SB 641: Motor vehicle repair; creating the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Consumer Protection Act; establishing certain hourly market rate for labor. Effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to shift from a standalone consumer protection act into an amendment of the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act. The new version removes specific definitions for repair shops and storage rates, replacing them with a broader prohibition on insurers committing unfair practices. It also changes the effective date from the current session to November 1, 2025.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from creating a new, independent statute to amending an existing insurance law. It now applies to all claims under the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act rather than just motor vehicle repairs.

DEFINITION

Removed specific definitions for 'administrative charges,' 'auto body repair shop,' and 'storage rates' that were present in the House version.

REQUIREMENT

Removed specific dollar limits for storage fees and labor hours that were established in the House version.

Added a general prohibition stating that insurers committing acts listed in Section 1250.5 are engaging in unfair claims settlement practices.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from the current legislative session to November 1, 2025.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a provision allowing insurers to offer incentives to use specific repair shops, which was not in the original House version.

SB641 (3-26-25) (PAXTON) FS FA1.PDF → Floor (House) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a Senate substitute to a House Floor version, which involved significant formatting updates and a complete renumbering of sections. While the core text of the definitions and storage rate limits remains largely consistent, the House version includes specific amendments regarding the conditions for increased storage rates on electric vehicles and clarifies the requirements for requesting supplemental estimates.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on regulating motor vehicle repair shops and storage fees, but the House version adds specific conditions for higher storage rates on fully electric vehicles with collision damage.

TECHNICAL

The document header was changed from 'Floor Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute' and renumbered to reflect the House Floor version, indicating it has passed the Senate and is being amended by the House.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Administrative charges' was reformatted with consistent indentation, listing specific allowable costs like file creation, repair orders, and software charges.

REQUIREMENT

The criteria for increasing maximum daily storage rates on fully electric vehicles were modified to specify that the increase applies if the vehicle has collision damage and is stored pursuant to Original Equipment Manufacturer requirements.

The conditions for requesting supplemental estimates were clarified to require that requests be made before the tenth day following the initial request.

The requirement for auto body repair shops to provide written invoices was updated to specify a response time of eight business hours.

House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill → SB641 (3-26-25) (PAXTON) FS FA1.PDF · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reclassified from a 'Committee Substitute' to a 'Floor Substitute,' indicating it has moved to the final stage of the legislative process for a vote. The most significant substantive change involves the definition of vehicles eligible for higher storage fees; the specific exemption for 'fully electric vehicles' was removed and replaced with a broader category covering any vehicle with a lithium-ion battery that has sustained damage, fire, smoke, or unusual sounds. Additionally, the specific dollar amounts for maximum daily storage rates were adjusted, with the initial rate for these high-risk vehicles increasing from $78.00 to $78.00 (no change in value, but the category changed) and the subsequent rate increasing from $200.00 to $156.00. Minor formatting updates were also made to the document headers and page numbers.

Scope change

The scope of the higher storage fee provision was expanded to include all vehicles with damaged lithium-ion batteries, rather than being limited solely to fully electric vehicles.

DEFINITION

The definition of vehicles eligible for higher storage fees was changed from 'fully electric vehicles' to 'vehicles with a lithium-ion battery that have sustained damage to the battery pack or have exhibited fire, smoke, or popping or hissing sounds.'

REQUIREMENT

The maximum daily storage rate for vehicles with damaged lithium-ion batteries was adjusted from $200.00 per day to $156.00 per day after the initial period.

TECHNICAL

The bill's classification was updated from 'Committee Substitute' to 'Floor Substitute,' reflecting its progression in the legislative process.

Page numbers and request numbers in the document headers were updated to reflect the new version.

Enrolled (final version) → House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was reformatted from an enrolled final version to a House Committee Substitute, which included specific policy changes to storage rates for electric vehicles. The most significant substantive change is the introduction of new storage fees for fully electric vehicles with collision damage, set at $78/day for the first 10 days and $200/day thereafter, whereas the original version only differentiated rates for vehicles with lithium-ion battery risks. The definition of 'Storage rates' was also expanded to explicitly include fees for fully electric vehicles.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include specific storage rate regulations for fully electric vehicles with collision damage, which were not explicitly detailed in the original enrolled version.

REQUIREMENT

Storage rate fees for fully electric vehicles with collision damage were added, establishing a rate of $78 per day for the first 10 days and $200 per day thereafter.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Storage rates' was updated to explicitly include charges related to fully electric vehicles.

TECHNICAL

The document underwent a structural change from an 'Enrolled Senate' bill to a 'Committee Substitute,' altering the header and formatting while retaining the core legislative intent.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 4 edits · May 27, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was finalized as an enrolled version, adding co-sponsorship by Senator Hill and a specific subject line. The most significant policy changes involve updating storage fee caps for vehicles with damaged lithium-ion batteries, increasing the first-day rate from $78 to $125 and the subsequent-day rate from $156 to $200. Additionally, the mechanism for adjusting these storage rates was changed from a fixed annual inflation adjustment starting in 2027 to an annual review based on the Consumer Price Index, with the effective date set for November 1, 2025.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on motor vehicle repair and consumer protection, but the specific financial thresholds for storage fees have expanded to better cover high-risk electric vehicles.

REQUIREMENT

Increased the maximum daily storage rate for the first ten days of vehicle retention from $78 to $125 for vehicles with damaged lithium-ion batteries.

Increased the maximum daily storage rate starting on the eleventh day from $156 to $200 for vehicles with damaged lithium-ion batteries.

Changed the method for adjusting storage rates from a fixed inflation schedule beginning in 2027 to an annual adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index.

TECHNICAL

Added a specific subject line ('Motor vehicle repair costs') and co-sponsorship by Senator Hill to the enrolled version.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 2 edits · May 19, 2025

MINOR

The bill was reorganized to remove redundant House amendments and streamline the text. The substantive policy content regarding storage rates and definitions remains consistent, with the primary change being the removal of conflicting House co-authorship and amendment strike-throughs to finalize the Senate version.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the revision is primarily a consolidation of text to remove duplicate House amendments and formatting inconsistencies.

TECHNICAL

Removed references to House co-authorship and House amendment instructions that were no longer needed in the final Senate version.

Reformatted the bill title and enacting clause to reflect the final 'Engrossed Senate' status, removing the 'Engrossed House Amendments' header.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 6 edits · May 19, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to shift its focus from general unfair claims practices to specific consumer protections for motor vehicle repairs. The new version creates a dedicated statute for auto body shops, defining what counts as an administrative charge and setting strict limits on billing hours and daily storage fees. It also introduces special higher storage rates for vehicles with damaged lithium-ion batteries to ensure safety during repairs.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from a general amendment to the Unfair Claims Settlement Practices Act to a new, standalone law specifically governing motor vehicle repair shops and consumer billing practices.

SCOPE

Replaced the general unfair claims language with a specific focus on motor vehicle repair and consumer protection.

DEFINITION

Created new legal definitions for 'administrative charges' (like file creation and software fees) and 'auto body repair shop'.

REQUIREMENT

Established a cap of four hours for billing administrative charges on total loss vehicles.

Set specific maximum daily storage fees ($39 for standard vehicles, $125 for EVs with battery damage) and allowed an increase after ten days.

Mandated that storage rates for vehicles with damaged lithium-ion batteries be significantly higher to account for safety risks.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from November 1, 2025, to the effective date of the new act.

Motor vehicle repair; creating the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Consumer Protection Act; establishing certain hourly market rate for labor. Effective date.

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