We were busy at the Capitol last week. I passed a handful of bills off the House floor. House Bill 3071, passed on Thursday, aims to reduce the number of individuals entering our state illegally. It would prohibit state revenue from being used to provide benefits to illegal immigrants unless the costs are related to education, jailing, or transporting an illegal immigrant to an out-of-state destination.
With porous borders and ineffective federal policies, every state in the United States is, in effect, a border state. The proposed legislation will be a preemptive measure to deter people from entering Oklahoma illegally.
HB3071 would allow for exceptions to be made for law enforcement agencies or personnel investigating incidents of domestic violence or human trafficking. It would ensure that victim service programs certified by the Office of the Attorney General to provide domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking services to a person are not restricted if the services are required under federal law.
HB3071 would apply to all state agencies, public or private entities, meaning they must enact policies to ensure compliance or risk losing funding through state taxes. To clarify, this legislation does not prohibit providing services to illegal individuals. However, if someone offers these services knowingly, they would not qualify for state tax appropriation.
House Bill 3072 is headed to the Senate. It mandates that drivers slow down to at least 10 miles per hour below the posted speed limit when approaching a stationary authorized emergency vehicle or other designated vehicle displaying flashing lights.
I attempted to pass this last year under the “John Mills Bill” in honor of John Mills, a tow truck operator from District 13 who lost his life in a tragic accident on Highway 69 in November 2022. However, the Senate amended the bill, removing this particular section.
Next, House Bill 3965 broadens the definition of a stationary vehicle to include all stationary vehicles displaying flashing lights regarding the offense of endangerment of an emergency worker. It aims to enhance road safety, clarify legal requirements for drivers, and provide additional protections for emergency workers and other personnel who work on or near roadways.
Another legislative proposal, House Bill 1805, intends to classify licensed emergency medical personnel hired on or after November 1, 2023, as hazardous duty members of the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS).
Next, House Bill 3085 would allow retail and wholesale fireworks distributors to sell skyrockets with sticks to state-licensed outdoor display operators. The bill also permits using such skyrockets in connection with commercial aerial displays performed by state-licensed outdoor display operators.
The last bill, House Bill 3073, was passed by the House floor two weeks ago. It aims to criminalize publishing or distributing digitized representations of someone else’s name, image, voice, or likeness without their written consent and with the intent to harm.
This week was the deadline to hear bills from their chamber of origin. Next week, we will begin hearing bills from the opposite chamber and have until April 27 to consider them.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to me with any concerns at 405-557-7302 or neil. hays@okhouse.gov.
Rep. Neil Hays, a Republican, serves District 13 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, which covers Mc-Intosh, Muskogee and Wagoner County.
