Rep. Kyle Hilbert

Maddy summaryHB 4420, the Strong Readers Act, requires annual reading screenings for all kindergarten through third-grade students in Oklahoma public schools to identify reading deficiencies. It mandates scientifically based reading instruction (banning the "three-cueing system" model), requires intensive intervention for students who don’t meet grade-level standards, and allows third-grade retention unless a "good cause" exemption applies. The bill also establishes summer reading academies, teacher training requirements, and parent notification protocols for reading progress. These provisions directly affect K-3 students, their schools, and educators, with implementation beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summarySB 1343, the "Vision Plan Contractual Requirements Act," regulates contracts between vision plan organizations (like insurers or vision service providers) and optometrists. It requires optometrists to give written approval for all vision service plans, prohibits vision plans from forcing optometrists to provide services at set fees unless covered, and bans changes to contracts without written consent. The bill also stops vision plans from incentivizing optometrists to use specific services or directing subscribers to facilities they own, and mandates actual overpayment/underpayment calculations for payments. It directly affects optometrists, vision plan organizations, and subscribers by ensuring transparent, fair contractual terms and requiring ownership disclosures for vision care facilities.

Maddy summarySB 2102 prohibits large credit card issuers ($85 billion+ in assets) and payment networks from colluding to set credit card transaction fees or penalizing merchants who offer discounts for cash, debit, or gift card payments. It requires issuers to clearly disclose swipe fees (including interchange and assessment fees) to cardholders on monthly statements and payment networks to provide merchants with detailed fee breakdowns within 45 days of each transaction. The law empowers Oklahoma’s Attorney General to enforce these rules, impose civil penalties up to $30 million for violations, and file lawsuits against noncompliant entities. The bill takes effect November 1, 2026, directly affecting major financial institutions, payment networks, merchants, and cardholders in Oklahoma.

Maddy summarySB 1940 requires credit card payment networks in Oklahoma to exclude state/local taxes and separate gratuities from the total transaction amount when calculating credit card swipe fees. This directly affects merchants who accept credit cards, as networks must either deduct these excluded amounts at settlement or provide rebates within 90 days if merchants submit proof of collected taxes and tips. The bill mandates that payment networks cannot circumvent this by raising fees on non-tax portions of transactions. It becomes effective November 1, 2026, and defines key terms like "swipe fee" to include interchange and assessment fees.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to Oklahoma that limits how much money the state must return to local governments when they lose tax revenue due to property tax exemptions for new manufacturing facilities. The amendment would cap reimbursement to counties, cities, schools, and other taxing jurisdictions at the amount of tax revenue they collected before the new or expanded manufacturing facility was built. It also allows counties to keep up to 25% of increased tax revenue after the five-year exemption period ends, provided they use it for economic development. The bill requires a special election on August 25, 2026, where Oklahoma voters will decide whether to approve or reject this change to the state constitution.

Maddy summaryThis Oklahoma bill updates state election laws to establish specific dates for primary and runoff elections, standardizing when candidates can file for office and when political affiliation changes are permitted. It sets primary elections for the first Tuesday in March of even-numbered years and runoff primaries for the third Tuesday in June of the same year, while also defining allowable dates for special and regular elections across the state. The legislation restricts when voters may switch party affiliations to prevent last-minute changes during critical election periods, and it clarifies procedures for municipalities and school districts to schedule elections alongside state and federal contests. These changes directly affect voters, candidates, political parties, and election officials by creating a more predictable and structured election calendar.

Maddy summarySB 1809 increases Oklahoma's homestead property tax exemption from $1,000 to $5,000 annually for homeowners. It directly affects residents who own their primary residence as a homestead by reducing their taxable property value. The bill amends tax law to raise the exemption amount starting with the 2027 tax year, meaning homeowners will pay property tax only on the value exceeding $5,000. The change takes effect November 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes the Oklahoma State Sports and Athletics Act of 2026 as a standalone law that will not be added to the official state statutes. It directly affects Oklahoma's sports and athletics programs by providing a specific legal framework for their governance. The act includes a provision setting its effective date as November 1, 2026, allowing time for implementation before it becomes operational. This legislation serves primarily as a naming and organizational measure rather than introducing new operational requirements or funding changes.

Maddy summarySB 1518 prevents the Statewide Official Compensation Commission from increasing the salary of any elected state office held by a current Oklahoma state legislator. This applies specifically to positions including Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Treasurer, and others listed in the bill, blocking any salary increase above the level in effect as of January 1, 2025. The bill updates Oklahoma law to clarify this restriction and becomes effective on November 1, 2026. It does not affect salary adjustments for offices not held by current legislators.

Maddy summarySB 1494 requires Oklahoma's Legislature to annually appropriate funds for a flexible benefit allowance for school district employees. This allowance, which can be used to pay for health insurance or taken as taxable cash, applies to employees in districts meeting specific instructional requirements: those with 170+ days of in-person classroom instruction receive full funding, while others get a minimum set amount based on 2026 standards. The bill mandates that school districts establish a cafeteria plan for employees to access these benefits and clarifies the allowance does not count toward retirement contributions or salary calculations. It takes effect July 1, 2026.