This bill updates Oklahoma's Employment Security Act to strengthen rules for receiving unemployment benefits by requiring claimants to actively search for work and accept job offers. It mandates that the state maintain an online jobs center where applicants must create profiles, pass skills tests, and apply to at least four weekly job referrals, with failure to participate resulting in benefit termination. To prevent fraud, the legislation requires the Commission to verify identities, cross-check claims against multiple databases including death and inmate records, and investigate offers of suitable work from employers. These changes take effect on November 1, 2024, and directly impact individuals filing for unemployment insurance and the state agency administering those benefits.
This Oklahoma law updates the time limits for prosecuting various crimes and expands the definition of racketeering to include elder abuse and Medicaid fraud. It specifically extends the window for filing Medicaid fraud charges to five years after discovery, aligning it with other financial crimes like embezzlement. Additionally, the bill lowers the dollar amount required for Medicaid fraud to be charged as a felony and adds specific fines and prison terms. The legislation also clarifies that sexual abuse of vulnerable adults counts as racketeering activity under state law.
This bill authorizes the Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority to use $4.3 million from the Legacy Capital Financing Fund to design and build a State Capitol Arch dedicated to honoring the Oklahoma National Guard. The legislation designates a specific parcel of land for the arch's construction and directs the State Capitol Preservation Commission to hire contractors to execute the project based on preliminary designs. Additionally, the bill applies existing administrative rules for the Legacy Capital Financing Fund to this project and sets an effective date of July 1, 2024.
This Oklahoma law creates a permanent revolving fund called the Federal Overreach and Extraordinary Litigation Revolving Fund, which is managed by the state Office of the Attorney General. The fund allows the Attorney General to use money specifically for addressing federal overreach, including defending state reserved powers and handling litigation related to foreign threats, interstate crime, terrorism, and public safety. Money in the fund is not limited by the state's annual budget cycle and can be spent whenever needed through warrants issued by the State Treasurer. The law also declares an emergency to make the fund effective immediately upon the bill's passage.
This bill updates the definition of the Oklahoma aerospace industry income tax credit to clarify which workers and businesses qualify for the benefit. It expands eligibility to include employees who have earned an ABET-accredited engineering degree or are licensed professional engineers, while also allowing individuals who change aerospace employers to claim the credit again, provided they have not used it for the maximum of five years. The law maintains a credit limit of $5,000 per year for up to five years, which can be carried forward to future tax years if not fully utilized. These changes apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008, and ending before January 1, 2026, with the bill itself taking effect on November 1, 2024.
This Oklahoma law updates the state's list of controlled dangerous substances and clarifies the definitions of key terms used in drug regulation. It specifically adds anhydrous ammonia to the list of controlled substances and provides new definitions for concepts like acute pain, chronic pain, and drug paraphernalia. The bill also modifies rules regarding the revocation or suspension of practitioner registrations and allows for the use of electronic prescription forms. These changes aim to refine how the state manages and regulates the handling of various drugs and related equipment.
This bill updates Oklahoma voter eligibility rules by allowing individuals with felony convictions to register once they have fully completed their sentences, including any incarceration, parole, supervision, or probation. It also clarifies that people adjudged as incapacitated remain ineligible to vote until a court determines they are no longer incapacitated, while those with only partial incapacitation retain their right to vote unless specifically restricted. The changes take effect on January 1, 2025.
This bill amends a previous proposal to remove the words "or services" from the title, changing the focus from a general sales tax to specifically a county sales tax. The change directly affects the official description of the legislation and clarifies that the tax applies only to sales rather than services. By making this textual adjustment, the bill ensures the title accurately reflects the scope of the tax being proposed for county commissioners to implement.
This bill requires Oklahoma municipalities with at least $50,000 in annual revenue to undergo financial audits, mandating yearly audits for larger towns and biennial audits for smaller ones. For smaller municipalities, the law offers an alternative to a full audit by allowing the use of agreed-upon procedures, which involve specific tests like checking bank deposits and verifying employee pay rates. The bill also clarifies that grant money and certain public trust funds should not count toward the revenue threshold that triggers these audit requirements. Additionally, it sets strict deadlines for ordering and filing these audits with the State Auditor and Inspector to ensure timely financial oversight.
This bill updates Oklahoma laws to allow licensed horse racing tracks to televise their races to other tracks within the state, as well as to locations in other states or countries. It requires tracks that broadcast races out-of-state or out-of-country to simulcast all their live races to other Oklahoma tracks, enabling bettors to wager on these events both in-person and at off-track facilities. The legislation also clarifies that days spent wagering on televised races do not count as official racing days for a track and establishes rules for how betting proceeds and unclaimed tickets are shared between sending and receiving tracks.
This Oklahoma law establishes the Laser Hair Removal Act to regulate who can perform laser hair removal and under what conditions. It requires that anyone performing these procedures be a licensed health professional, such as a doctor, nurse, or physician assistant, and mandates that non-physician practitioners complete at least 40 hours of specific training. Facilities offering these services must be overseen by a physician who sets safety protocols and reviews patient records, though the physician does not need to be physically present during treatments. The legislation also clarifies that patients do not need a doctor's referral to receive laser hair removal and specifies which state boards will oversee the conduct of different medical professionals.
HB 3031 amends Oklahoma law to add ambulance districts to the list of entities exempt from state motor fuel taxes. This change directly affects rural ambulance service districts and ambulance districts established under the Oklahoma Constitution by allowing them to use fuel without paying the applicable tax. The bill also updates the existing list of other tax-exempt uses, which includes schools, agricultural operations, and various public service organizations. The new exemption takes effect on November 1, 2024.
