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28	28	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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30	30	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
31	31
32	32	HOUSE BILL 1272 By: Hays
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38	38	AS INTRODUCED
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40	40	An Act relating to motor vehicles; amending 47 O.S.
41	41	2021, Section 11-314, as amended by Section 1,
42	42	Chapter 270, O.S.L. 2023 (47 O.S. Supp. 2023, Section
43	43	11-314), which relates to the Bernardo -Mills Law;
44	44	modifying types of vehicles requiring certain
45	45	approach; modifying provision related to reduction in
46	46	speed; modifying name of offense; authorizing
47	47	completion of certain program in lieu of monet ary
48	48	penalty in certain circumstance; modifying
49	49	description of person offended; defining term;
50	50	amending Section 2, Chapter 270, O.S.L. 2022 (47 O.S.
51	51	Supp. 2023, Section 11 -1304), which relates to
52	52	Operation Work Zone Awareness; modifying educational
53	53	scope of program; expanding invitation to participate
54	54	to certain motorists; modifying provisions of program
55	55	disqualification; and providing an effective date.
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60	60	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
61	61	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 47 O.S. 2021, Section 11 -314, as
62	62	amended by Section 1, Chapter 270, O .S.L. 2023 (47 O.S. Supp. 2023,
63	63	Section 11-314), is amended to read as follows:
64	64	Section 11-314. A. This section shall be known and may be
65	65	cited as the “Bernardo -Mills Law”.
66	66	B. The driver of a motor vehicle, upon approaching a stationary
67	67	authorized emergency vehicle, a Department of Transportation
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94	94	maintenance vehicle, a Turnpike Authority maintenance vehicle, a
95	95	stationary vehicle that is displaying flashing lights or a licensed
96	96	wrecker that is displaying a flashing amber light, a combination red
97	97	or blue light or any combination of amber, red or blue lights ,
98	98	shall:
99	99	1. If traveling on a highway that consists of two or more lanes
100	100	that carry traffic in the same direction of travel a s that of the
101	101	driver, the driver shall proceed with due caution and shall, if
102	102	possible and with due regard to the road, weather, and traffic
103	103	conditions, change lanes into a lane that is not adjacent to the
104	104	stationary authorized emergency vehicle, a Department of
105	105	Transportation maintenance vehicle, a Turnpike Authority maintenance
106	106	vehicle, or licensed wrecker ; or if the driver is not able to change
107	107	lanes or if to do so would be unsafe, the driver shall proceed with
108	108	due caution and reduce the speed of the mot or vehicle to a safe
109	109	speed that is below the posted speed limit ; and
110	110	2. If traveling on a highway other than a highway described in
111	111	paragraph 1 of this subsection, the driver shall proceed with due
112	112	caution and reduce the speed of the motor vehicle to a sa fe speed
113	113	that is below the posted speed limit .
114	114	A person shall be guilty of the offense of roadway endangerment
115	115	of an emergency worker , upon conviction, for any offense act or
116	116	omission committed in violation of this subsection.
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143	143	C. This section does not rel ieve the operator of a stationary
144	144	authorized emergency vehicle, a Department of Transportation
145	145	maintenance vehicle, a Turnpike Authority maintenance vehicle, or
146	146	licensed wrecker from the consequences of reckless disregard for the
147	147	safety of all persons and property upon the highway.
148	148	D. Upon conviction for committing the offense of roadway
149	149	endangerment of an emergency worker pursuant to subsection B of this
150	150	section, if no injury or death of an emergency worker individual
151	151	resulted from the offense, and in add ition to any other penalty
152	152	authorized by law, the person shall be subject to a fine of:
153	153	1. One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) for a first offense; and
154	154	2. Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for a second
155	155	offense.
156	156	A person committing a first offens e in violation of this
157	157	subsection may complete the Operation Work Zone Awarene ss program
158	158	established in Section 11 -1304 of this title to avoid the monetary
159	159	penalty of a first offense.
160	160	E. A person shall be deemed to commit the offense of aggravated
161	161	roadway endangerment of an emergency worker upon conviction for any
162	162	offense pursuant to act or omission constituting an offense under
163	163	subsection B of this section when such offense results in the injury
164	164	or death of an emergency worker individual. Upon conviction for
165	165	committing the offense of aggravated roadway endangerment of an
166	166	emergency worker, in addition to any other penalty authorized by
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193	193	law, the person shall be subject to a fine of not more than Five
194	194	Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) if the offense resulted in i njury to an
195	195	emergency worker and not more than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00)
196	196	if the offense resulted in the death of an emergency worker
197	197	individual.
198	198	F. No person shall be cited or convicted for roadway
199	199	endangerment of an emergency worker or aggravated roadway
200	200	endangerment of an emergency worker for any act or omission
201	201	otherwise constituting an offense under subsection B of this section
202	202	if such act or omission resulted, in whole or in part, from
203	203	mechanical failure of the vehicle of the person or from th e
204	204	negligence of another person or an emergency worker .
