HB 1332 creates a new income tax credit for Oklahoma-licensed emergency medical services (EMS) personnel. It provides tiered credits based on certification level: $100 for emergency medical responders (EMRs), $200 for emergency medical technicians (EMTs), $400 for advanced/intermediate EMTs (AEMTs), and $600 for paramedics. To qualify, workers must maintain active Oklahoma licensure and be verified as current employees by their ambulance service administrator through a new online system managed by the State Department of Health. The credit applies to tax years beginning January 1, 2025, and can be combined with other tax credits. This bill directly affects licensed EMS workers employed in Oklahoma ambulance services.
HB 2921 establishes licensing requirements for dental therapists in Oklahoma, who provide limited dental services (like cleanings and fillings) under dentist supervision. To become licensed, applicants must graduate from an accredited dental therapy program, pass national exams, maintain CPR certification, and complete 12 continuing education credit hours every two years (including infection control training). The bill defines key terms like "uninsured patient" (those without dental coverage earning ≤200% of federal poverty guidelines) and specifies supervision levels (direct, general, or indirect) for dentists overseeing therapists. This affects dental therapists seeking licensure, supervising dentists, and ensures dental care access for uninsured patients as defined in the bill.
HB 2233 updates Oklahoma's Massage Therapy Practice Act by clarifying licensing rules and scope of practice for massage therapists. It directly affects licensed massage therapists, massage therapy schools, and other health professionals who may provide massage services. Key changes include renaming the regulating board to the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision, explicitly allowing "direct access" (public can seek massage without medical referral), and defining massage therapy as soft tissue techniques (e.g., touch, pressure, heat) while prohibiting diagnosis, prescribing, or medical techniques like ultrasound. The bill also clarifies exemptions for physicians, students, and specific practices like the Feldenkrais Method when performed within their established professional scope.
SB 361 protects indigenous traditional healing practitioners in Oklahoma who lack state healthcare licenses. It prohibits them from performing medical procedures (like surgery or prescribing drugs) or falsely claiming licensure, while shielding them from penalties under healthcare laws when practicing traditional methods within defined limits. The bill defines "indigenous or traditional healing therapy" and ensures practitioners cannot be penalized for offering culturally specific wellness services that comply with its restrictions. Effective November 1, 2025, it codifies these protections in Oklahoma Statutes (Title 59, Section 732).
SB 737 establishes the Oklahoma Interventional Pain Management and Treatment Act, defining "interventional pain management" as the diagnosis and treatment of chronic pain using specific techniques like nerve ablation, spinal injections, or surgical procedures such as laser diskectomy. The bill requires all practitioners to hold a valid medical license under Oklahoma's existing medical licensure laws, prohibiting unlicensed practice of these services. It also sets clear supervision rules for certified nurse anesthetists, allowing them to administer certain pain treatments under a physician's direct oversight but banning them from operating freestanding pain clinics without a board-certified physician supervising the facility.
HB 1606 establishes the Oklahoma Massage Therapy Board to regulate the profession and amends Oklahoma's Massage Therapy Practice Act. The bill sets licensing requirements for massage therapists and schools, prohibits unlicensed practice using terms like "massage therapist," and defines the scope of practice (e.g., therapists cannot diagnose illness, use ultrasound, or prescribe medicine). It clarifies that physicians and other licensed health professionals providing services within their scope do not need additional massage therapy licensing, and permits limited exceptions for students, visiting instructors, and emergency response teams. The bill is currently pending after being withdrawn from committees in February 2025.
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.
