Committees

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Cody Maynard, R-Durant, this week passed two bills in committee aimed at protecting and benefitting youth. House Bill 3544 would protect youth as they interact with Artificial Intelligence (AI). House Bill 3548 would create the Oklahoma Youth Entrepreneurs Promotion and Development Act of 2026. "My focus with both pieces of legislation is protecting young Oklahomans," Maynard said. "One bill would protect them from predatory practices embedded in certain artificial intelligence. The second would protect them from burdensome regulation as they begin to learn the basic principles of business ownership." HB3544 unanimously passed the House Civil Judiciary Committee on Thursday. It now awaits a hearing in the Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee. "This bill would protect children when interacting with artificial intelligence chatbots that are designed to simulate emotional or human-like relationships," Maynard said. "There have been multiple incidences reported across the country where children have committed self-harm after these chatbots have encouraged it. I am asking that the Oklahoma Legislature be proactive in putting some common-sense policies in place." HB3548 unanimously passed the House Appropriations and Budget Finance Subcommittee on Wednesday. The measure would exempt sales tax for businesses owned and operated primarily by individuals who are under the age of 18. The exemption would extend only if the business receives limited assistance from adults and if the business generates gross revenue of less than $1,000 during the calendar year "This legislation encourages real-world learning by allowing young people to operate small businesses without being buried in taxes and unnecessary red tape," Maynard said. "If a child wants to run a lemonade stand for a week, they should not have to purchase multiple permits to do so. I ask that we teach our kids entrepreneurship before we regulate them." Maynard said the legislation complements Gov. Stitt's recently signed Executive Order 2026-04, which makes it easier for entrepreneurs to start and grow businesses in Oklahoma. Key actions of the governor's order include the exploration of tax waivers for startups and fairer access to state contracts for young businesses. Reports on fees, taxes, education and contracts are to be shared with legislative leaders by the end of the legislative session. The next stop for HB3548 will be the full A&B Committee.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Chris Sneed, R-Fort Gibson, advanced four insurance bills this week through the House Insurance Committee, which he chairs.  Three of the bills lay the foundation for broader updates to Oklahoma’s insurance and regulatory framework.  House Bills 3796 and 3818 are a comprehensive legislative vehicle intended to organize and modernize insurance statutes during the 2026 session. The bills would provide a structured framework that allows lawmakers to consolidate reforms, improve clarity in statute and ensure Oklahoma law keeps pace with industry standards and consumer needs.  House Bill 3794 would serve as an umbrella measure for regulatory updates affecting licensed professions and occupations, helping streamline statutory changes and provide consistency across regulatory language.  House Bill 3802 would focus on directly on consumer protection. The bill would prohibit insurers from increasing a motor vehicle liability premium solely because a deceased spouse is removed from a policy. It clarifies that removing a deceased spouse cannot be treated as a material change in risk for underwriting or rate calculations. Insurers would still be allowed to adjust premiums at renewal based on documented changes such as driving record, claims history, mileage, garaging location or other actuarially supported risk factors.  "Our responsibility is to ensure the rules are clear and the protections are meaningful," Sneed said. "These bills improve structure, reinforce consumer safeguards and create a more dependable regulatory environment for families and businesses."  In addition to advancing Sneed's legislation, the House Insurance Committee has approved measures this session aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and stability in Oklahoma’s insurance market.   Sneed said he is proud of the committee’s work so far. "We are committed to getting the details right," he said. "Insurance affects people during some of the most important and difficult moments in their lives. When families file a claim or businesses rely on coverage, they deserve a system that is fair, transparent and dependable. That is the kind of work this committee is focused on."  All four bills passed the House Insurance Committee and are now eligible for consideration in the Commerce and Economic Development Oversight Committee.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation to protect Oklahomans from the harmful use of artificial intelligence and deepfake content passed unanimously out of the House Criminal Judiciary Committee. House Bill 3299 , authored by Rep. Neil Hays, R-Checotah, would make it unlawful to create and distribute digitized or synthetic media depicting another person’s name, image, voice or likeness without written consent when done with the intent to cause emotional, financial, reputational or physical harm. "As we awaken each day to more sophisticated AI-generated media, we must recommit to the fundamental truth in advertising and the basic rights of every Oklahoman," Hays said. "Every Oklahoman deserves to control their name, likeness and voice and to know that when they are depicted, especially in an effort to influence the public, that they’re portrayed accurately." Under the measure, violations would be considered a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both. If the offense results in financial harm exceeding $25,000 or involves extortion, coercion or blackmail, the crime would be elevated to a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. The bill also addresses political advertising. Any digital or synthetic media used in political ads would have to be clearly disclosed. Failure to disclose would be a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in county jail or a fine of up to $2,500. Media advertising agencies would be required to obtain a signed attestation from content creators stating whether the advertisement contains digitized or synthetically altered material. If approved by the Legislature and signed into law, House Bill 3299 would place Oklahoma alongside Tennessee, which enacted the Ensuring Likeness, Voice, and Image Security Act (ELVIS Act) in 2024, in extending these protections to all individuals. While some states have enacted similar laws for minors or public figures, Hays said this measure recognizes that every person has a fundamental right to control his or her own name, image, likeness and voice as personal property. "This technology is moving faster than most people realize," Hays said. "We need guardrails in place to protect individuals from having their identity manipulated and used against them." HB3299 now moves to the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee.