Rep. Neil Hays

Maddy summaryHB 1264 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 sold in Oklahoma. The bill amends Oklahoma’s food safety statute to classify these dyes as unsafe additives, making any food containing them adulterated under state law. This directly affects food manufacturers, processors, and retailers who produce or sell products containing these dyes. The law takes effect on November 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1260 prohibits merchants from adding surcharges or passing on processing fees for credit or debit card payments, requiring them to instead offer discounts for cash or check payments. It mandates that any fee charged for card use must appear as a separate line item on receipts. The bill allows exceptions for private schools, municipalities, and public trusts to charge limited fees covering actual processing costs, but only for online or in-person transactions. These provisions apply to all Oklahoma businesses selling consumer credit, with the law taking effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1290 limits land ownership by the State of Oklahoma, state agencies, the federal government, and land encumbrances (like conservation easements) to no more than 10% of each county's total land. County clerks must refuse to record any property documents that would exceed this 10% threshold. Exemptions include federal military bases, flood control lakes, and temporary county tax-foreclosed properties. The law takes effect November 1, 2025, directly affecting county record-keeping practices and large landholdings by government entities.

Maddy summaryHB 1297 is a procedural bill that creates the "Motor Vehicle Reform Act of 2025" but contains no substantive policy provisions. It establishes an effective date of November 1, 2025, and specifies the act will not be codified in Oklahoma Statutes. The bill serves only to name the legislation and set its implementation timeline, with no direct impact on residents, businesses, or regulatory requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1679 names the legislation as the "Retirement Reform Act of 2025" and sets its effective date for November 1, 2025. This is a procedural bill that does not include substantive policy changes to retirement systems or benefits. It only establishes the bill's official title and implementation timeline without altering existing retirement rules or affecting specific groups. The bill was introduced by Representative Hays and referred to the Rules Committee on February 4, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1296 creates the "Towing Modernization Act of 2025" as a named legislative act but contains no substantive provisions requiring changes to towing regulations. The bill solely establishes the act's name and sets its effective date for November 1, 2025, without detailing any specific rules, fees, or requirements for towing companies or consumers. As a procedural bill, it does not directly affect towing operations or the public with new policies. The bill is currently in early stages (first reading, referred to Rules committee) and does not include any actual modernization measures beyond its naming and effective date.

Maddy summaryHB 1298 introduces the Wrecker Services Reform Act of 2025, a new law designed to regulate wrecker services in Oklahoma. The bill does not currently include specific operational rules or changes to existing statutes, as it is primarily a procedural measure intended to establish the act's name and effective date. It will become active on November 1, 2025, following its introduction by Representative Hays.

Maddy summaryHB 1274 modifies Oklahoma's Teachers' Retirement System rules for retired educators returning to public school employment. It requires a 60-day break between retirement and reemployment (counting paid leave as employment) and imposes annual earnings limits: retired teachers under 62 may earn up to half their final salary or the Social Security limit (whichever is lower), while those 62+ face a $30,000 annual cap. For classroom teachers returning before 2029, a temporary $50,000 annual earnings limit applies. Exceeding limits results in losing $1 of retirement benefits for every $1 earned over the cap, and the bill includes specific exemptions for certain retirees returning under three-year windows.

Maddy summaryHB 1258 creates a new defined contribution retirement plan for Oklahoma teachers hired on or after November 1, 2024. Teachers must make a one-time irrevocable election to join this plan, which replaces the existing defined benefit system for them; those who don’t elect it default to the current retirement system. Employees contribute a mandatory minimum of 4.5% of salary, with employers matching 6% (increasing to 7% if employees contribute more), all managed in tax-qualified retirement accounts. The plan prevents accrual of service credits under the old system, and participation is binding for all future service with participating employers.

Maddy summaryHB 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.