Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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3 SENATE BILL 158 By: Mann
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to weather tracking licensure;
7 creating the Oklahoma Emergency Weather Response and
8 Tracking Regulatory Act of 2025; providing short
8 title; defining terms; establishing certain
9 requirements for media outlets; establishing certain
9 requirements for certain institutions of higher
10 education; requiring certain fees; establishing
10 certain violations; promulgating certain rules;
11 creating the Severe Weather Tracker Licensure Fund;
11 providing requirements for certain vehicles;
12 authorizing certain actions; providing certain
12 exceptions; establishing fines for certain
13 violations; providing for codification; providing an
13 effective date; and declaring an emergency.
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16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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17 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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18 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 19-300 of Title 47, unless there
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19 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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20 This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma
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21 Emergency Weather Response and Tracking Regulatory Act of 2025".
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22 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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23 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 19-301 of Title 47, unless there
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24 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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Req. No. 988 Page 1
1 As used in this act:
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2 1. "Professional severe weather tracker" means a licensed
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3 individual or company hired or contracted with by a qualified media
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4 outlet or affiliated with a research program at a qualified
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5 institution of higher education;
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6 2. "Qualified media outlet" means a television station licensed
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7 by the Federal Communications Commission for the broadcast or
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8 transmission of television programming via broadcast, cable,
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9 streaming, or other platforms as recognized by the Federal
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10 Communications Commission;
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11 3. "Qualified institution of higher education" means any
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12 college or university regulated by the Oklahoma State Regents for
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13 Higher Education that offers a course or program in meteorology; and
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14 4. "Significant weather event" means:
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15 a. a day of enhanced, moderate, or high risk conditions
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16 in one or more counties located in this state by the
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17 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
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18 National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center,
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19 b. any tornado or severe thunderstorm watch issued by the
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20 National Weather Service or the chief meteorologist
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21 employed by a qualified media outlet,
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22 c. any storm in one or more counties located in this
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23 state, or anticipated to enter this state, for which a
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24 tornado or thunderstorm warning has been issued by the
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Req. No. 988 Page 2
1 National Weather Service or the chief meteorologist
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2 employed by a qualified media outlet,
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3 d. a blizzard warning, ice storm warning, winter weather
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4 advisory, winter storm warning, or winter storm watch
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5 as declared by the National Weather Service or the
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6 chief meteorologist employed by a qualified media
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7 outlet,
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8 e. a red flag fire warning declared by the National
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9 Weather Service or the Forestry Services Division of
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10 the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and
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11 Forestry, or
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12 f. a flash flood warning or flood warning issued by the
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13 National Weather Service or the chief meteorologist
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14 employed by a qualified media outlet.
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15 SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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16 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 19-302 of Title 47, unless there
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17 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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18 A. Service Oklahoma shall be authorized to create a
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19 professional severe weather tracker license.
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20 B. Any professional severe weather tracker employed or
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21 contracted with by any qualified media outlet shall:
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22 1. Cause a copy of his or her license issued by Service
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23 Oklahoma to be kept on file with the outlet;
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Req. No. 988 Page 3
1 2. Cause to be displayed on both sides of every primary vehicle
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2 utilized by the professional severe weather tracker, the license
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3 number issued by Service Oklahoma, and the Federal Communications
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4 Commission license number of the qualified media outlet with whom
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5 the tracker maintains the employment or contractual relationship;
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6 3. Pass a criminal background check;
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7 4. Supply Service Oklahoma with a letter from the chief
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8 meteorologist of the qualified media outlet stating the belief of
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9 such meteorologist that the prospective professional severe weather
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10 tracker possesses the knowledge, experience, and training to
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11 exercise the powers and duties of the license responsibly; and
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12 5. Provide to Service Oklahoma a copy of valid and continuing
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13 insurance coverage for every primary vehicle utilized by the
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14 professional severe weather tracker.
