HB 1416 requires insurers offering group health plans for state employees to ensure non-opioid pain medications (approved by the FDA) are not disadvantaged in coverage compared to opioids on their preferred drug lists. It directly affects state employee health insurance plans by mandating equal treatment for FDA-approved non-opioid pain drugs, such as those that don’t act on opioid receptors. The bill does not ban opioids or require non-opioid use but prohibits insurers from making non-opioid options harder to access through coverage rules. This applies to all drugs covered under state employee plans and takes effect November 1, 2025.
This bill designates a specific section of State Highway 102 in Lincoln County (from East 990 Road north to East Memorial Road) as the "SFC Tomas L. Avey Bronze Star and Purple Heart Recipient Memorial Highway." The Oklahoma Department of Transportation must install permanent markers bearing this official name along the designated highway segment. The memorial highway designation becomes effective November 1, 2025. This is a ceremonial designation honoring a veteran, with no substantive policy changes beyond the highway naming.
SB 352 prohibits utility companies from using eminent domain to build wind turbines, solar facilities, battery storage, or hydrogen gas facilities on private property. It also requires electricity providers to obtain a Corporation Commission certificate before using eminent domain for high-voltage transmission lines (over 300 kV). The bill directly affects utility companies seeking to expand infrastructure and private property owners whose land might be targeted for such projects. These changes amend Oklahoma’s eminent domain law (27 O.S. §7) to restrict certain facility siting and add oversight for major transmission projects. The bill was introduced in the 2025 Oklahoma Legislature and referred to the Energy and Natural Resources Oversight committee.
HB 2024, the Oklahoma Space Renaissance Act, allocates $51.3 million in state funds to support Oklahoma's space industry development. The bill directs $35 million for infrastructure at the Oklahoma Air and Space Port to enable spacecraft testing and launches, and $15 million for a microgravity research consortium focused on commercial science projects in Oklahoma City. It also provides $1.3 million for the Oklahoma Space Industry Development Authority to carry out its duties. The funding is intended for fiscal year 2026, with the bill effective July 1, 2025.
HB 1578 amends Oklahoma's notary public laws to strengthen identity verification requirements for notarial acts. It requires notaries to confirm a person's identity through personal knowledge, a credible witness, or valid ID before performing acknowledgments, verifications, witnessing signatures, or certifying copies. The bill increases penalties for failing to verify identity, making it a felony punishable by fines up to $5,000 or up to 30 days in jail. This directly affects all Oklahoma notaries who perform official notarial acts. The law takes effect November 1, 2025.
HB 2233 updates Oklahoma's Massage Therapy Practice Act by clarifying licensing rules and scope of practice for massage therapists. It directly affects licensed massage therapists, massage therapy schools, and other health professionals who may provide massage services. Key changes include renaming the regulating board to the Oklahoma Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision, explicitly allowing "direct access" (public can seek massage without medical referral), and defining massage therapy as soft tissue techniques (e.g., touch, pressure, heat) while prohibiting diagnosis, prescribing, or medical techniques like ultrasound. The bill also clarifies exemptions for physicians, students, and specific practices like the Feldenkrais Method when performed within their established professional scope.
HB 1221 creates "SAFE Accounts" in Oklahoma’s State Treasury to manage specific federal funds received by state agencies. It requires agencies to seek legislative approval (via concurrent resolution) before accessing funds from competitive grants, federal relief payments, or block grants, and mandates detailed reporting to the Legislature about grant applications and funding purposes. Existing federal programs already managed by agencies as of January 1, 2025, are excluded from these requirements unless they involve competitive grants needing reapplication after November 2025. The bill also establishes deadlines for submitting notices and holding hearings on new federal funding sources, effective July 1, 2025, for block grants and November 1, 2025, for competitive grants.
HB 1564 creates the "Oklahoma Expedited Actions Act" to streamline small civil cases seeking monetary relief totaling $250,000 or less (excluding interest, penalties, and fees). It limits discovery to 180 days, mandates trials within 90 days after discovery ends, and caps trial time at 8 hours per side (extendable to 12 hours). The bill restricts written discovery requests to 15 per category and requires cases exceeding the $250,000 cap or seeking non-monetary relief to exit the expedited process. This applies directly to plaintiffs and defendants in qualifying civil suits, accelerating proceedings while maintaining defined procedural boundaries.
HB 1968 authorizes Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board to appoint five alternate members with specific qualifications, including former prosecutors, public defenders, judges, mental health professionals, and corrections officers. The bill requires all board members and alternates to complete annual training on topics like offender rehabilitation and effective intervention methods. It establishes salaries of $85,000 per year for regular members and $42,500 for alternates, with pay tied to meeting attendance requirements. Additionally, the bill prohibits board members from representing inmates in legal matters to prevent conflicts of interest and mandates disclosure of potential conflicts.
HB 1662 requires the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to prepare an annual report detailing all interactions with the Southwest Power Pool (a regional electricity grid operator). The report must include specific records of trips taken, meetings held, and votes cast by Commission representatives related to the Southwest Power Pool during the previous calendar year. This report must be submitted by January 31 each year to the House Speaker and Senate President Pro Tempore. The law applies directly to the Corporation Commission and aims to increase transparency around its energy-related activities. The bill becomes effective November 1, 2025.
This bill (HB 1837) protects Oklahoma residents using Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) accounts by exempting these funds from being seized for debts or used to calculate eligibility for public assistance. Specifically, it ensures ABLE account balances cannot be claimed by creditors, garnished, or used to determine benefits under programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. It also prevents Medicaid from seeking repayment from these accounts after a beneficiary's death. The law applies to both Oklahoma-established ABLE accounts and those from other states, effective November 1, 2025.
SB 279 requires companies building new high-voltage power lines over 300 kilovolts (kV) to obtain a certificate of authority from Oklahoma’s Corporation Commission *before* starting construction. The application must include detailed route maps, notifications to affected landowners and counties, proof of public meetings, insurance coverage, and safety plans. It does not apply to existing utility upgrades of current infrastructure. The bill establishes a formal process for reviewing new transmission projects to ensure public notice and safety compliance.
