Income tax; creating the Health Care Sharing Ministries Tax Parity Act; providing deduction for certain expenditures. Effective date.

SB 1279, the Health Care Sharing Ministries Tax Parity Act, allows Oklahoma taxpayers who are active members of qualifying health care sharing ministries to deduct membership and administrative fees and exclude from taxable income any payments received from the ministry for medical expenses. This applies to Oklahoma residents who maintained membership for at least one month during the tax year, starting in 2027. The bill defines a qualifying ministry as a not-for-profit organization facilitating voluntary medical cost sharing among members with shared ethical or religious beliefs, without insurance guarantees. Taxpayers must claim these benefits using forms prescribed by the Oklahoma Tax Commission, which will establish verification rules. The law takes effect for tax year 2027.