Rep. Josh Cantrell

Maddy summaryHB 1674 adds specific definitions to Oklahoma's Nursing Home Care Act, clarifying terms like "abuse," "administrator," and "access" for nursing facilities. This procedural bill directly affects nursing homes and their operators by establishing clear terminology for existing regulations. It does not create new requirements but provides defined terms to improve consistency in how the law is applied. The bill is purely definitional and does not alter current operational standards.

Maddy summaryHJR 1012 proposes a constitutional amendment to Oklahoma's school attendance requirement in Article XIII, Section 4. It would change the current rule requiring all school-age children (8-16 years old, residents, sound in mind/body) to attend school for at least three months annually to apply only to "state resident United States citizens" or children legally approved by state law. The amendment would narrow the attendance requirement to exclude non-citizen children who might otherwise qualify under current law. This proposal must be approved by voters in a future election as a constitutional amendment.

Maddy summaryThis bill establishes a new law titled the Elections Act of 2025, which will become effective on November 1, 2025. It does not create new election rules or policies but instead provides a formal name and citation for future election-related legislation. The measure affects election officials and administrators in Oklahoma who will reference this act when implementing election procedures. As a procedural bill, it does not change voting methods, ballot access, or campaign regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 1670 removes an exemption that previously allowed individuals holding alcohol licenses (such as owners of private clubs or liquor stores) to work as bail bondsmen. The bill amends Oklahoma law to prohibit these license holders from becoming bail bondsmen, ending a prior exception that allowed them to operate under the same rules as other licensees. It also clarifies that bail bond offices cannot be maintained where disqualified persons (e.g., those with certain criminal convictions) are present, except for specific cases like obtaining a personal bail bond. The changes take effect on November 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires parents or guardians to provide proof of United States citizenship or legal immigration status for their child when enrolling in an Oklahoma public or charter school. Acceptable documents include a U.S. passport, Permanent Resident Card, Oklahoma driver license, Social Security card, or a U.S. birth certificate. Public school districts would be required to record and report the number of students whose parents or guardians could not provide this documentation due to the student's lack of citizenship or legal immigration status. The bill specifies it does not inhibit any child from receiving an education and only allows for recording the aggregate number of students lacking documentation, not individual student citizenship or immigration status.

Maddy summaryHB 1673 requires new state, county, or municipal correctional facilities (including work centers and halfway houses) built after November 1, 2025, to be located at least 1,000 feet from public or private elementary/secondary schools and 2,500 feet from juvenile secure facilities, measured from property lines. It exempts facilities established before May 20, 1994, and allows exceptions if school districts and private school governing bodies approve. The bill also prohibits private halfway houses from operating in residential neighborhoods without local zoning approval and restricts inmate presence within 1,000 feet of schools in counties with over 250,000 residents. The law takes effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1669 funds Oklahoma's existing Department of Emergency Management with $6 million from the General Revenue Fund for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It creates the "Emergency Management Funding Modernization Act of 2025" to provide dedicated funding for the department's current operations. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and declares an emergency to expedite implementation. This is a procedural appropriations measure affecting state budgeting, not a policy change to emergency management procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 1675 establishes the "Emergency Management Act of 2025" as a non-codified law, meaning it will not be included in Oklahoma's official statutes. The bill sets its effective date as November 1, 2025, and creates a named framework for emergency management without altering existing legal provisions or affecting specific individuals or entities. This is a procedural bill focused solely on naming the act and its implementation timeline.

Maddy summaryHB 1672 mandates specific suspensions for students in grades three through five who assault school employees or volunteers, with tiered consequences: a three-day in-school suspension for a first offense, a seven-day out-of-school suspension for a second offense, and expulsion for a third offense in the same school year. It does not apply to general misbehavior but targets physical aggression toward staff or volunteers. The bill requires schools to consider alternative in-school options before suspending students and establishes appeal processes for suspensions. It directly affects young students (grades 3-5) in Oklahoma public schools who commit such acts, creating a clear, graduated disciplinary pathway. The law also specifies that students in grades six through twelve facing similar offenses receive semester-long suspensions.

Maddy summaryHB 3766 repeals a large section of Oklahoma's existing laws regarding the care of indigent persons, effectively removing those specific legal provisions from the state code. This change directly affects the legal framework previously used to manage assistance for poor individuals, though the bill does not establish new rules or programs in its text. The repeal is set to take effect on November 1, 2024, leaving the status of care for indigent persons to be determined by subsequent legislation or other applicable laws.