HB 1146 authorizes Oklahoma counties to levy a severance tax on surface-mined materials (excluding coal) at a maximum rate of $0.10 per ton, requiring voter approval through a special election or initiative petition. The tax revenue must be split equally: 50% for county road and bridge improvements, and 50% for municipal infrastructure projects based on population. Exemptions include limestone used for agriculture, materials sold for hydraulic fracturing, and personal extraction not for profit. Counties must notify taxpayers 60 days before rate changes and cannot impose additional fees on mining operations. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025.
This Oklahoma bill requires drivers to use appropriate child passenger restraints for children under eight years old or shorter than 4 feet 9 inches when traveling in vehicles on state roads. Specifically, children under four must ride in rear-facing seats until age two or until they reach the seat’s weight/height limit, while children aged four to eight who are under 4'9" must use a car seat or booster. Violations carry fines of $50 for improper child restraint use or $20 for seat belt noncompliance, with first-time offenders potentially avoiding fines by purchasing a restraint. Revenue from fines funds state highway safety programs promoting proper child passenger safety.
SB 122 appropriates $9 million from Oklahoma's General Revenue Fund to the Weigh Station Improvement Revolving Fund for the 2023 fiscal year. This funding directly supports the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (DOT) in upgrading weigh stations, which inspect commercial truck weights to ensure road safety and compliance with weight limits. The bill provides concrete financial resources for the DOT to carry out its legal duties related to weigh station maintenance and improvements. It becomes effective July 1, 2025, with an emergency declaration allowing immediate implementation upon approval. The bill does not alter laws or create new regulations but allocates specific funds for existing DOT responsibilities.
SB 25 establishes the "Rural Economic Transportation Reliability and Optimization Fund" to fund highway improvements in rural Oklahoma counties with populations under 50,000 experiencing traffic safety hazards due to unexpected economic growth. The bill allocates $200 million from unappropriated general revenues for fiscal year 2026, requiring the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to use these funds - up to 50% of project costs - to prioritize road repairs and upgrades where traffic volumes have become unsafe. It prohibits the fund from reducing existing state transportation funding levels, mandating the State Board of Equalization to verify annually that the fund enhances rather than replaces traditional funding. This directly affects rural communities facing traffic safety risks from unanticipated economic development, with projects requiring documentation of the economic growth link to traffic issues.
SB 1309 modifies Oklahoma's funding for road and bridge projects by increasing annual allocations to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety Fund (ROADS Fund). It sets specific annual amounts: $100 million starting in fiscal year 2026 (up from $80 million), rising to $575 million for 2021, $590 million for 2022, and $610 million for 2025 onward. The bill requires the full annual amount to be allocated by July 30 each year and directs $2 million annually to the Heartland Flyer rail project and $3 million to public transit. These funds are exclusively for state highway construction, maintenance, debt service, and specific infrastructure projects managed by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
HB 1272 modifies Oklahoma traffic laws to require drivers to slow down or change lanes when approaching stationary emergency vehicles, maintenance vehicles, or wrecker operations displaying flashing lights. It updates the offense name to "roadway endangerment of an emergency worker," imposing a $1,000 fine for a first offense (avoidable by completing the Operation Work Zone Awareness program) and $2,500 for a second offense. The bill also expands the definition of "stationary vehicle" to include utility company service vehicles and clarifies that commercial drivers cannot use the awareness program to avoid fines. These changes directly affect all drivers navigating roads near active emergency or construction zones.
HB 1132 creates Oklahoma's Industrial Access Improvement Grant Program, providing state funding for infrastructure projects that enhance industrial site accessibility. It directly affects eligible municipalities with populations over 750,000 (per the 2020 Census), requiring the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to administer grants for roadway expansions, bridge upgrades, freight corridor improvements, and other access-related construction. The bill establishes a revolving fund in the state treasury to support these grants, mandates an application process with project descriptions and local matching requirements, and requires the Department to allocate funds based on project merit. The program becomes effective November 1, 2025.
HB 2285 creates the Evacuation Vehicle Access Corridor Revolving Fund (EVAC Fund) to support construction of emergency evacuation routes in Oklahoma counties. It establishes a grant program allowing counties with landlocked areas (defined as regions with 2,000+ residents and only one or two road access points) to apply for funds to build new or improve existing access corridors. Eligible counties must demonstrate a material need for corridor construction, and grants cannot exceed the total funds in the EVAC Fund. The bill aims to improve public safety by ensuring reliable evacuation routes for residents in geographically isolated areas.
HB 1155 requires Oklahoma's Department of Public Safety to create a real-time alert system that notifies drivers via phone text or app alerts and highway message boards when active police pursuits are occurring nearby. The system must only activate when a pursuit poses a public safety risk, providing clear details like the suspect vehicle's make, model, color, location, and direction while minimizing driver distraction. It mandates collaboration with mobile carriers and limits alerts to a defined radius around the pursuit, with automatic deactivation once the threat ends. This law directly affects drivers receiving alerts and law enforcement agencies confirming pursuits, aiming to enhance public safety during high-speed chases.
SB 1349 establishes the "Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety Fund" to provide dedicated funding for Oklahoma's road and bridge infrastructure. It mandates specific annual funding amounts starting at $80 million for fiscal year 2021, increasing to $1 billion annually by 2034, with the first $80 million allocated each year for debt service on transportation bonds before other projects. The fund must be used by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for constructing, maintaining, and operating state roads, bridges, highways, and matching federal transportation funds. The bill also includes a mechanism to reduce fund allocations if the state faces a General Revenue Fund shortfall, and it declares an emergency to take effect immediately upon passage.
