Sen. Tom Woods

Maddy summarySB 1070, "Kenny's Law," requires all gates enclosing livestock areas to remain closed at all times, except during reasonable access for ingress/egress, maintenance, livestock movement, or necessary property access. It directly affects property owners, utility companies, and agencies managing livestock enclosures. Violations - leaving gates open, damaging gates, or allowing livestock escape - carry misdemeanor penalties of up to $2,500 fines or 1 year in jail for repeat offenses. The bill failed committee in February 2025 and would have taken effect November 2025 if passed.

Maddy summarySB 25 establishes the "Rural Economic Transportation Reliability and Optimization Fund" to fund highway improvements in rural Oklahoma counties with populations under 50,000 experiencing traffic safety hazards due to unexpected economic growth. The bill allocates $200 million from unappropriated general revenues for fiscal year 2026, requiring the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to use these funds - up to 50% of project costs - to prioritize road repairs and upgrades where traffic volumes have become unsafe. It prohibits the fund from reducing existing state transportation funding levels, mandating the State Board of Equalization to verify annually that the fund enhances rather than replaces traditional funding. This directly affects rural communities facing traffic safety risks from unanticipated economic development, with projects requiring documentation of the economic growth link to traffic issues.

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 summarySB 25 establishes the "Rural Economic Transportation Reliability and Optimization Fund" to support highway improvements in rural Oklahoma. It directs $200 million from unappropriated General Revenue funds to the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for projects in counties with populations under 50,000 experiencing traffic safety hazards due to unanticipated economic development. The bill requires documentation linking traffic issues to economic growth and prohibits using fund money to replace existing transportation funding, instead mandating that funds "enhance" rather than supplant state funding. The fund becomes effective July 1, 2025, with the State Board of Equalization required to verify compliance annually.

Maddy summarySB 280 creates Oklahoma's Feral Swine Eradication and Control Grant Program to help landowners and landless owners manage invasive feral swine populations. The program provides grants for equipment, education, and services to control or remove feral swine, with a maximum funding cap of $500,000 from state appropriations and other sources. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture will administer the program in collaboration with wildlife agencies, while offering liability protection for the department (except in cases of gross negligence) and permitting exemptions for participants. This direct policy change enables affected landowners to access resources for managing feral swine, a significant agricultural and ecological threat in Oklahoma.

Maddy summarySB 280 creates the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Grant Program to help Oklahoma landowners and land lessors manage damaging feral swine populations. The program provides up to $500,000 in state funds (from legislative appropriations and federal matching) for equipment, education, and services related to swine control. The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry will administer the grants, collaborate with wildlife agencies, and may exempt participants from certain permitting requirements. The program aims to support landowners directly affected by feral swine through practical resources, with the bill taking effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires all licensed child care facilities in Oklahoma to remove materials containing content about sexual orientation or gender identity from their premises. It directly affects licensed child care centers, preschools, and similar facilities operating under Oklahoma law. Facilities found violating this rule after a complaint and investigation may face corrective or administrative actions by the Department of Human Services. The law takes effect on November 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1418 exempts marine gasoline from Oklahoma's motor fuel tax. This bill amends the motor fuel tax code to specifically include marine gasoline under existing tax exemptions, directly affecting boat fuel sellers and users in Oklahoma. The key change clarifies that marine gasoline qualifies for tax exemption under the same provisions as other exempt fuels, without altering tax rates or collection procedures.

Maddy summarySB 1059 amends Oklahoma law to authorize county commissioners to use county employees and equipment for maintaining publicly owned cemeteries or those not run by private groups. It specifically requires counties to document tribal burial sites and may charge a reasonable fee (capped at actual service costs) for cemetery services in those cases. The bill affects county governments, public cemeteries, and tribal communities with burial sites within county jurisdictions. It takes effect on November 1, 2025, as specified in the legislation.