Maddy summaryHB 1367 clarifies when establishments licensed by the Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission are responsible for violations committed by their employees. It specifies that an employee's illegal sale or service of alcohol to minors, intoxicated, or mentally deficient persons will be attributed to the establishment if the employee lacks a valid ABLE license. The bill also creates a rebuttable presumption that an establishment indirectly encouraged violations if an employee commits such actions three or more times within a year. Establishments can counter this presumption by demonstrating they consistently require employee training and licensing, implement clear policies against illegal sales, and maintain related records. These provisions are set to take effect on November 1, 2025.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 1415 amends Oklahoma law concerning antitrust violations, directly affecting individuals, businesses, and the state government. The bill allows those injured by such violations to pursue civil actions for damages, including treble damages and attorney fees, against offenders. It also authorizes the Attorney General to bring civil actions on behalf of the state or its residents to secure similar remedies and to seek civil penalties up to $1,000,000 per violation. Furthermore, the bill establishes criminal penalties, including felony charges and incarceration, for specific antitrust offenses. This legislation is set to become effective on November 1, 2025.
Maddy summarySenate Bill 978 modifies the requirements for documents, such as deeds and mortgages, submitted to county clerks for recording in Oklahoma. The bill specifies that stray markings or parts of signatures within a document's margin will not prevent its acceptance for filing, as long as sufficient space remains for official stamps and recording information. It also prohibits county clerks from charging additional fees or fines for these stray markings. Existing requirements for document legibility, size, and minimum margin dimensions (two inches at the top of the first page, one inch for others) remain. This act is scheduled to take effect on July 1, 2025.
Maddy summaryHB 2312 prohibits operating drones below 400 feet over designated critical infrastructure facilities, including refineries, power plants, water treatment centers, pipelines, and telecom towers. It directly affects drone operators, requiring prior authorization from facility owners or operators to fly in these areas. Key provisions ban unauthorized low-altitude drone flights, contact with facilities, or interference with operations, with exceptions for government entities, facility owners, law enforcement, and FAA-authorized commercial operators. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025.
Maddy summaryHB 2312 prohibits operating drones below 400 feet over critical infrastructure facilities like refineries, power plants, water treatment centers, and pipeline systems that have physical barriers or clear "no entry" signage. It bans drone contact with these facilities or interference with their operations, affecting most drone operators near such sites. Key exemptions include government entities, law enforcement, facility owners, and FAA-authorized commercial drone operators. The law takes effect November 1, 2025, and violations could result in civil liability for damages.
Maddy summarySB 1020 exempts the Oklahoma State Treasurer's Office from standard state agency property transaction rules. Specifically, it allows the Treasurer to directly purchase or lease real property without following the usual requirements that apply to other state agencies, such as seeking approval from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services or conducting appraisals for properties under $25,000. This change directly affects the Treasurer's Office by streamlining its ability to acquire or lease property for its operations. The bill amends existing statutes (61 O.S. §327 and 74 O.S. §63) to create this exemption, effective immediately upon enactment.
Maddy summarySenate Bill 1020 exempts the Office of the State Treasurer from standard state agency property transaction rules. It allows the Treasurer's Office to purchase or lease real property without following the usual requirements for other state agencies, such as obtaining appraisals over $25, publishing sale notices, or securing prior approval from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. This change directly affects the Treasurer's Office by streamlining its property acquisition process. The bill amends existing statutes to specifically remove these procedural barriers for the Treasurer's Office only.
Maddy summarySB 1065 raises the maximum compensation limit for pain and suffering (noneconomic damages) in personal injury cases from $350,000 to $500,000. It directly affects plaintiffs injured by negligence who seek compensation for non-monetary harms like pain, disfigurement, or loss of companionship. The bill allows exceeding the cap only if a jury finds the defendant acted with reckless disregard, gross negligence, fraud, or intentional malice - requiring specific findings on the misconduct type. This law applies to all bodily injury cases filed after November 1, 2025, and does not affect government tort claims or wrongful death cases.
Maddy summaryHB 1564 creates the "Oklahoma Expedited Actions Act" to streamline small civil cases seeking monetary relief totaling $250,000 or less (excluding interest, penalties, and fees). It limits discovery to 180 days, mandates trials within 90 days after discovery ends, and caps trial time at 8 hours per side (extendable to 12 hours). The bill restricts written discovery requests to 15 per category and requires cases exceeding the $250,000 cap or seeking non-monetary relief to exit the expedited process. This applies directly to plaintiffs and defendants in qualifying civil suits, accelerating proceedings while maintaining defined procedural boundaries.
Maddy summaryThis bill requires parties in civil lawsuits to disclose commercial litigation funding agreements when requested, but prohibits using this information as evidence at trial. It mandates certification about whether foreign governments or entities funded the case, including specific details if foreign state funding is involved. Consumer litigation funding agreements are exempt from these requirements. The bill directly affects any party using commercial litigation funding in Oklahoma civil cases.