This bill amends Oklahoma's Children's Code to clarify the legal standards for child placement. It specifically directs the Department of Human Services to consider the religious and moral beliefs of prospective adoptive or foster parents when making placement decisions. The change ensures that these personal beliefs are explicitly included as a factor in determining which families are suitable for caring for children.
SB 1670 modifies Oklahoma's Pharmacy Audit Integrity Act to update how pharmacy benefits managers and other entities conduct audits of pharmacy records. The bill requires auditors to provide at least two weeks' notice before most audits and thirty days for wholesale purchase audits, while also mandating that audits be conducted fairly and without disrupting patient care. Key provisions include exempting pharmacies from financial penalties for innocent clerical errors and requiring auditors to apply identical standards to all similarly situated pharmacies. Additionally, the legislation clarifies that reimbursement recoupments cannot include dispensing fees or drug costs unless there is proof that the prescription was never dispensed or authorized.
This bill requires specific state officials to notify their designated successors before leaving the state. The law applies to individuals listed in the constitutional line of succession for the governor's office. These officials must send an electronic message that includes the exact start time of their absence and when they plan to return. The requirement is set to take effect on November 1, 2024.
This bill allows county assessors in Oklahoma to use digital aerial images from fixed-wing aircraft to inspect real property as part of their regular four-year valuation cycle. The legislation updates state law to permit assessors to rely on these images to discover changes to properties, provided the aircraft follows Federal Aviation Administration regulations. It also requires assessors to maintain specific mapping systems and sales files to support accurate property valuations. The changes are intended to modernize how property values are determined while ensuring the data collected meets established appraisal standards.
This bill modifies Oklahoma school funding rules by removing previous limits on how much money school districts can carry over from one fiscal year to the next. It also repeals penalties that were previously imposed on districts for exceeding these financial limits. The legislation clarifies which types of revenue count toward general fund calculations and allows districts to use these funds for capital projects like rebuilding schools damaged by disasters when other funding sources are insufficient. These changes directly affect school district administrators and finance officers by providing greater flexibility in managing their annual budgets.
This bill authorizes Oklahoma county assessors to inspect real or personal property using either on-ground site visits or publicly available aerial image overlays for valuation and data collection purposes. It codifies these inspection methods into state law to provide a clear legal basis for how assessors gather property information. The legislation is set to take effect on January 1, 2024, allowing assessors to utilize aerial imagery as an alternative to physical inspections.
HB 4118, known as the Farmer Protection Act, aims to clarify and strengthen protections for poultry farmers in Oklahoma by establishing the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry as the sole agency responsible for enforcing the Registered Poultry Feeding Operations Act. The bill creates a legal presumption that farmers who follow their approved Nutrient Management Plans are shielded from private lawsuits and nuisance liability claims, provided they adhere to state rules on waste storage and land application. It mandates that these management plans be renewed every six years and requires detailed records of waste removal and application to ensure environmental safety. Additionally, the legislation includes provisions allowing for emergency exceptions to storage rules when necessary to meet requirements set by poultry integrators.
This bill amends Oklahoma law to require public universities to keep student athlete contracts involving their names, images, or likenesses confidential. The change specifically protects these contracts from being made public, while allowing schools to continue sharing general directory information like names and sports participation as permitted by federal and state privacy rules. Additionally, the legislation clarifies rules about how non-custodial agencies can access and release student directory data for educational purposes.
This amendment to Senate Bill 1450 adjusts the financial penalties associated with organized retail crime in Oklahoma. Specifically, it lowers the fine amount from $1,000 to $500 in two sections of the bill that deal with these penalties. The change applies to individuals charged with organized retail crime offenses and modifies the monetary consequences outlined in the legislation.
This bill modifies Oklahoma's state income tax code to clarify who can claim a financial credit for working in the aerospace sector. It updates the definition of a "qualified employee" to include individuals hired on or after January 1, 2009, who have earned an accredited engineering degree or professional engineering license and are employed by companies manufacturing aerospace hardware or providing related services. The legislation allows these eligible workers to claim a tax credit of up to $5,000 per year for a maximum of five years, with the flexibility to claim the credit in nonconsecutive years if they choose. Additionally, the bill clarifies that any unused portion of the credit can be carried over to the five subsequent tax years, and it sets the effective date for these changes to November 1, 2024.
This bill grants the Oklahoma Corporation Commission exclusive authority to regulate specific injection wells, including those used for carbon dioxide sequestration under the state's Carbon Capture and Geologic Sequestration Act. It establishes a formal application and hearing process for Class VI facilities, which are designed for storing carbon dioxide underground, and creates a revolving fund to support these operations. Additionally, the legislation clarifies the commission's jurisdiction over various oil and gas activities, such as pipeline construction and waste handling, while outlining procedures for unitizing pore space and issuing completion certificates for qualifying facilities.
This bill requires county treasurers in Oklahoma to request a list of assets from individuals who owe delinquent personal property taxes after sending them a notice. The law mandates that this asset information be kept confidential and explicitly excludes it from public access under the state's Open Records Act. By creating this exception, the bill protects the privacy of taxpayers while allowing the government to track their holdings for tax lien purposes.
