HB 2674 creates the Statewide Official Compensation Commission, which is responsible for setting the salaries of nine specific statewide elected officials, including the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and Attorney General. This new commission will consist of the same members as the Board on Legislative Compensation and will meet on the same dates. The commission is prohibited from setting salaries lower than the amounts in effect as of January 1, 2025. Once the commission sets a salary, it will supersede the existing statutory amounts for any term of office beginning after the salary is set.
House Bill 2080 updates the rules for "Payable on Death" (P.O.D.) share and deposit accounts, affecting account owners at credit unions and their designated beneficiaries. The bill clarifies how account funds are distributed if a beneficiary dies before the account owner. It specifies that if the sole primary beneficiary is deceased, funds will generally go to their estate, unless the account owner has designated contingent beneficiaries. The bill also outlines how contingent beneficiaries can be named when there is a single primary beneficiary, and how shares are divided among surviving beneficiaries or paid to contingent beneficiaries.
HB 1811 updates insurance requirements for prior authorizations related to chronic conditions, affecting patients, healthcare providers, and health benefit plans. It mandates that prior authorizations for non-inpatient care for chronic conditions remain valid for at least six months. For initial inpatient acute care for chronic conditions, prior authorizations must be valid for at least fourteen days. The bill also specifies that health plans must continue to compensate providers for inpatient care when a timely request for authorization continuation or an appeal for that care is pending. These changes are set to become effective on November 1, 2025.
SB 731 modifies the Oklahoma Evidence Code to expand who can have their statements admitted as evidence in certain legal proceedings. The bill adds "vulnerable adults" to an existing hearsay exception, which previously applied to children and incapacitated persons. This change allows statements made by vulnerable adults describing physical abuse, domestic abuse, neglect, or specific sexual crimes against them or witnessed by them to be admissible. These statements can be used in juvenile deprived proceedings, pre-trial and post-trial criminal and juvenile delinquent proceedings, and criminal and juvenile delinquent trials under specified conditions.
SB 391 extends the life of Oklahoma's Opioid Overdose Fatality Review Board until July 1, 2026 (previously set to expire in 2025), rather than dissolving it as the title suggests. The bill clarifies the Board's role in reviewing opioid overdose deaths of adults 18+, collecting data from medical examiners, hospitals, law enforcement, and other agencies, and making recommendations to improve prevention systems. It maintains strict confidentiality for all reviewed records, prohibiting their use in court proceedings unless available through other sources. The Board must continue coordinating with entities like the Child Death Review Board and develop statewide databases to inform policy changes aimed at reducing fatal overdoses.
Senate Bill 516 modifies Oklahoma's Roofing Contractor Registration Act, directly affecting registered roofing contractors and the Construction Industries Board. The bill updates the registrar's duties, requiring them to record the date complaints are received, process them, and notify the contractor within five days. It also mandates that the registrar's online direct access system be modernized to include notations of complaints, contractor responses, court dispositions, and any convictions for violations of the act or other criminal offenses. These changes aim to enhance the transparency and record-keeping related to roofing contractor conduct and registration status.
SB 395 extends the expiration date for Oklahoma's State Board of Examiners of Psychologists from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026. This procedural change ensures the board can continue operating without requiring new legislative approval. The bill does not alter the board's composition (seven members, five licensed psychologists and two laypersons) or its duties under the Psychologists Licensing Act.
House Bill 1574 expands the authority of Oklahoma's Office of Juvenile System Oversight (OJSO), which oversees the children and youth service system. The bill specifically authorizes the OJSO to conduct inspections of privately-operated children's institutions and facilities that receive state or federal funding, in addition to state-operated ones. It grants the OJSO broader powers, including the ability to examine and copy all relevant records, interview residents, access facilities, and subpoena witnesses for public hearings. The legislation also clarifies the OJSO's role in investigating complaints of misfeasance or malfeasance and in handling certain foster parent complaints.
SB 786 makes it unlawful for anyone operating a motor vehicle on a public highway to consume marijuana, inhale secondhand marijuana smoke, or possess an open container of marijuana in the passenger area. These new prohibitions apply to operators and passengers of vehicles on public roads. The bill also increases the special assessment trauma-care fee for violating these vehicle-related offenses from $100 to $250. This act is set to become effective on November 1, 2025.
House Bill 1549 amends the Oklahoma Private Activity Bond Allocation Act, which governs how the state distributes its federal limit for tax-exempt bonds. The bill revises definitions related to these bonds and their allocation "pools." It specifically decreases the percentage of the state's bond limit reserved for student loan bonds while increasing the portion designated for economic development projects. The legislation also modifies the allocation periods for certain bond categories.
SB 396 extends the sunset date for the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026. The bill does not change the board's composition, qualifications, or responsibilities - these remain defined under existing law (59 O.S. § 1873), including the seven-member structure with specific licensing requirements for counselors and public representation. This procedural extension ensures the board continues operating without interruption until the new sunset date. The bill also includes an emergency declaration to take effect immediately upon passage.
This bill, SB 536, clarifies the roles and responsibilities of assistant secretaries for county election boards in Oklahoma. It requires county election board secretaries to notify the State Election Board of their assistant secretary's employment. The bill authorizes the assistant secretary to perform the duties of the secretary during absences due to illness, disqualification, or other approved reasons, as well as during a vacancy in the secretary's office. Additionally, it allows the assistant secretary to serve as a voting member of the county election board in such circumstances, provided they have written authorization from the Secretary of the State Election Board.
