Representative Mark Tedford

R

District 69

Hi, I’m Mark Tedford and I represent the people of Oklahoma’s 69th District.

representative

News & Announcements

Jun 10, 2025
Recent Posts

Bill Limits Insurance Benefit Assignments

OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahomans will have stronger protections against improper post-loss insurance practices under House Bill 1084 , authored by Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks.  HB1084 blocks the solicitation or acceptance of assignment agreements for post-loss insurance benefits related to property damage under auto, residential or commercial property insurance policies. These agreements are often used by service providers to take control of a policyholder’s claim and seek payment directly from insurers — sometimes leading to inflated costs or legal disputes without the policyholder’s full awareness.  “Limiting these types of agreements helps reduce fraud and unnecessary legal conflict, which ultimately helps lower insurance costs for everyone,” Tedford said. “When third parties take control of a claim, it can result in inflated repair costs, excessive litigation and confusion for the policyholder. House Bill 1084 helps restore accountability and ensures Oklahomans remain in control of their own claims. It’s a practical step toward a fairer, more transparent insurance process.” HB1084 includes clear exemptions to ensure it does not interfere with legitimate transactions such as those involving federally insured financial institutions, mortgagees or subsequent property owners. It also maintains protections for legal services and does not prevent insured individuals from choosing to have payment made directly to service providers when appropriate. Violations of the bill would be treated as unfair or deceptive trade practices under Oklahoma insurance law, making violators subject to existing penalties and enforcement mechanisms. The bill is set to take effect Nov. 1, 2025.

May 21, 2025
Recent Posts

Tedford Comments on Property Insurance Rates

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks, today responded to a recent article about Oklahoma’s rising property insurance premiums, citing the state’s frequent severe weather and ongoing legislative efforts to support homeowners. “Oklahoma faces some of the most destructive and unpredictable weather in the country,” Tedford said. “From widespread hailstorms to wildfires and tornadoes, our events are frequent, damaging and often hit densely populated areas. Claims drive premiums, and storms like the ones we saw in Sulphur, Barnsdall, Holdenville and Claremore last year, along with March's wildfires, cost billions in damages. That’s the reality insurers are responding to.”  He said insurance premiums are also affected by inflation in construction costs, the rising price of materials and labor and the increasing number of high-value claims following back-to-back disasters.  Tedford noted that while many states are now seeing rate increases, Oklahoma’s market adjusted earlier than most. “Oklahoma ranked 35th last year for average rate hikes,” he said. “It’s not the worst in the nation. It’s a sign our market responded early while others are still catching up. I commend the work Commissioner Mulready is doing to improve Oklahoma's Insurance industry.”  Last year, Tedford authored House Bill 3089 to create the Strengthen Oklahoma Homes Act, a grant program to help homeowners retrofit their homes with weather-resistant materials. He also worked with the insurance commissioner on House Bills 3092 , 3093 and 3095 to prevent insurers from canceling policies due to older or single claims. He introduced House Bills this year, including House Bill 1084 , focused on reducing claim costs and curbing insurance fraud. Tedford cautioned against overregulation, pointing to other states where stricter policies led insurers to exit the market.  “When states overregulate, insurers leave,” he said. “That’s what happened in California, and it left homeowners without options. We don’t want that in Oklahoma. We can’t change the weather, but we can pursue smart, targeted policies that support homeowners and keep the insurance market strong.”

May 8, 2025
Recent Posts

House Passes Unemployment Tax Reform Bills

OKLAHOMA CITY – Two bills aimed at modernizing Oklahoma’s unemployment tax system—one reducing costs for employers and the other cracking down on fraud—have passed the House floor and now head to the governor’s desk. Carried in the House by Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks, Senate Bill 911 reduces the top unemployment tax rate from 9.2% to 6.5%—a significant cut that offers direct relief to Oklahoma employers. The change especially benefits small businesses, which can hit the top rate after only a few claims. By lowering the rate and updating outdated formulas, the bill brings greater fairness and predictability to the unemployment system. SB911 also establishes a new conditional factor rate table and raises the threshold for triggering an unemployment insurance surcharge from $25 million to $50 million.  Senate Bill 924 , also carried by Tedford, targets fraud within the unemployment system. The bill allows the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) to require in-person interviews when fraud is suspected and authorizes denial of claims when the employer is not correctly named—two tools critical to protecting the system’s integrity. It also updates statutory language and clarifies judicial review procedures to improve efficiency and consistency in appeals.  “For small business owners, just one or two claims can send their unemployment tax rate sky-high. That’s not sustainable for those working trying to keep people employed,” Tedford said. “And when fraud slips through the cracks, it hurts everyone. These bills help level the playing field—making taxes fairer and tightening up the system so benefits go where they’re supposed to.”  Both bills passed the House unanimously. If signed into law, they will take effect Nov. 1.