliance with Corporation Commission Rules,” Roth said in a statement. “But when they do have violations, it is our job to inform the public. Now citizens can help themselves be better informed about habitual offenders.” Roth said that more than 5,000 stations have been cited since July of last year for various violations. The Commission has been forced to lock down more than 300 violators during that same time frame. State law places the responsibility of regulating gas pumps in the hands of the Corporation Commission Fuel Inspectors. The corporation commission performs calibration tests on the state’s gasoline pumps to ensure: • A pump must be within minus six cubic inches, or about six tablespoons, of a five-gallon measure in the calibration test. Operators failing the test are given 24 hours to comply before the pump is locked down. Pumps exceeding 19 cubic inches are locked down immediately. • Fuel inspectors also check octane rating, for water in the gas, ethanol content, and compliance with safety and environmental rules.
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Launches Online System for Reporting Violations The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently launched a pilot program to allow companies to electronically self-disclose violations of environmental laws. The new voluntary program, called eDisclosure, is designed to speed the processing times and reduce transaction costs for voluntary disclosures of violations under the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). The program is part of EPA's Audit Policy, which provides reduced or waived penalties to companies that voluntarily disclose violations of environmental laws. The agency will not waive or reduce penalties for repeat violations or violations that resulted in serious actual harm. Violators in EPA Region 6, comprising of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas, may also use the system to report violations of other environmental laws. Eventually, the agency plans to evaluate the program's performance, make revisions, and, if feasible, expand the program so regulated entities nationwide may self-report violations of all environmental laws under the Audit Policy. The program will use the EPA's Central Data Exchange (CDX) as the point of entry for violators to submit data and complete electronic forms. EPA hopes that use of the electronic submission system will speed processing times and ensure submitted data are comprehensive. The agency also predicts the system will assure consistency in how disclosures are processed and reviewed. According to the EPA, CDX provides users with the ability to submit data through one centralized point of access, fill out fewer forms and submit them electronically, receive agency confirmation when submissions are received, and submit data in a variety of formats.
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What's Inside
Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department - Hardy Watkins, Oklahoma Indian Affairs Commission - Barbara A. Warner,
How Do I Stay Informed About Voting and the Upcoming Elections? How Do I Purchase State Surplus Property?
Monday, September 1
Septemberfest 2008 at the Oklahoma History Center 2008 State Charitable Campaign Kick-Off at the Capitol Vietnamese Annual Children Festival at the Capitol 2008 Child Passenger Safety Week
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