Car tag bill sparked by Senate pro tempore's son's traffic accident clears Oklahoma Senate

Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat came one step closer to achieving his main goal for the 2024 legislative session Tuesday when his bill, which changes the way vehicles are tagged and registered after purchase, cleared the Oklahoma Senate.

Sparked by a horrific traffic accident involving his son, Mason, Treat's Senate Bill 2035 sailed through the Oklahoma Senate on a 46-0 vote Tuesday morning.

Last year, Mason Treat was given a car by his parents. Since the car was purchased in a private transaction, the car’s previous owner kept the car’s tag and wrote out a bill of sale. Mason had 60 days to go to a tag agent, register the car and get a new tag. Until then, he needed to keep the bill of sale, his vehicle title and proof of insurance with him when he drove, just in case he was pulled over.

Mason, who had only recently gotten his driver's license, followed the law. On Jan. 5, 2023, he was stopped on Interstate 40, near Garth Brooks Boulevard by Canadian County Deputy Jose Tayahua-Mendoza. Mason spoke with the officer — who was standing on the passenger’s side of the car. Mason explained that his family had purchased the car in a private sale.

While the pair were talking, another vehicle — whose driver authorities said had fallen asleep — sideswiped the deputy's truck and slammed into Mason’s Charger, destroying the car and critically inuring Mason and Deputy Tayahua-Mendoza. Mason spent 20 days in the hospital recovering from his injuries. He continues his recovery at home and in various physical therapy sessions.

Bill ensures that all newly purchased vehicles have a tag

Tuesday, an emotional Treat acknowledged the accident and quietly asked the Senate to vote for the bill.

"I don't typically get emotional about car tags," Treat, said with his daughter, Olivia, seated next to him. "But as you all know on Jan. 5 our lives were turned upside down. I ask you to vote for this bill. I can't talk about it."

The vote was unanimous.

Before the vote, Treat described the measure as "a complicated bill on the surface."

More: His son was critically injured during a traffic stop. It's changed Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat's legislative goals

"It's complicated because there's such a patchwork of laws dealing with this," said Treat, a Republican from Oklahoma City. "It should really cut down on the number of people who are driving around with expired paper tags and the number of people who found themselves in the same situation that Mason did."

Under the measure, an individual selling a vehicle can go online to a state website and log the vehicle's identification number and report the car sold. The purchaser of the vehicle then goes to the same website and acknowledges the purchase.

"You can either choose to have the state send you a metal plate or you can go to a tag agent and they'll have them (the plates) to give to you," he said. Treat said the individual purchasing the car also will have the option of printing a temporary paper tag from home.

"You don't have to ever be without some type of state-issued plate," he said.

House leaders will co-author the car tag bill

Tuesday Treat said he believed the measure would clear the House of Representatives, too. Records show that House Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, a Bristow Republican, would co-author the measure in the House.

"The speaker pro tempore has agreed to run it, and I trust that he'll get it through," Treat said. "Speaker McCall has also reached out to me and let me know that he plans on making sure that it has a smooth ride on the House side."

Treat said the measure also includes a provision to educate both the public and public officials about the new procedure for tagging vehicles.

"The last thing I want to do is to create more confusion or more problems," he said. "My family has been forever changed by something that was completely avoidable. Thankfully, both Mason and the sheriff’s deputy involved in the accident are recovering and no one lost their lives. But the end result could have been drastically different. Changing this law will save lives, and once this becomes law, no one will have to drive without a car tag again. It will provide clarity to law enforcement and give drivers peace of mind after purchasing a vehicle."

The Senate leader said he planned to personally reach out to local, county and state law enforcement officials about the bill.

"I'll be updating them personally at their summer meetings so they can hear from me directly about how it (Mason's accident) impacted my family's life, but also understand the new provisions. Sometimes the information doesn't get to everyone. However, I'm gonna do my absolute best to get the word out to anyone I can. I will tap every resource I can find to make sure people are educated on this."

Senate Bill 2035 is expected to be heard by a House committee soon.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma Senate passes car tag bill following horrific traffic accident