SB 2009, the "Protecting Patients Act of 2026," makes fertility fraud a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. It defines fertility fraud as knowingly misrepresenting reproductive materials or using donor materials without consent, directly affecting fertility clinics, healthcare providers, and patients undergoing assisted reproduction (like IVF or egg donation). Key provisions require facilities to report suspected fraud to law enforcement, protect whistleblowers from retaliation, mandate permanent license revocation for healthcare providers convicted of fraud, and require sex offender registration for offenders (excluding life sentences). The bill also extends the statute of limitations for DNA-identified cases by 10 years and mandates confidentiality for victims and reporters. It becomes effective November 1, 2026.
HB 4288 authorizes Oklahoma's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to create a pilot program offering alternative education for students suspended from school for more than 14 days. The program must include therapy and restorative practices in daily instruction, allowing students to continue participating after their suspension ends. School districts can develop reintegration plans to help students return to regular classes and activities, with up to 10% of annual alternative education funds designated for this pilot. The bill applies directly to suspended students and school districts, effective November 1, 2026.
HB 3644 (the Blake Burgess Act) requires hospitals with emergency departments and ambulatory surgical centers to implement standardized VTE (venous thromboembolism, or blood clot in veins) risk assessments for patients using nationally recognized tools and provide annual training to non-physician clinical staff. It mandates a statewide VTE registry managed by a private, nonprofit entity meeting specific criteria, which hospitals must report to starting July 2027 with data including patient age, zip code, sex, diagnosis details, and treatment. The registry collects information to improve VTE care quality, monitor outcomes, and inform state health reports, with hospitals required to submit data on VTE incidence, patient demographics, and treatment. The law directly affects hospitals, ambulatory surgical centers, and their clinical staff through new screening, training, and reporting obligations.
HB 4092 establishes Oklahoma's statewide 988 Mental Health Lifeline system to provide 24/7 crisis support. It designates the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS) as the lead agency to oversee suicide prevention and crisis services, including coordinating with designated 988 Lifeline Crisis Centers. The bill creates a 988 Trust Fund to finance the system, mandates performance and clinical standards for crisis services (such as mobile crisis teams and urgent recovery centers), and requires real-time coordination between emergency response systems. This directly affects Oklahomans in mental health crises by ensuring accessible, standardized care through phone, text, or in-person support. The law takes effect upon passage.
SB 1901 prohibits hospital staff and organ procurement organizations from discussing organ/tissue donation with a family within 24 hours of a person's death determination. It bans misleading claims (like donations speeding up end-of-life care), implies financial compensation, or hiding conflicts of interest, and requires written donation process summaries and contact info for an independent ombudsman. All donation discussions with families must be electronically recorded if the family consents, and whistleblowers reporting violations are protected from workplace retaliation. Violations carry civil penalties up to $50,000 per incident, and the bill also updates Oklahoma’s death determination law to require a second independent medical verification for organ donation purposes. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.
This Oklahoma bill (SB 2158) allows residents who use health care sharing ministries to deduct membership fees and administrative costs from their state income tax starting in 2027. It also makes money received from these ministries for medical expenses tax-free. To qualify, individuals must have been active members for at least one month during the tax year. The law expires if Oklahoma stops collecting individual income tax.
HB 3329 extends the expiration date of Oklahoma's Long-Term Care Facility Advisory Board from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2027. The bill modifies Oklahoma Statutes Section 1-1923 to continue the board's operation, which advises the State Commissioner of Health on long-term care services. The advisory board, composed of 13 members including healthcare professionals, facility operators, and public representatives, provides recommendations on care standards for nursing homes, residential care facilities, and adult day care centers. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, as an emergency measure.
HB 4379, titled the "Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Act of 2026," establishes a new framework for medical marijuana in Oklahoma. The bill creates a non-codified legal structure for the program, which will take effect on November 1, 2026. It does not detail specific provisions like qualifying conditions or licensing rules in the provided text. As a procedural bill introducing the framework, it directly affects future medical marijuana regulations but does not change current law. The bill is currently in the early stages of review after its introduction.
SB 1553 amends Oklahoma's Medicaid appeal process to ensure appeals for denied claims are reviewed by qualified mental health professionals. It requires reviewers (like psychologists) to hold valid licenses, have relevant clinical experience, and avoid conflicts of interest, while banning automated review systems. The bill also establishes that if an appeal successfully reverses a denied claim, the psychologist or mental health provider can recover costs for time spent on the appeal. This directly affects Medicaid members, providers, and mental health professionals handling appeals.
HB 3355 reorganizes Oklahoma's medical marijuana program by moving the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority from the State Department of Health to become a separate agency. It transfers all existing licenses, records, personnel, assets, and responsibilities to this new authority, effective upon the bill's enactment. The reorganized agency will continue overseeing patient licenses, business operations, and enforcement under existing medical marijuana laws. This change directly affects medical marijuana businesses, patients with licenses, and state employees involved in the program.
