HB 4410 regulates referral agencies that connect seniors to assisted living facilities. It requires agencies to provide clear, written disclosures to consumers before referrals, including fee details, payment responsibility, and the right to terminate services without penalty. The bill prohibits agencies from charging fees for facility transfers within the same provider, after 12 months of service, or for referrals to unlicensed facilities. It also bans conflicts of interest (like owning facilities they refer to) and mandates background checks, insurance, and annual facility license audits for referral agencies. These changes directly affect consumers choosing care, referral agencies, and assisted living facilities.
HB 2785 requires Oklahoma's Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) to implement stricter budget oversight for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. It mandates OMES to review agency budgets against actual spending before releasing funds, prohibit contracts without clear cost limits, restrict multi-year contract encumbrances to current-year funds, and block payments for unapproved expenses. The bill also requires OMES to report monthly revenue and spending status to the Governor, legislature leadership, and relevant committees. This directly affects state budget management for mental health services by adding specific financial controls to prevent overspending. The law takes immediate effect due to an emergency declaration.
HB 2788 transfers specific funds back into Oklahoma's Statewide Recovery Fund from several existing programs. It moves $1.56 million from domestic violence services, $162,668 from food assistance programs, $1.49 million from health workforce initiatives, $2.16 million from rural healthcare, $5 million from medical facilities, $20.5 million from mental health hospital construction, and $3.3 million from water resources projects. All transfers align with recommendations from the Joint Committee on Pandemic Relief Funding. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and was enacted without the governor's signature on May 29, 2025.
HB 2052 exempts certain domestic health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that exclusively contract with Oklahoma's Medicaid program (via the Oklahoma Health Care Authority) from most state health insurance regulations. These HMOs, which serve only Medicaid recipients and no other patients, are no longer subject to specific provisions of the Health Maintenance Organizations Act, including requirements about benefit coverage and certain administrative rules. The exemption applies solely to services provided to Medicaid recipients under Oklahoma Statutes Title 56, Section 4002.2. The law became effective November 1, 2025, after passing without the Governor's signature.
SB 95 updates key definitions in Oklahoma's workers' compensation law to clarify eligibility and claims processing. It directly affects injured workers (claimants), employers, insurance carriers, and medical providers by defining terms like "case manager" (requiring specific nursing licenses or certifications) and "carrier" (explicitly including self-insured employers). The bill also clarifies what constitutes a "compensable injury," excluding age-related conditions like arthritis and adding drug testing rules for claims involving intoxication. These changes aim to standardize claims administration and reduce disputes over coverage. The bill became effective after the governor signed it on May 6, 2025.
HB 2087 modifies Oklahoma's income tax credit for donations to qualified research institutes. It adjusts annual funding caps: for biomedical research institutes, the limit drops from $2 million to $1.5 million per year starting in 2026, while cancer research institute credits are capped at $500,000 annually. The credit percentage for each donation type is recalculated yearly based on prior-year claims, using specific formulas to stay within these new limits. Taxpayers donating to qualifying nonprofit biomedical or cancer research institutes (defined by NIH funding requirements) can claim the credit, with individual limits of $1,000-$25,000 depending on filing status or business type.
HB 1008 prohibits most abortions in Oklahoma except when necessary to preserve the life of a pregnant woman facing a medical emergency involving physical disorder, illness, or injury directly related to pregnancy. It defines "medical emergency" as conditions where abortion is required to save the woman's life, and imposes penalties of up to $100,000 or 10 years in prison for violations. The bill explicitly states it does not criminalize women for pregnancy outcomes and preserves access to contraceptives when used before pregnancy detection. The law takes immediate effect as an emergency measure upon passage.
HB 1812 modifies supervision rules for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) working in hospitals. The bill specifically changes requirements so that hospitals - not all healthcare facilities - must oversee APRNs employed by or contracted with them. Key provisions clarify that hospitals must establish supervision protocols for these nurses, while exempting APRNs working outside hospital settings. This directly affects hospital-employed APRNs and the hospitals responsible for their oversight, with no changes to other nurse supervision standards.
HB 1538, the "Student Retention Protocol Act of 2025," requires Oklahoma schools to offer specific screenings and assessments to students identified as "at risk of being retained" (those below academic thresholds for advancing grades). It mandates hearing and vision screenings, family assessments, and, with parental consent, psychiatric, occupational, or physical therapy evaluations to address potential learning barriers before retention decisions. Schools may provide these services using qualified personnel or contracted professionals, but all provisions depend on available funding. The bill directly affects at-risk students, their families (who must approve psychiatric evaluations), and school districts, aiming to prevent retention through targeted support rather than changing retention policies themselves. It becomes effective July 1, 2025.