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15 C. Any professional severe weather tracker employed, contracted
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16 with, or otherwise affiliated with any qualified institution of
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17 higher education shall:
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18 1. Cause a copy of his or her license issued by Service
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19 Oklahoma to be kept on file with the dean, director, or other
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20 designated individual of the institution who shall be responsible
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21 for the maintenance of records associated with the institution's
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22 meteorology program;
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23 2. Cause to be displayed on both sides of every primary vehicle
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24 utilized by the professional severe weather tracker, the license
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Req. No. 988 Page 4
1 number issued by Service Oklahoma, as well as an identifying number
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2 developed by Service Oklahoma for the qualified institution of
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3 higher education;
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4 3. Pass a criminal background check;
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5 4. Supply Service Oklahoma with a letter from the dean,
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6 director, or other designated individual of the institution who
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7 shall be responsible for the maintenance of records associated with
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8 the institution's meteorology program stating the belief of such
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9 person that the prospective professional severe weather tracker
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10 possesses the knowledge, experience, and training to exercise the
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11 powers and duties of the license responsibly; and
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12 5. Provide to Service Oklahoma a copy of valid and continuing
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13 insurance coverage for every primary vehicle utilized by the
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14 professional severe weather tracker.
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15 D. The fees for a license issued pursuant to this section shall
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16 not exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) per year for the initial
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17 application, shall expire at the end of the calendar year, and may
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18 be renewed annually for Two Hundred Fifty Dollars ($250.00). Such
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19 fees shall be deposited into the Severe Weather Tracker Licensure
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20 Fund created pursuant to Section 4 of this act and shall be utilized
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21 by Service Oklahoma for the administration of the provisions of this
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22 act.
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23 E. Service Oklahoma may issue a letter of reprimand, cancel,
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24 suspend, revoke, refuse to issue, or refuse to renew the license of
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Req. No. 988 Page 5
1 an operator when it finds the licensee or applicant has violated any
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2 of the provisions of this act or any rules adopted by Service
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3 Oklahoma. A suspension shall be for a period of time deemed
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4 appropriate by Service Oklahoma for the violation. Any canceled,
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5 suspended, or revoked license shall be returned to Service Oklahoma
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6 by the licensee, and the licensee shall not be eligible to apply for
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7 another license until the period of suspension or revocation has
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8 elapsed.
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9 F. Service Oklahoma shall promulgate rules for the
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10 implementation of this act.
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11 SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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12 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 19-303 of Title 47, unless there
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13 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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14 There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
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15 for Service Oklahoma to be designated the "Severe Weather Tracker
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16 Licensure Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject
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17 to fiscal year limitations. All monies accruing to the credit of
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18 the fund are hereby appropriated and shall be budgeted and expended
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19 by Service Oklahoma for the restricted purposes of the monies as
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20 prescribed by law. Expenditures from the fund shall be made upon
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21 warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claims filed as
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22 prescribed by law with the Director of the Office of Management and
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23 Enterprise Services for approval and payment.
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1 SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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2 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 19-304 of Title 47, unless there
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3 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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4 A. Primary vehicles utilized by a professional severe weather
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5 tracker shall:
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6 1. Display markings clearly identifying such vehicle as being
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7 utilized for severe weather tracking and identifying the qualified
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8 media outlet or institution of higher education with which the
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9 tracker is affiliated; and
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10 2. Be authorized to be equipped and to use the visual signals
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11 described in Section 12-218 of Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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12 B. Once the conditions of a significant weather event have been
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13 met, a professional severe weather tracker may:
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14 1. Activate the visual signals authorized for use in this act;
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15 2. Be considered an emergency vehicle for the purposes of this
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16 act; and
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17 3. Travel upon roads, highways, and country roads closed by the
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18 Department of Transportation, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority, any
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19 city or county, or any law enforcement agency by reason of
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20 conditions triggered by the significant weather event.
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21 C. Upon instruction by any law enforcement officer, a
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22 professional severe weather tracker shall provide a copy of his or
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23 her license issued by Service Oklahoma. Failure to comply shall be
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Req. No. 988 Page 7
1 enforced in accordance with the provisions of Section 6-112 of Title
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2 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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3 D. The provisions of this section shall not limit the liability
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4 of a professional severe weather tracker.
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5 SECTION 6. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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6 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 19-305 of Title 47, unless there
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7 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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8 Any professional severe weather tracker found to be in violation
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9 of the provisions of this act may be subject to a fine not to exceed
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10 Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) or revocation of his or her license
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11 by Service Oklahoma. Such fine or revocation shall be in addition
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12 to any criminal or civil penalties the tracker may be subject to for
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13 the violation of the laws of this state.
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14 SECTION 7. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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15 SECTION 8. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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16 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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17 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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18 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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20 60-1-988 CAD 12/30/2024 11:43:26 AM
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Req. No. 988 Page 8Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.