HB 2735: Professions and occupations; license denial; exception; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill was revised from the House version to the Senate version, primarily to add new protections for applicants with criminal records. The Senate version expands the criteria for when a criminal conviction can disqualify someone from getting a professional license, adds specific exceptions that must be considered, and requires licensing authorities to provide detailed written notice and appeal rights to applicants facing denial.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include more specific protections for applicants, including explicit exceptions for sealed convictions, older offenses, and arrests without convictions, as well as requirements for written notice and appeal procedures.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement that licensing authorities must provide written notice to applicants explaining the specific offense, reasons for denial, and the right to submit additional evidence within 30 days before making a final decision.

Added a new requirement that final denial determinations must be in writing and include notice of appeal rights and the earliest date an applicant can reapply.

Added specific factors that licensing authorities must consider when determining if a conviction disqualifies an applicant, including the nature of the offense, time passed, age at time of offense, and evidence of rehabilitation.

ELIGIBILITY

Added specific exceptions where a conviction cannot be used to deny licensure, including sealed/expunged convictions, convictions older than 5 years without a new crime, and arrests that did not result in a valid plea or pending charges.

Added a new provision allowing people with criminal records to request a determination of whether their record disqualifies them from obtaining a license, even before completing required education or training.

DEFINITION

Modified the definition of 'pose a reasonable threat' to specifically mention harm against others and the ability to serve the public or work with others in the occupation.

House Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was revised from a House Committee Substitute version to the House Floor version, primarily adding the sponsor's name (Alvord of the Senate) and reformatting the header to indicate this is the floor version. The substantive policy language regarding occupational licensing, criminal conviction disqualifications, and applicant protections remains unchanged.

TECHNICAL

Added Senate sponsor name (Alvord of the Senate) and updated header to indicate House Floor version.

Reformatted page headers and footers to match House Floor version standards.

Adjusted line breaks and spacing throughout the document for floor version formatting.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → House Committee Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was rewritten from a proposed oversight committee version to a final house committee substitute, standardizing formatting and updating page reference numbers. The substantive policy content regarding criminal conviction exceptions for professional licensure remains unchanged.

Scope change

No substantive scope change; the bill's applicability to professions and occupations remains the same.

TECHNICAL

Page reference numbers and requirement numbers were updated from 13008 to 13147 throughout the document.

Header information was reformatted to change from 'PROPOSED OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' to 'COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO. 2735'.

Date and time stamps were removed from the header section.

New lines were added to clarify that the criminal history record notice must include either a copy of the record with explanations or a statement describing each conviction with specific details.

Engrossed → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was completely rewritten from scratch by the House Committee, replacing the original Engrossed version with a new Committee Substitute. The substantive policy content regarding criminal background checks for professional licensing appears to remain largely the same, but the document structure, formatting, and some specific line items were significantly altered during the committee review process.

TECHNICAL

The entire bill text was replaced with a new Committee Substitute version, changing the document header from 'ENGROSSED HOUSE' to 'PROPOSED OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' and updating the sponsor attribution.

Page numbers and formatting markers were updated throughout the document, with new page headers showing 'Req. No. 13008' instead of the previous 'ENGR. H. B. NO. 2735' format.

Line numbering was reorganized throughout the bill text, with some lines being renumbered to accommodate the new formatting structure.

Introduced → Engrossed · 5 edits · Mar 11, 2025

MODERATE

This bill amends Oklahoma's professional licensing law to clarify when criminal convictions can disqualify applicants from state licenses. It adds specific definitions for 'substantially relate' and 'pose a reasonable threat' to limit arbitrary denials, establishes a five-year lookback period for most convictions, and prohibits denial based on arrests without convictions or sealed/expunged records. The law now requires licensing authorities to consider rehabilitation evidence and cannot deny licenses based on vague character standards.

Scope change

The bill narrows the scope of criminal record disqualifications for professional licensing by adding specific criteria and time limits, making the process more predictable and less discretionary.

DEFINITION

Added clear definitions for 'substantially relate' (criminal conduct directly affects job duties) and 'pose a reasonable threat' (involves harm to others affecting public safety) to guide licensing decisions.

REQUIREMENT

Requires licensing authorities to consider six specific factors including offense seriousness, time passed, applicant's age at offense, circumstances, job duties, and rehabilitation evidence.

ELIGIBILITY

Establishes a five-year lookback period where convictions older than five years cannot be used to deny licensure, unless the offense is a serious crime like domestic assault, sex offenses, or crimes requiring registration.

Prohibits denial of licenses based on arrests without convictions, sealed or expunged records, and vague character standards.

Modified the criteria for when criminal convictions can disqualify applicants by requiring both that the offense substantially relates to job duties AND poses a reasonable threat to public safety, health, or welfare.

Professions and occupations; license denial; exception; effective date.

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