06/06/2024
The Second Session of the 59th Legislature adjourned on Thursday, May 30th. I wanted to take a moment to look back on the work that was done for our great state. Session started with more than 2,673 eligible House and Senate measures. Ultimately, we passed 483 pieces of legislation to the Governor for him to consider.
At this point, 438 bills have become law either through the Governor's signature or through a veto override by the Legislature. I was very glad to see that seven of the House Bills I authored and two of the Senate Bills I carried in the House will become law this year.
HB3014: removes the requirement that the IT director of the courts be selected by a three-member committee. It also deletes obsolete language related to the funding the Oklahoma Supreme Court Information System. There are hundreds of instances of ineffective bureaucratic red tape in Oklahoma Statutes, and HB3014 will help streamline this hiring process.
HB3015: revises the practicum requirement from 2 years to 3,000 hours of postgraduate experience in the related field for certain types of licensed social workers. I ran this measure to make Oklahoma more competitive with other states in the region for social workers looking to complete their supervision requirements.
HB3449: establishes the "University Hospitals Authority Behavioral Health Workforce Development Fund." This fund will help implement pilot programs at behavioral health facilities aimed at supporting behavioral health workforce development and facilitating access to those professionals. Oklahoma is facing a critical shortage of these professionals, and HB3449 represents an important step toward addressing that shortage.
HB3450: replaces the term "child prostitution" with the term "child s*x trafficking" throughout all Oklahoma Statutes. This language was outdated and technically incorrect, and I was proud to work with the Oklahoma Coalition Against Human Trafficking on this measure.
HB3451: outlines amendments to the Oklahoma Mental Health Law, providing definitions for some key terms and clarifying other terms. Among these important changes is the expansion of the legal definition of "person requiring treatment" to include those who have shown signs of severe deterioration over a 72-hour period and who pose a risk of harm to themselves or other people. This updated language will help prevent a crisis from intensifying while also upholding the dignity of people struggling with mental illness or substance abuse.
HB3643: addresses the creation and maintenance of official state records, the destruction of nonrecord materials, and the reproduction of records. The bill updates the statute to reflect changes in storage technology, including digital media. These changes were necessary to clarify that records not regulated by the Records Management Act may be destroyed without the approval of the State Records Administrator, eliminating another instance of unnecessary red tape.
SB1740: stipulates that first responders and providers cannot be held liable for civil damages arising from their actions, barring cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct in administering opioid antagonists. It's important we provide some liability protection in certain circumstances for first responders so they're not hindered from doing their jobs to the best of their abilities.
SB696: updates the membership of the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth (OCCY) by removing one position and extending the tenure of all members. Additionally, it requires the Office of Planning and Coordination to work with the Parent Partnership Board to prepare a State Plan for Services to Children and Youth. The bill authorizes the use of funds from the Children's Endowment Fund for certain purposes and expands the terms of members on post adjudication review boards. These were needed changes to help OCCY run more smoothly while fulfilling their mission to provide important oversight and accountability of children in state custody.
I want to thank you all for allowing me to serve House District 67 since 2018. It has been an honor and privilege to support each and every one of you as you have supported me.
