Rep. Emily Gise

Maddy summarySB 1202 expands paid leave options for Oklahoma education employees by adding paternity and adoption leave to existing maternity leave provisions. The bill directly affects teachers and full-time school staff, requiring school districts to provide up to 90 days of paid leave for new parents or adoptive parents during a child’s first year. Key mechanisms include updating retirement credit rules for leave-taking and establishing a leave-sharing program where colleagues can donate sick leave to support employees caring for newborns, newly adopted children, or facing serious health issues. The legislation modifies related statutes to replace "maternity" with inclusive terms like "parental" leave and updates fund names and purposes.

Maddy summarySB 1203 adds adoption leave to Oklahoma's existing paid leave policies for education employees, including teachers and school district staff. The bill allows eligible employees to take up to 90 days of paid leave for adoption, with continued credit toward salary and retirement benefits. It also establishes a leave sharing program where colleagues can donate sick leave to support adoption-related absences. The law updates multiple statutes to replace "maternity leave" with "maternity or adoption leave" and modifies revolving fund names and purposes to reflect this change. This applies directly to full-time education employees in Oklahoma public schools.

Maddy summarySB 1201 extends paid maternity leave and adds explicit adoption leave for Oklahoma education employees. It amends statutes (70 O.S. §§ 6-104.1, 6-104.5, 6-104.6, and others) to require school districts to provide adoption leave comparable to maternity leave, extend the duration of paid maternity leave, and update the "Public School Paid Maternity Leave Revolving Fund" to cover adoption leave. The bill directly affects K-12 teachers and full-time school staff, ensuring they receive paid leave for childbirth, adoption, or related recovery periods. It also modifies a leave-sharing program to allow sick leave donations for adoption-related needs.

Maddy summarySB 677 allows Oklahoma retailers to offer discounts for cash, check, or debit card payments without limits, while prohibiting most surcharges for credit card use. It requires clear disclosure of any permitted surcharges (capped at 2% or actual processing costs) at points of entry, sale, and online, and mandates verbal disclosure for phone transactions. The bill directly affects all businesses selling goods or services in Oklahoma, repealing the previous ban on credit card surcharges. It becomes effective November 1, 2025, with no impact on public entities like schools or municipalities that may charge limited service fees.

Maddy summarySB 677 allows Oklahoma sellers to offer unlimited discounts for customers paying by cash, check, or debit card, while prohibiting most surcharges for credit card use. It requires sellers to clearly disclose any surcharge (capped at 2% of the transaction or processing fees, whichever is lower) at entry points, point-of-sale, and online. The law repeals an existing ban on credit card surcharges and applies to all sellers conducting transactions in Oklahoma, including retailers and service providers. It does not affect educational institutions, municipalities, or money transmitters under specific conditions.

Maddy summaryHB 1607 requires all Oklahoma state agencies to report the number and pay details for each contract employee they hire through existing payroll software like Workday VNDLY. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services gains authority to create rules for implementing this reporting system. Agencies must comply starting November 1, 2025. This bill directly affects state agencies' administrative processes for tracking contract workforce data.

Maddy summarySB 898 (Oklahoma, 2025) would remove a requirement for construction companies bidding on public projects to submit a sworn statement disclosing business relationships with project architects, engineers, or other involved parties. This change would directly affect contractors bidding on government construction projects by eliminating the need to swear under oath about partnerships, joint ventures, or connections between company officers and project personnel within the past year. The bill aimed to simplify the bidding process by removing these disclosure obligations, which currently require bidders to list specific business ties or state none exist. The bill was vetoed by the Governor on May 27, 2025, and did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1607 requires all Oklahoma state agencies to report the number of contract employees and their individual pay rates to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) using existing payroll software like Workday VNDLY. This reporting obligation applies directly to state agencies managing contract staff and mandates transparency about contract labor costs. The bill grants OMES rulemaking authority to implement these reporting requirements and specifies that the law takes effect on November 1, 2025. It does not change hiring practices or pay levels but establishes a new data collection process for oversight.

Maddy summarySB 898 would have removed a requirement for construction bidders working on local government projects to submit a written sworn statement disclosing business relationships with project architects or engineers. Specifically, it aimed to eliminate the need for bidders to detail partnerships, joint ventures, or connections between company officers and project staff within the past year. This change would have directly affected contractors bidding on public construction projects funded by cities, counties, or other political subdivisions in Oklahoma. The bill was vetoed by the Governor on May 27, 2025, so it did not become law.

Maddy summaryHB 1600, now effective as law in Oklahoma since May 22, 2025, establishes 19 specific rights for all patients receiving medical care in the state, including respectful treatment, clear communication about treatment options, advance directive support, privacy, and visitor rights. It also outlines patient responsibilities, such as providing accurate health information and participating in care planning. The law requires hospitals to inform patients of these rights and their complaint processes, replacing prior guidelines with enforceable statutory standards. This bill directly affects every patient in Oklahoma healthcare facilities and all hospitals providing care under state law.