Miller, Haste to Host Strong Families Tax Credit Interim Study

Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Tony Dungy and Texas Sen. Angela Paxton among featured presenters

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Nicole Miller, R-Edmond, and Sen. John Haste, R-Broken Arrow will host a joint interim study on the proposed Strong Families Tax Credit on Monday, October 12, at 9:30 a.m. in Room 535 of the Oklahoma State Capitol.

The study will examine how Oklahoma could encourage private charitable support for eligible programs that strengthen families, including fatherhood, parenting and family-support initiatives. Lawmakers will hear about approaches used in other states, possible program design and accountability, and the outcomes families report from participating in these programs.

Featured presenters will include Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach Tony Dungy, founder and national spokesman for All Pro Dad, and Texas State Sen. Angela Paxton, who will share the Texas legislative perspective. Other scheduled presenters include Patrick Stevens of Family First, Phillip Whitten of One More Child, and Brian Johnson, chief financial officer of First United Bank.

“Parents are central to a child’s success, and communities have a role in helping families thrive,” Miller said. “This study gives us an opportunity to examine how Oklahoma can support effective, community-based programs that help parents build stronger relationships with their children.”

“We want to hear directly from people who have worked on these programs and understand how they operate,” Haste said. “The study will help us consider whether Oklahoma can build a practical, accountable approach that encourages private support for services strengthening families.”

Both Texas and Florida offer examples for lawmakers to examine. Texas’s new Strong Families Tax Credit pilot had the entire $5 million in 2026 credit allocations reserved in a matter of minutes when the portal opened on August 1 of this year. The credit originated in Florida in 2021. After incredible success, the Florida legislature expanded its program’s annual credit amount to $53.1 million for fiscal years 2026–27 and 2027–2028.

The joint interim study is scheduled before a joint hearing of the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Human Services and the Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee.