Committee advances fund to reimburse cleanup of abandoned uninsured commercial vehicles, sets $10,000 cap

Senator Woods introduced Senate Bill 175 (committee substitute), which he said "creates an uninsured commercial vehicle recovery reimbursement fund." He described the fund as intended to guarantee payment to wreckers or trucking companies that clear abandoned or uninsured commercial vehicles on state highways and interstates.

Senator Woods said the fund would use existing remitted fees rather than a new appropriation, citing specific amounts in the bill text: a $300,000 remittance item and a $550,000 item that would be redirected into the new fund. He also described a per‑vehicle cap: "That'd be a cap to make sure that, someone doesn't show up and claim to have... a $100,000 in cleanup fees" and explained the cap would be $10,000 "to make sure that the fund is sustainable." He noted the bill updates a date to 07/01/2026.

Committee members asked multiple technical and policy questions. Senator Goodwin pressed whether the $300,000 and the $550,000 represent new funding or existing remittances and whether there is overlap with a prior $20 million allocation toward weigh‑station improvements; Senator Woods said the amounts are existing remittances and that there may be overlap worth reviewing. Senator Bergstrom confirmed on page references that the $300,000 and $550,000 are current funds being apportioned from fines and fees rather than new appropriations.

Questions also addressed which agency would administer aspects of the fund. Senator Goodwin asked whether the first $300,000 would be remitted to the Department of Public Safety; Senator Woods said remittances that already go to DPS would remain, while the new $550,000 would instead be placed in the new uninsured recovery fund. Senators also asked for detail on how Service Oklahoma had previously received portions of the $550,000; the sponsor said those monies had historically been apportioned across several entities and that this bill would dedicate that portion to cleanup of abandoned commercial vehicles.

After debate and answers from the sponsor, the committee voted to advance SB 175 by a roll call of 8 ayes and 3 nays.

The bill advances to the next stage; committee discussion flagged possible overlap with earlier weigh‑station funding and suggested follow‑up review of funding streams and existing appropriations.