Rep. Mark Lepak

Maddy summarySB 234 creates the Adaptive Reuse Housing Development Program, offering a tax credit to property owners converting vacant or underutilized older buildings (30+ years old, at least 50% vacant or below-market rent) into residential housing. It provides a 50% credit against income tax for eligible costs like environmental cleanup, code upgrades, and efficiency improvements, capped at $5 million annually. Applications are reviewed using a preference system prioritizing areas with high vacancy rates, low rents, and limited affordable housing. The credit is non-refundable, can be carried forward for up to 10 years, and requires project verification before claiming.

Maddy summarySB 1045 removes a requirement that the Oklahoma Governor must appoint psychologists to the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists from a specific list provided by the Oklahoma State Psychological Association. The bill allows the Governor to consider recommendations from any statewide psychological organization, state chapter of a national organization, or other groups when making these appointments. This change affects how the Governor selects five psychologist members of the seven-member board, which oversees psychology licensing in Oklahoma. The bill does not alter the board's composition (five psychologists, two lay members), responsibilities, or the process for filling vacancies. It becomes effective November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1048 requires Oklahoma insurance carriers to offer shared savings incentive programs that reward enrollees for choosing health care providers charging less than the carrier's average allowed amount for comparable services. Enrollees receive at least 25% of the savings as a cash payment or credit toward their deductible, calculated based on the difference between the provider's agreed-upon rate and the carrier's average in-network cost. Carriers must disclose average allowed amounts, publish program details online, report participation data to the Insurance Department, and ensure enrollees' out-of-pocket costs remain no higher than in-network rates. The bill applies to all health benefit plans sold in Oklahoma and takes effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1045 modifies Oklahoma's rules for appointing members to the State Board of Examiners of Psychologists. It removes a requirement that the Governor must appoint successors from a list provided solely by the Oklahoma State Psychological Association, instead allowing the Governor to consider recommendations from that association, other psychology organizations, or individuals. This change affects the Governor's process for filling board positions but does not alter the board's composition (5 psychologists + 2 lay members), terms, or the board's responsibilities under the Psychologists Licensing Act. The bill is procedural and takes effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1048 requires Oklahoma insurance carriers to offer a shared savings incentive program, directly affecting policyholders and healthcare providers. The bill mandates that carriers provide financial rewards (minimum 25% of savings) to enrollees who choose providers charging below the average rate paid by the carrier for comparable services, including out-of-network options where the provider agrees to accept a lower rate. Carriers must publish service lists and average rates online, report participation data to the Insurance Department, and ensure enrollees' out-of-network costs don't exceed in-network cost-sharing. The program becomes effective November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1040 amends Oklahoma law to update the appointment process for the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors. It removes an outdated requirement that five of six counselor members must have secured licensure by January 1, 2005, and instead mandates that at appointment, five members must be licensed counselors and one must be certified. The bill requires the Governor to appoint four members from a list provided by the Oklahoma Drug and Alcohol Professional Counselors Association, one from the Oklahoma Substance Abuse Services Alliance, and one from the Oklahoma Citizen Advocates for Recovery and Treatment Association. This change takes effect November 1, 2025, and affects how the board is composed, directly impacting the selection process for state-level alcohol and drug counseling oversight.

Maddy summarySB 1040 amends Oklahoma law to update the appointment rules for the Oklahoma Board of Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselors. It removes a previous requirement that five board members must secure licensure by January 1, 2005, and instead specifies that at the time of appointment, five members must be licensed alcohol and drug counselors and one must be certified. The bill also allows the Governor to consider recommendations from various organizations (like counselor associations or recovery groups) when making appointments. This change directly affects the composition of the seven-member board, which oversees licensing standards for alcohol and drug counseling professionals in Oklahoma. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1108 amends Oklahoma's Open Meeting Act to include the Judicial Nominating Commission within the definition of a "public body." This means meetings of the Judicial Nominating Commission, which recommends candidates for judicial appointments, will now be subject to the same open meeting requirements as other public bodies. Specifically, the commission must provide public notice, allow public attendance, and maintain accessible meeting records. The change takes effect November 1, 2025, directly affecting how judicial selection processes are conducted and observed.

Maddy summaryHB 1170, the Oklahoma Public Finance Protection Act, requires fiduciaries managing Oklahoma's public pension plans to base all investment decisions and proxy votes solely on financial factors (like risk and return), excluding environmental, social, political, or other nonfinancial goals. It directly affects state pension fund managers, including those overseeing retirement benefits for public employees, and prohibits them from voting proxies or selecting investments to advance nonpecuniary objectives. The bill defines "nonpecuniary" factors as any consideration of environmental, social, or ideological goals, and mandates that fiduciaries must prioritize financial returns while ensuring proper diversification and investment oversight. This policy change explicitly restricts the consideration of ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) factors in pension fund management unless they demonstrably impact financial performance.

Maddy summaryHB 1108 adds Oklahoma's Judicial Nominating Commission to the definition of a "public body" under the state's Open Meeting Act. This means the commission's meetings must now comply with the same public notice, accessibility, and transparency rules that apply to city councils, county commissions, and other government bodies. The bill explicitly includes the commission in Section 304 of the Open Meeting Act, requiring its proceedings to follow standard open meeting procedures. The change takes effect November 1, 2025.