OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, today issued the following statement after participating in a ceremonial bill signing at the Oklahoma Capitol with Governor Kevin Stitt.
The signing ceremony was attended by state legislators, community leaders and advocates who have supported the initiative from its inception. The ceremony also kicks off Service Oklahoma’s Ready, Set, Tag! public awareness campaign that aims to inform Oklahomans of the upcoming changes to the vehicle registration process in accordance with Senate Bill 2035.
Pro Tem Greg Treat praised the collaborative efforts that led to the bill's passage.
“There are many people to thank for the passage of this legislation.” Pro Tem Treat said. “After my son, Mason’s, near-fatal accident on January 5, it changed the lives of my entire family forever. I cannot explain the pain and range of emotion we all went through. That is why I appreciate Governor Stitt for his support and for promptly signing this legislation into law. I am also grateful to incoming House Speaker Rep. Kyle Hilbert, who sponsored this legislation and saw it through to the end. I also applaud Service Oklahoma for launching the new public awareness campaign and their support in making this a reality. I will do everything I can to help this effort to inform Oklahomans of this change as we move forward.”
Senate Bill 2035 was named the Mason Treat Act after Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat’s son was critically injured in January during a routine traffic stop. Canadian County Deputy Jose Tayahua-Mendoza was also seriously injured in the accident. The bill aims to improve road safety for drivers and law enforcement officers by streamlining the process to tag vehicles regardless of the type of sale.
As the Mason Treat Act was passed to make roads safer for Oklahoma drivers and law enforcement offers, vehicle owner information will be available to law enforcement groups and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority faster through the pre-registration process starting September 1, 2024.
Read more about Service Oklahoma’s Ready, Set, Tag! initiative, at ReadySetTag.com.