Rep. Neil Hays

Maddy summaryHB 1271 prohibits public airports providing commercial services from allowing private security vendors to use standard or TSA PreCheck security lanes. Exceptions apply for agreements in place before January 1, 2025, or if the vendor has dedicated TSA lanes solely for their use. The bill explicitly excludes airlines (as defined by federal aviation rules) from this prohibition, meaning airlines’ own priority lanes for their passengers remain unaffected. The law takes effect on November 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1271 prohibits public airports offering commercial services from entering agreements with private security vendors that allow those vendors to use standard or TSA PreCheck security lanes. The bill exempts agreements already in place before January 1, 2025, and allows agreements where a private vendor has dedicated TSA lanes solely for its own use. It also clarifies that airlines (as certified under federal aviation rules) are not considered "private third-party vendors," so airline-operated priority lanes for their passengers remain unaffected. The law takes effect on November 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1261 creates the Wrecker Licensing Reform Act of 2025, transferring oversight of wrecker and towing services from Oklahoma's Corporation Commission to the Department of Public Safety. It establishes a new Oklahoma Wrecker and Towing Services Board with nine members (appointed by the Governor, Senate, and House) to set rules and handle complaints, while creating a Wrecker Services Division within DPS to investigate overcharging and violations. The bill modifies fee structures (disallowing excessive charges, requiring fuel surcharges based on actual costs), updates record-keeping for rotation logs, and transfers all relevant rules, records, and personnel to the Department by November 2025. This directly affects tow truck companies - especially those providing nonconsensual towing - and consumers who may face billing disputes or service issues.

Maddy summaryHB 1265 regulates vapor products in Oklahoma to protect public health and safety. It requires manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to use child-resistant caps, tamper-evident packaging, and specific nicotine warning labels on products. The bill bans marketing terms like "candy," "gummy bear," or "bubble gum" that could appeal to minors and restricts health-related claims. Enforcement is handled by the Attorney General, and a Vapor Products Compliance Fund is established for oversight. The law directly affects businesses selling vapor products and aims to prevent youth access through labeling and marketing restrictions.

Maddy summaryHB 1268 creates the Oklahoma Public Employees Deferred Option Plan, allowing eligible emergency medical personnel (including EMTs, paramedics, and deputy sheriffs/jailers) with at least 20 years of service under the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS) to delay receiving retirement benefits while continuing to work. Participants may defer benefits for up to five years, during which employer contributions continue (with municipal contributions split between OPERS and the new plan), and they receive cost-of-living adjustments. Upon ending participation, they can choose a lump sum payment, an annuity, or other approved payment method from their accrued benefit balance. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1265 sets safety and marketing standards for vapor products sold in Oklahoma, directly affecting manufacturers, distributors, and retailers. It requires child-proof caps, tamper-evident packaging, and specific nicotine warning labels on products, while banning marketing terms like "candy" or "gummy bear" that appeal to minors. The bill also prohibits health-related claims about vapor products and mandates clear labeling with manufacturer details for tracking. These provisions aim to protect public health by ensuring product safety and preventing youth access.

Maddy summaryHB 1263 requires the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to study how wind turbine footings affect the state's aquifers and groundwater resources. The study must analyze physical impacts on aquifer integrity, changes in groundwater flow/quality, cumulative effects in high-wind areas, and mitigation strategies, with input from industry, agriculture, and environmental groups. The Board must submit findings and recommendations to state leaders by December 31, 2026. The bill also includes updated setback requirements for wind facilities near airports, schools, hospitals, and residential areas (increasing to 3 nautical miles for turbines over 500 feet tall), but its primary focus is the mandated groundwater study. This affects wind energy developers and water resource management, with no new regulations beyond the study requirement.

Maddy summaryHB 1263 requires the Oklahoma Water Resources Board to study how wind turbine footings affect the state's aquifers and groundwater resources, including physical impacts, flow changes, and cumulative effects in high-density areas. The study must include recommendations for mitigating negative effects and be completed by December 31, 2026, with input from industry, agriculture, and environmental stakeholders. The bill also updates existing setback rules for wind facilities, mandating minimum distances of 1.5 nautical miles from homes, schools, hospitals, and airports (increasing to 3 miles for towers over 500 feet), and adding requirements for military installation compatibility. These provisions directly affect wind energy developers, landowners, and regulatory agencies like the Corporation Commission, while focusing on environmental and safety standards.

Maddy summaryThis Oklahoma bill prohibits the use of six specific food dyes - red dye 3, red dye 40, yellow dye 5, yellow dye 6, blue dye 1, and blue dye 2 - in food products, as they are deemed unsafe under state law. It amends food safety statutes to explicitly list these dyes as unsafe for any food application, requiring manufacturers to switch to approved alternatives. The prohibition takes effect November 1, 2025, directly impacting food producers, processors, and manufacturers in Oklahoma who currently use these dyes. This change updates existing food safety standards without altering broader regulatory frameworks.

Maddy summaryHB 1260 prohibits sellers from charging extra fees (surcharges) for using credit or debit cards in consumer transactions, while allowing them to offer discounts for paying by cash or check. It requires any fee passed on for card use to appear as a separate line item on receipts. Certain entities - like private schools, municipalities, and public trusts - may charge limited service fees covering actual processing costs (e.g., bank fees, secure transaction costs), but only for card payments and not for cash/check. The bill applies to all Oklahoma consumer credit sales transactions and takes effect November 1, 2025.