Sen. Ally Seifried

Maddy summarySB 775 updates Oklahoma law for property owners in condemnation cases where the government fails to acquire land. It expands reimbursement to include "expert witness fees" alongside attorney, appraisal, and engineering costs when the government abandons the case, loses in court, or pays more than 10% above the commissioners' award. The bill also requires courts to send clear notices about filing deadlines within 10 days of the commissioners' report. These changes apply to all condemnation proceedings and take effect July 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 592 removes the prohibition on wine and spirits wholesalers selling or delivering to retailers on Sundays, while maintaining existing bans on sales/delivery on New Year’s Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The bill directly affects alcohol wholesalers and retailers by allowing Sunday transactions for these products. Key provisions amend Oklahoma law to eliminate the Sunday restriction in Section 6-104 of the alcoholic beverages statute. The change becomes effective November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 7 creates the Oklahoma Teacher Recruitment Academy, which provides tuition and mandatory fee assistance to students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in approved teacher preparation programs. To qualify, students must enroll in Oklahoma’s public higher education system, apply through the State Regents, and sign an agreement to teach for one school year in a public school for each year of assistance received. The assistance covers tuition and required fees for completing a degree in a critical shortage subject area (identified annually by the State Department of Education), with a $10 million annual funding cap. Participants must teach in a shortage subject area for the duration of the assistance period, or repay the funds with possible hardship waivers. The program directly affects prospective teachers, Oklahoma public schools facing staffing shortages, and participating higher education institutions.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a revolving fund within the State Department of Health to support public schools in Oklahoma with vision screening programs. The fund will provide grants to help schools purchase necessary equipment and collect data through a cloud-based system, while also requiring the department to maintain an online platform for managing screening information. Additionally, the legislation updates existing rules to allow the use of electronic eye charts instead of printed ones, provided they meet specific standards, and establishes guidelines for registering and training vision screeners. Licensed optometrists and ophthalmologists are exempt from certain training and standard-setting requirements for these programs.

Maddy summaryThis Oklahoma law requires state agencies with more than 200 employees to offer a telephone call-back option when average wait times exceed ten minutes during business hours. The rule applies to the main publicly listed phone numbers of these entities and defines wait time as the period a caller is placed on hold or informed they are waiting. To comply, agencies must create a system that allows callers to request an automatic call-back as part of their phone menu options. The requirement takes effect on November 1, 2024, and applies only to state government bodies, not private businesses or individuals.

Maddy summarySB 1334, known as Corinne's Law, requires health insurance plans in Oklahoma to cover medically necessary fertility preservation services for individuals diagnosed with cancer who are of reproductive age. The bill mandates that these plans cover procedures such as egg and sperm freezing when treatments like chemotherapy or radiation might cause infertility, without requiring pre-authorization for the service. While the law allows plans to apply standard deductibles and copayments, it explicitly prohibits storage fees from being included in the covered services. The legislation includes a provision for religious employers to request exemptions if the coverage conflicts with their religious beliefs, though enrollees of such plans may still purchase supplemental coverage at their own expense.

Maddy summaryThis bill, known as the Oklahoma Opportunity Scholarship Act, creates a new scholarship program designed to help students with intellectual disabilities attend state colleges and technology centers. To qualify, applicants must be Oklahoma residents, U.S. citizens or legal residents, recent high school graduates, and enrolled in specific programs that integrate them with nondisabled peers. The scholarship covers the full cost of tuition at these institutions, provided the student maintains satisfactory academic progress and does not face long-term suspensions or expulsion. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education are responsible for managing the program, setting eligibility rules, and distributing funds from the state's Higher Learning Access Trust Fund.