Sepsis protocols; requiring certain payors to use specified clinical criteria; effective date.
HB 1686 requires hospitals to establish evidence-based sepsis protocols for early identification and treatment of patients with sepsis or septic shock, including staff training and population-specific guidelines (e.g., for pediatric or adult patients). It also mandates that Medicaid payors and health insurance plans (including private insurers) use specific clinical criteria for sepsis billing: a provider’s diagnosis of sepsis plus two symptoms of inflammatory response (such as fever, rapid heartbeat, or abnormal white blood cell count). The bill directly affects hospitals providing care and insurance companies administering Medicaid or health benefit plans in Oklahoma. It becomes effective November 1, 2025, aligning with federal coding standards for sepsis diagnosis.
Bill status
passed
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Governor
Introduced Feb 3, 2025
Last action Apr 23, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons
What changed between versions
Floor (House)
→
Floor (Senate)
·
4 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended to simplify sepsis identification criteria and change the effective date. The Senate version removes detailed hospital protocol requirements and instead focuses on aligning clinical criteria with federal Medicare/Medicaid standards, requiring only a provider diagnosis and two or more inflammatory symptoms. The effective date was changed from the original to November 1, 2025.
Scope change
The bill's scope was narrowed from requiring hospitals to establish comprehensive sepsis protocols to requiring third-party payors and managed care organizations to use specific clinical criteria for sepsis identification.
REQUIREMENT
Removed detailed hospital protocol requirements including screening, treatment guidelines, and staff training mandates.
DEFINITION
Changed sepsis identification criteria to require only a provider diagnosis and two or more inflammatory symptoms, aligning with federal CMS standards.
TIMELINE
Changed the effective date to November 1, 2025.
SCOPE
Shifted focus from hospital protocols to third-party payors and managed care organizations using clinical criteria for Medicaid services.
Floor votes · House Mar 10, 2025
How they voted
87–7
Passed · 6 other
Total votes 100
Mar 10, 2025
D
Democratic19
89% Yea
R
Republican81
86% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
18
Key actions
6
Committee
5
Amendments
1
Apr 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported Do Pass as amended Health and Human Services committee; CR filed
upper
Mar 11, 2025
Introduced
First Reading
upper
Mar 11, 2025
Lower · Passed
Engrossed, signed, to Senate
lower
Mar 10, 2025
Committee
Referred for engrossment
lower
Mar 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Third Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 86 Nays: 7
lower
Mar 10, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
Feb 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
CR; Do Pass Health and Human Services Oversight Committee
lower
Feb 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Policy recommendation to the Health and Human Services Oversight committee; Do Pass Public Health
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Committee
Referred to Public Health
lower
Feb 3, 2025
Introduced
First Reading
lower
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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