Oklahoma 2022 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB999 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 03/03/2021

                     
 
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STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021) 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
FOR 
SENATE BILL 999 	By: Bergstrom of the Senate 
 
  and 
 
  Frix of the House 
 
 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
 
An Act relating to transportation; creating the 
Oklahoma Courier Application Services Act; providing 
definitions; excluding motor carrier classification 
for certain entities and people; requiring courier 
service implement zero tolerance policy for drugs or 
alcohol; requiring services suspend access and 
conduct investigation in certain circumstance; 
requiring applicants submit certain information to 
courier service; prohibiting courier service from 
hiring certain persons; requiring updates; requiring 
certain equipment standards be met by courier 
application service drivers; requiring certain entity 
maintain commercial auto insurance in certain amount ; 
specifying time period that driver is responsible for 
maintaining personal insurance; authorizing courier 
application service insurance to provide coverage 
without certain requirement; specifying insurers 
eligible to provide insurance for courier applicatio n 
services; requiring courier application service 
disclose information to driver prior to driver 
accepting courier request; authorizing ins urers to 
exclude certain insurance coverage; construing 
provision; providing that insurer not have certain 
duty; providing that certain insurer have right of 
contribution; requiring insurer cooperation with 
certain persons in certain investigation; requiri ng 
direct payment from ins urer to certain people under 
certain circumstances; providing for codifi cation; 
and providing an effective date. 
 
   
 
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new sectio n of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1050 of Title 47, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
This act shall be kn own and may be cited as the “Oklahoma 
Courier Application Services Act ”. 
SECTION 2.     NEW LAW    A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1051 of Title 47, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering , reads as follows: 
As used in the Oklahoma Courier Application Services Act: 
A.  “Digital network” means any online-enabled application, 
software, website or system offered or utilized by a courier 
application service (CAS) that enables the prearrangement of courier 
services with CAS drivers. 
B. “Personal vehicle” means a vehicle that is us ed by a CAS 
driver in connection with providing courier services and is: 
1.  Owned, leased or otherwise authorized for use by the CAS 
driver; and 
2.  Has an actual weight of less than eight thousand (8,000) 
pounds; and 
3.  Has no more than two axles or axl e combination. 
C.  “Courier application services (CAS)” means a business entity 
operating in Oklahoma that uses a digital ne twork to connect 
business entities including itself, its affiliates or people to CAS   
 
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drivers for the purpose of providing courier se rvices on an on-
demand basis. Courier services are provided on an on-demand basis 
if the CAS drivers are free to acc ept or reject courier requests and 
the CAS does not require the CAS driver to accept any specific 
delivery request as a condition of mai ntaining access to the CAS 
digital network. A CAS does not provide other for-hire motor 
carrier services. A CAS shall not be deemed to control, direct or 
manage the personal vehicles or participating drivers tha t connect 
to its digital network, except where agreed to by written contract. 
D.  “Courier application service driver (CAS driver) ” means an 
individual who uses a personal vehicle to provid e courier services 
for business or people upon connection through a digital netw ork 
controlled by a CAS in return for compensation or payment of a fee. 
E.  “Courier service” means the for-hire transportation of 
property in a personal vehicle, with each individual piece of 
property weighing less than one hundred (100) pounds, beginning 
either when 
1.  A CAS driver accepts a courier request through a digital 
network controlled by a CAS; or 
2.  If a CAS driver accepts such courier reques t for delivery 
during a fixed block of time, whe n the CAS driver picks up the 
property for delivery. 
The courier service continues while the CAS driver is actively 
transporting the requested property to the recipient and ends when   
 
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the property has been de livered.  A courier service does not include 
shared expense or transporting property not for profit, or o ther 
for-hire motor carrier oper ations authorized by the laws of this 
state. 
SECTION 3.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1052 of Title 47, unless there 
is created a duplication i n numbering, reads as follows: 
Courier application service comp anies or courier application 
service drivers shall not be considered motor carriers of property, 
nor shall CAS or CAS drivers be considered for -hire motor carrier, 
as defined in Section 230. 23 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes. 
SECTION 4.    NEW LAW    A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1053 of Title 47, unless there 
is created a duplicatio n in numbering, reads as follows: 
Courier application service companies shall implement a zero-
tolerance policy against CAS drivers operating under the influence 
of drugs or alcohol while providing courier services and shall 
provide notice of this policy o n its digital network.  Upon receipt 
of a credible compla int alleging a violation of the zero-tolerance 
policy, the CAS shall suspend the CAS driver’s access to the CAS’s 
digital network and shall conduct an investigation into the reported 
incident. The suspension shall last the duration of the 
investigation.   
 
