Sen. Shane Jett

Maddy summarySB 486 allows Oklahoma school districts to hire chaplains - defined as ordained religious leaders like pastors or priests - to serve as school counselors, bypassing standard counselor certification requirements. Chaplains hired under this bill would not need to meet state certification rules for counselors or be classified as teachers under Oklahoma law. All chaplains must undergo a national criminal background check as required for other school staff. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 411 requires law enforcement to notify school superintendents and school boards when a school employee (in public districts, charter, or virtual charter schools) is investigated for, arrested for, or charged with specific offenses against students (like sexual abuse or exploitation crimes listed in Oklahoma law). Upon notification, school boards must immediately suspend the employee without a hearing, while preserving their pay and benefits, prohibiting them from working on school grounds or resigning during the suspension. The superintendent must also notify parents that the employee is presumed innocent, and the State Board of Education must create implementing rules. The law takes effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 427 requires Oklahoma hospitals, medical facilities, and long-term care facilities to publish all their policies and procedures on their websites and keep them updated. It also mandates that these facilities track and document every addition, deletion, or edit made to patient medical records. Patients, parents of minors, or legal guardians of incapacitated patients can request detailed information about any changes to their medical records upon request. The law takes effect on November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 489 prohibits Oklahoma local governments from adopting "sanctuary policies" that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. It bans ordinances restricting law enforcement from sharing immigration status information, complying with federal detainers, or asking about immigration status when probable cause exists. Local governments violating this lose state funding until the policy changes, and officials who willfully violate it face removal from office. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025, and applies to all cities, counties, and local agencies within Oklahoma.

Maddy summarySB 286 creates a 50% refundable income tax credit for licensed attorneys who provide free legal help to adoptive parents in Oklahoma, specifically for fees approved by a court related to adoption cases. The credit, available starting with the 2026 tax year, allows attorneys to reduce their state income tax liability or receive a refund if the credit exceeds their tax bill. This policy directly affects attorneys who handle adoption-related legal work and adoptive parents seeking court-approved adoption decrees under Oklahoma law. The credit aims to incentivize legal support for adoption proceedings without requiring new court procedures.

Maddy summarySB 501 amends Oklahoma's unlawful carry law to add a new exception allowing members or veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, Reserves, or National Guard (18-20 years old or 21+) to carry firearms in vehicles or while carrying on public roadways, provided they are not disqualified by law and not carrying for criminal purposes. It also adds convictions for drug violations under the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act to the list of offenses that prohibit firearm possession. The bill directly affects young military personnel (18-20) who previously faced age restrictions for carry and individuals convicted of drug offenses, expanding carry rights for the former while restricting access for the latter. The changes take effect on November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 290 modifies Oklahoma's individual income tax rates for specific tax years by adjusting the percentage applied to different income brackets. It changes the tax rates for taxable years beginning before 2002 (6.75% on remaining income), 2002-2004 (7%), and 2004 onward (6.65%), while also updating related withholding requirements. The bill directly affects all Oklahoma residents and nonresidents filing individual income tax returns under the specified tax years. Key provisions include revising the tax percentages for each income tier in the progressive tax structure. The changes apply to taxpayers filing returns for the affected tax years, as defined in the amended statute.

Maddy summarySB 312 modifies Oklahoma's income tax code by adjusting the personal exemption amount and standard deduction for specific tax years and certain taxpayers. It also introduces two new exemptions: one for women claiming a defined number of dependents and another for taxpayers meeting a specified age threshold. These changes directly affect individual filers in Oklahoma who qualify for the modified exemptions or deductions. The bill does not specify exact new amounts or the full list of affected tax years but alters how these tax benefits are calculated under state law.

Maddy summarySB 413 requires written parental consent for students to participate in certain sexual education classes in Oklahoma schools. It defines "comprehensive sexual education" (which includes topics like non-heterosexual orientations, contraceptive methods without risk emphasis, or gender identity beyond binary concepts) as prohibited, and mandates "optimal sexual health education" (focusing on abstinence, heterosexual marriage, and traditional family values) instead. School districts must create procedures for obtaining written consent, post required information online, and use only approved textbooks/materials. The law directly affects students, parents/guardians, and school districts by changing consent requirements and restricting curricular content.

Maddy summaryThis document is not a legislative bill but rather a floor amendment to House Bill 2137, which means it does not establish new laws or policies on its own. The proposed changes aim to update the text of the original bill by adding "Space Force" to a list of military branches and changing a specific year from 2023 to 2024. These adjustments would affect the definitions and timelines within the Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act, which currently governs custody and visitation rights for military families. Since this is a procedural amendment rather than a standalone piece of legislation, it does not directly impact individuals or create new legal mechanisms.