Senate Bill No. 375 amends various sections of Oklahoma law to enhance the authority of the Commissioner of Public Safety and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) concerning state beneficiary public trusts. The bill empowers the Commissioner to enter into interlocal agreements with these trusts for policing and setting speed limits on their roads, while also granting DPS officers the authority to enforce traffic laws, investigate violations, and manage traffic flow on these roads. Additionally, the bill updates statutory language to ensure clarity and compliance with current practices, particularly regarding the Commissioner’s oversight of municipal traffic enforcement practices to prevent revenue-driven enforcement.

The legislation also revises traffic regulations, allowing the Transportation Commission to set speed limits on controlled-access highways, with a maximum of seventy-five miles per hour in rural areas, contingent upon safety studies. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority is authorized to establish speed limits on turnpikes, with a maximum of eighty miles per hour. Furthermore, the bill introduces provisions for public trusts to operate beyond their geographic boundaries for public benefit, allows municipalities to transfer airport property to industrial development authority trusts, and mandates a two-thirds vote for public trust indebtedness. It also requires annual financial reporting to beneficiaries and establishes a process for public trusts to manage roadway access, with the act set to take effect on November 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Committee Substitute: 60-176
Floor (House): 60-176
Floor (Senate): 60-176
Engrossed: 60-176
Enrolled (final version): 60-176