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SECTION 5.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1054 of Title 47, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follow s: 
A.  Prior to permitting an individual to act as a courier 
application service driver on its digital network, the courier 
application service shall require the individual to submit to the 
CAS information regarding his or her address, age , driver license 
and other information required by the CAS. 
B.  A CAS shall not knowingly permit an indiv idual to act as a 
CAS driver on its digital network who: 
1.  Does not possess a valid driver license; 
2.  Does not possess current proof of motor vehicle registration 
for the motor vehicles used to provide courier services; 
3.  Does not possess proof of th e motor vehicle liability 
insurance required by law or rule for the motor vehicles used to 
provide courier services; and 
4.  Is not at least eighteen (18) years of age. 
C.  Every CAS operating in this state shall implement a 
procedure for periodic informat ion updates to ensur e continued 
compliance by each driver with the requir ements of this section. 
SECTION 6.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1055 of Title 47, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering , reads as follows:   
 
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Every courier application service shall require that any motor 
vehicles that a CAS driver will use to provide courier services 
meets the equipment standards required of private motor vehicles 
under Section 12-101 et seq. of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes. 
SECTION 7.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1056 of Title 47, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
A.  A courier application service (CAS) shall maintain 
commercial auto coverage, as defined in Section 7-600 of Title 47 of 
the Oklahoma Statutes, with a combined single limit of at least One 
Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) that provides coverage to the CAS 
for its liability arising out of the use of a hired, owned, or non-
owned vehicle used to transport proper ty for compensation. 
B.  When a CAS driver is not engaged in courier services, as 
defined in this Act, the CAS driver shall be solely responsible for 
maintaining state compliant a utomobile insurance coverage pursuant 
to Section 7-601 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes . 
C. Coverage under an insurance policy maintained by the CAS 
shall not be dependent on a personal automobile insurer first 
denying a claim nor shall a personal auto mobile insurance policy be 
required to first deny a claim. 
D.  Insurance required by this section may be placed with an 
insurer authorized to do busines s in this state or with a surplus   
 
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lines insurer eligible under Section 1100 et seq. of Title 36 of the 
Oklahoma Statutes. 
SECTION 8.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1057 of Title 47, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
The Courier application services shall disclose in writing to 
CAS drivers the following before they are allowed to accept a 
request for a courier service on t he CAS’s digital network: 
1.  The insurance coverage, including the types of coverage and 
the limits for each coverage, that the CAS provides while the CAS 
driver uses a personal vehicle in connection with a CAS ’s digital 
network; and 
2.  That the CAS driver’s own motor vehicle insurance policy may 
not provide any coverage while the driver is engaged in providi ng 
courier services depending on its terms. 
SECTION 9.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Se ction 1058 of Title 47, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
A.  Insurers that write motor vehicle insurance in Oklahoma may 
exclude any coverage afforded under the owner’s insurance policy for 
any loss or injury that occurs while a CAS driver is engaged i n 
providing courier services. This right to exclude all coverage may 
apply to any coverage included in a motor vehicle insurance policy 
including, but not limited to:   
 
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1.  Liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage ; 
2.  Uninsured and underinsured moto rist coverage; 
3.  Medical payments coverage ; 
4.  Comprehensive physical damage coverage; and 
5.  Collision physical damage coverage. 
B.  Such exclusions shall apply notwithstanding any requirement 
under Chapter 7 of the Oklahoma Highway Safety Code of Section 7 -101 
et seq. of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes.  Nothing in this 
section implies or requires that a personal motor vehicle insurance 
policy provide coverage while the CAS driver is engaged in providing 
courier services or while the driver otherwise uses a vehi cle to 
transport property for compensation.  Nothing in this section shall 
be construed to preclude an insurer from providing coverage for the 
CAS driver’s vehicle if it chooses to do so by contract or 
endorsement. 
C.  Motor vehicle insurers that exclude coverage as permitted in 
this section shall have no duty to defend or indemnify any claim 
expressly excluded thereund er.  Nothing in this article shall be 
construed to invalidate or limit an exclusion contained in a policy 
already in use or approved for use in this state prio r to the 
effective date of this act that excludes coverage for vehicles used 
to carry persons or property for a charge or availab le for hire by 
the public.  A motor vehicle insurer that defends or indemnifies a 
claim against a CAS driver that is excluded under the terms of its   
 
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policy shall have a right of contribution against other insurers 
that provide motor vehicle insurance to the same CAS driver in 
satisfaction of the coverage requirements of Section 7 of this act 
at the time of loss. 
D.  In a claims coverage invest igation, a CAS and any insurer 
potentially providing coverage under Section 7 of this act shall 
cooperate to facilitate th e exchange of relevant information with 
directly involved parties, law enforcement and any insurer of the 
CAS driver if applicable, in cluding the precise times that a CAS 
driver logged on and off of the CAS’s digital network in the twe lve-
hour period immediately preceding and in the twelve-hour period 
immediately following the accident and disclose to one another a 
clear description of t he coverage, exclusions and limits provided 
under any motor vehicle insurance maintained under Section 7 of this 
act. 
SECTION 10.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1059 of Title 47, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
If a courier application service insurer makes a payment for a 
claim covered under comprehensive or collision insurance coverage, 
the CAS shall cause its insurer to issue the paym ent directly to the 
business repairing the vehicle or jointly to the owner of the 
vehicle and the primary lienholder. 
   
 
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SECTION 11.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2021. 
 
58-1-1839 APW 3/3/2021 3:41:18 PM