205	205	G. As used in this section, the term “stationary vehicle” shall
206	206	include, but may not be limited to , any: stationary vehicle;
207	207	authorized emergency vehicle ; Department of Transportation
208	208	maintenance vehicle; Oklahoma Turnpike Authority maintenance
209	209	vehicle; service vehicle belongi ng to a utility company ; or licensed
210	210	wrecker that is displaying flashing amber lights, a combination of
211	211	red or blue lights, or any combination of amber, red, or blue
212	212	lights.
213	213	SECTION 2. AMENDATORY Section 2, Chapter 270, O.S.L.
214	214	2022 (47 O.S. Supp. 2023, Section 11 -1304), is amended to read as
215	215	follows:
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242	242	Section 11-1304. A. The Department of Public Safety is
243	243	authorized to establish Operation Work Zone Aware ness. Operation
244	244	Work Zone Awareness is a program designed to educate the moto ring
245	245	public on the dangers of committing moving violations while
246	246	traveling in highway construction work zones or motorists failing to
247	247	move over or slow down pursuant to subsectio n D of Section 11-314 of
248	248	this title. The Department is authorized to develop and house on
249	249	its website an online work zone awareness presentation that may
250	250	include, but not be limited to, facts and figures representing the
251	251	dangers of motorists committing wo rk zone moving violations,
252	252	testimonials from highway construction workers and their families,
253	253	information on the importance of awareness and slowing down in work
254	254	zones, the importance of moving over or slowing down, and a
255	255	question-and-answer section to ens ure participants understand and
256	256	retain the information presented. The Department is authorized to
257	257	contract for the production, development, and maintenance of the
258	258	webpage through a vendor. The Department shall maintain in its
259	259	database a record of those c ompleting the program.
260	260	B. Motorists receiving a citation for committing movin g
261	261	violations within a work zone or for failure to move over or slow
262	262	down may receive information regarding an invitation to participate
263	263	in the Operation Work Zone Awareness progr am. A motorist who
264	264	participates in and completes the online program shall receive a
265	265	certificate designed and issued by the Department. Any person
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292	292	producing the certificate as proof in court that the program was
293	293	successfully completed shall be entitled to dismissal of the fine.
294	294	If proof of successful completion of the program is p resented to the
295	295	court in person or electronically, no later than the business day
296	296	preceding the first scheduled court appearance date, the dismissal
297	297	shall be without payment of c ourt costs. The court may access
298	298	information from the Department’s system to confirm completion of
299	299	the program. Offenders may participate in and complete the program
300	300	a maximum of one time. After completing the program, a motorist who
301	301	receives another citation in a work zone or for failure to move over
302	302	or slow down will be disqualified from utilizing the program
303	303	benefits a second time. If a motorist so chooses, he or she may not
304	304	participate in the program and instead pay the fine imposed on the
305	305	issued citation. Holders of commercial driver licenses cited while
306	306	driving a commercial motor vehicle are not eligible to participate
307	307	in the program.
308	308	C. Moving violations that qualify an offender to participate in
309	309	the Operation Work Zone Awareness program shall i nclude, but not be
310	310	limited to, speeding, distracted driving, failure to move o ver,
311	311	failure to obey flagger, and failure to obey traffic control
312	312	devices. Motorists committing impaired driving offenses, as defined
313	313	in Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes, in wo rk zones or otherwise,
314	314	including driving under the influence, driving while intoxicated,
315	315	driving under the influence under twenty -one (21) years of age, or a
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342	342	commercial driver license holder refusing a chemical test while
343	343	driving any vehicle, shall be disq ualified from the program.
344	344	D. The fee paid by a motorist for his or her parti cipation in
345	345	the Operation Work Zone Awareness program shall be Seventy -five
346	346	Dollars ($75.00) and shall be apportioned as follows:
347	347	1. Thirty-five Dollars ($35.00) to be deposited in the
348	348	Department of Public Safety Revolving Fund, created in Section 2 -
349	349	144.1 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes, to be used for
350	350	maintenance of the Operation Work Zone Awareness program;
351	351	2. Fifteen Dollars ($15.00) to be deposited in the Department
352	352	of Public Safety Patrol Vehicle Revolving Fund , created in Section
353	353	2-143 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes; and
354	354	3. Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) to be deposited in the Oklahoma
355	355	Court Information System Revolving Fund, created in Section 1315 of
356	356	Title 20 of the Oklahoma Statutes, to be used to offset expenses
357	357	related to this program.
358	358	The Department is authorized to determine the manner in which
359	359	fees may be paid.
360	360	SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
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362	362	60-1-10281 JBH 12/09/24

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1272 Compare Versions