Rep. Kevin West

Maddy summarySenate Bill 672 amends Oklahoma's emergency management laws, specifically limiting the Governor's authority to close businesses during a state of emergency related to a pandemic. The bill prohibits the Governor from ordering business closures without documented scientific evidence showing the business directly contributes to the spread of disease. Furthermore, it requires the Governor to provide businesses with notice and an opportunity for a hearing before issuing any executive order to close them.

Maddy summaryHB 1220 prohibits cities and towns from imposing specific local taxes and franchise fees on certain revenue streams. These revenue streams are generated from bonds issued by the Oklahoma Development Finance Authority or private financing used by utilities. This financing was established under the 2021 Utility Consumer Protection Acts to cover "extraordinary costs" and "extreme purchase costs" without immediately burdening customers. The bill aims to protect these financing mechanisms from municipal taxation, directly affecting municipalities' ability to collect these specific local revenues and impacting the financial structure of utility bond repayments.

Maddy summaryHB 1215 establishes Oklahoma's first comprehensive human trafficking law by defining key terms like "coercion" (including threats, debt bondage, and controlling documents) and "human trafficking" (covering both labor exploitation and commercial sex acts). It makes trafficking a felony punishable by 5-20 years in prison (or $100,000 fine) for general cases, and 15-99 years (or $250,000 fine) if the victim is a minor. Convicted traffickers must register as sex offenders under Oklahoma's Sex Offenders Act and have their information submitted to the FBI. The law also prohibits using a victim's consent as a defense and requires courts to order restitution to victims.

Maddy summaryHB 1215 creates the "Oklahoma Human Trafficking Law," which updates and expands definitions related to human trafficking, coercion, and commercial sex. The bill makes it unlawful to knowingly engage in human trafficking and establishes felony penalties, including increased sentences for offenses involving minors, and mandates restitution for victims. Individuals convicted of human trafficking for commercial sex must register as sex offenders. It also directs the Department of Corrections to submit conviction information to the FBI's Human Trafficking-Uniform Crime Reporting Program and provides an affirmative defense for defendants who were victims of human trafficking.

Maddy summaryHB 1221 creates "SAFE Accounts" in Oklahoma’s State Treasury to manage specific federal funds received by state agencies. It requires agencies to seek legislative approval (via concurrent resolution) before accessing funds from competitive grants, federal relief payments, or block grants, and mandates detailed reporting to the Legislature about grant applications and funding purposes. Existing federal programs already managed by agencies as of January 1, 2025, are excluded from these requirements unless they involve competitive grants needing reapplication after November 2025. The bill also establishes deadlines for submitting notices and holding hearings on new federal funding sources, effective July 1, 2025, for block grants and November 1, 2025, for competitive grants.

Maddy summarySB 484 prohibits municipalities with populations under 300,000 (per the latest federal census) from approving new schools, shelters, or homeless shelters operated within places of worship near existing schools, hospitals, or government buildings. The bill directly affects smaller Oklahoma cities and towns by restricting where certain facilities can be built. Key provisions remove ambiguous language about "property" and explicitly include homeless shelters in places of worship within the prohibited locations. This creates a clear geographic restriction to prevent new facilities from being sited adjacent to existing community infrastructure.

Maddy summarySB 484 prohibits Oklahoma municipalities with fewer than 300,000 residents (per the latest federal census) from providing homeless services, including owning or leasing land for homeless shelters. It requires such municipalities to immediately terminate any existing homeless programs or shelter services on the bill's effective date. The law defines "homeless person" and "homeless shelter" but focuses on restricting local government involvement in homeless services. It takes effect November 1, 2025, applying only to smaller municipalities. This is a policy restriction, not a funding or service expansion measure.

Maddy summaryHB 1221 creates "SAFE Accounts" in Oklahoma's State Treasury to manage specific federal funds received by state agencies. It requires agencies to use these accounts for competitive grants (funds applied for directly), direct federal payments not tied to existing programs, and block grants, but not for most ongoing federal programs. The bill mandates that agencies must submit detailed notices to the Legislature about proposed federal funding and obtain legislative approval via concurrent resolution before accessing these funds, including holding formal hearings for relief funds. This procedural change applies to agencies receiving such funds starting in 2025, requiring new oversight steps before drawing down federal money.

Maddy summaryHB 1223, titled the "Wyman West Actual Lock the Clock Act," would have mandated Oklahoma adopt year-round standard time (no daylight saving time changes) starting November 2, 2025, if federal law permitted states to observe daylight saving time year-round. It would have applied to all state and local government operations within Oklahoma, though it explicitly exempted federal regulations governing interstate commerce and federal agencies. The bill required the state to switch to standard time permanently after the November 2, 2025, clock change, with an effective date of November 1, 2025. However, the bill failed on March 25, 2025, with 40 votes in favor and 54 against.

Maddy summaryHB 1223, titled the "Wyman West Actual Lock the Clock Act," proposes that Oklahoma adopt year-round standard time (instead of daylight saving time) once federal law permits states to do so. It would take effect on November 1, 2025, requiring the state to permanently use standard time after the November 2, 2025, time change transition. This bill directly affects all Oklahomans, state agencies, and local governments by changing the state's time standard from the current seasonal shift to a fixed standard time. The provision is conditional on federal authorization for year-round daylight saving time, and it explicitly excludes federal transportation and commerce regulations from this change.