Legislation requiring certain state agencies to implement a callback system in a push to provide improved customer service has passed the Oklahoma House.

Speaker Pro Tempore Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said he authored House Bill 3285 after overhearing a mom at his daughter's dance class complaining that she had been on hold with a state agency for over an hour for the second time that week.

"People dread wading through the slog of their state government, and for good reason," Hilbert said. "We are wasting countless hours of Oklahomans’ lives by forcing them to wait on hold for hours on end to receive basic customer service. The very least we can do is provide a callback system to better serve our constituents. When Oklahomans want to talk to a person instead of a computer, they should be able to do so.”

The bill exempts state agencies with under 500 employees but applies to agencies that use toll-free numbers.

HB3285 passed the House 86-0 and now moves to the Senate, where it is authored by Sen. Ally Seifried, R-Claremore.