HB 3427, known as "Bridges' Law," creates new penalties for intentional, unsafe driving in Oklahoma. It defines such driving as committing two or more moving violations likely to endanger others, or one intentional violation requiring defensive reactions from other drivers. The law establishes misdemeanor charges for basic cases, but escalates to a Class C1 felony for collisions involving contact, sideswiping, or forcing vehicles off the road. Enhanced penalties include Class B6 felonies for endangering minors or occurring in school/construction zones, and Class B4 felonies for causing great bodily injury. Convictions automatically trigger license revocation by the Department of Public Safety.
HB 3757 amends Oklahoma Statute 69 O.S. § 1705 to update the list of specific turnpike routes the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is authorized to construct, operate, and maintain. It explicitly lists 26 existing or planned turnpike segments (e.g., the Turner Turnpike between Oklahoma City and Tulsa, the Muskogee Turnpike extension, and the Oklahoma City Outer Loop) that the Authority may develop using available funds. The bill clarifies which projects remain authorized under current law and specifies the effective date for these provisions. This affects the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority directly, ensuring legal clarity for its toll road projects without creating new policy or funding.
HB 4283 amends Oklahoma's Vehicle License and Registration Act to maintain a 7.24% allocation of vehicle fee revenues to the County Improvement Roads and Bridges Fund for fiscal years beginning July 1, 2019, and beyond. The bill specifies that any excess funds exceeding the 2015 fiscal year amount for this allocation must be transferred to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety Fund instead of the General Revenue Fund. This change directly affects Oklahoma counties, which receive these funds to support local road and bridge maintenance and improvement projects. The bill does not alter other existing fund distributions or create new taxes.
SB 1684 requires operators of highway cleanup and remediation services in Oklahoma (such as towing and accident response companies) to maintain at least $4 million in insurance coverage. This insurance must be provided as proof when applying for or renewing a state license. The bill also establishes a $10,000 initial license fee and a $1,000 annual renewal fee, with a $10,000 reinstatement fee for revoked licenses. Failure to meet the insurance requirement may result in license suspension or revocation.
HB 3559 allows Oklahoma counties to impose a severance tax (up to $0.15 per ton) on rock, gravel, sand, and limestone extracted for commercial use by businesses, but requires voter approval through an election or initiative petition (requiring 5% of registered voters' signatures). It exempts materials extracted by individuals on private property or for agricultural purposes and mandates that tax revenue must fund only road and bridge construction/improvement - never employee salaries. The bill also requires counties to specify the tax's purpose and duration before voting, gives the Oklahoma Tax Commission authority to collect the tax for a 0.5% fee, and mandates 60 days' notice of rate changes. Counties cannot hold a new election on the same tax for six months after voter rejection.
HB 3444 allows Oklahoma counties to charge road impact fees on vehicles with overweight or oversize permits used in energy production, storage, or equipment (excluding certain energy-related equipment covered under separate law). These fees, calculated based on target ratio funding per mile, can increase by 50% if roads serve school bus routes, contain deficient bridges, or run near occupied homes. County commissioners must use collected fees exclusively for road maintenance, repair, or construction within their jurisdiction. The bill does not exempt fee-paying vehicles from existing road restrictions or liability for roadway damage caused by their use.
SB 2078, the Oklahoma Diesel Engine Freedom Act, declares federal mandates requiring diesel exhaust fluid for vehicles operating solely within Oklahoma void, asserting the state's authority under the 10th Amendment to regulate intrastate emissions. It allows the manufacture, sale, and use of diesel engines not requiring exhaust fluid within Oklahoma, prohibits state agencies from enforcing federal diesel fluid requirements, and imposes fines up to $2,500 for violations. The bill repeals an existing Oklahoma statute (47 O.S. 2021, Section 12-423) related to emission control systems. It applies specifically to vehicles engaged only in intrastate commerce, not interstate travel.
SB 1610 creates the Oklahoma Work Zone Safety and Contractor Protection Act to enhance safety for road workers and contractors. It grants immunity from liability to contractors who follow federal traffic control standards (MUTCD) during work zones, protecting them from lawsuits when crashes are caused by third-party drivers. The bill also establishes a Work Zone Safety Revolving Fund to support safety initiatives and updates definitions in Oklahoma law to clarify which workers qualify for protection. These changes directly affect road construction contractors, state transportation workers, and drivers operating in work zones. The law aims to balance worker safety, automated enforcement use, and fair liability standards without advocating for specific outcomes.
SB 66 creates a $10 million revolving fund specifically for airport improvements at regional airports located east of U.S. Highway 69, south of U.S. Highway 70, and within Oklahoma municipalities with populations between 10,000 and 20,000 people. The fund requires matching contributions of $10 million from local, county, tribal, federal, or private sources before state funds can be used for repairs, upgrades, or air traffic control towers at eligible airports. The state appropriates $10 million from the General Revenue Fund to the revolving fund, with unspent funds reverting to the General Revenue Fund by July 1, 2027, if no spending decisions are made. This bill directly affects smaller regional airports in southeastern Oklahoma meeting the specified population and geographic criteria.
SB 67 creates a dedicated "Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety Fund" to finance road and bridge projects, requiring annual state funding that increases from $575 million in 2021 to $1 billion by 2033. The fund must first cover transportation debt payments before funding other projects, with strict rules preventing it from replacing existing state transportation budgets. The Oklahoma Department of Transportation manages these funds, and the State Board of Equalization must annually verify that the fund enhances - not supplants - state transportation spending. This bill ensures predictable, growing funding for infrastructure while protecting existing state transportation resources.
