HB 1098 prohibits requiring volunteer or rural firefighters to attend mandatory training outside their local district or county. The bill directs all rural firefighter training to be managed solely by Rural Fire Coordinators, though joint training with other entities remains allowed. It directly affects volunteer and rural firefighters by limiting mandatory training to locally offered programs. The law takes effect November 1, 2025.
SB 568 requires Oklahoma state agencies and their investment managers to vote shares solely based on financial returns for pension beneficiaries, not social or environmental considerations. It prohibits following proxy adviser recommendations unless those advisers commit in writing to prioritize financial interests. Agencies must annually report all proxy votes - including management and adviser recommendations - to the State Treasurer via a public website. This applies to all state investments held for retirement plans, such as pension funds.
HB 1836 amends Oklahoma law to define key terms for the State Use Program, which governs state procurement from organizations employing people with significant disabilities. It specifies that qualified nonprofits must employ at least 50% people with significant disabilities (including blind individuals) in direct production work, and defines terms like "manufactured," "processed," and "assembled" for procurement purposes. The bill establishes a "Central nonprofit agency" (CNA) to oversee the program, with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services approving the procurement schedule. It takes effect on November 1, 2025, directly affecting state agencies purchasing goods/services from participating disability-focused nonprofits.
This bill updates Oklahoma's teledentistry rules, requiring dentists to hold an Oklahoma license when diagnosing or treating patients remotely within the state and mandating that all teledentistry records be maintained in Oklahoma or within 50 miles of its border. It also expands the Oklahoma Dental Loan Repayment Program, offering up to $60,000 annually for five years to dentists who agree to provide care to Medicaid patients (at least 30% of their practice) and serve in designated underserved areas (with exemptions for specialists and FQHC providers). The program prioritizes new dental graduates, particularly from the University of Oklahoma, and requires participants to teach at the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry if selected as faculty. The law aims to increase dental access in rural and underserved communities while ensuring Medicaid-dependent patients receive care.
SB 41 designates a specific bridge over the Kiamichi River on U.S. Highway 259 (approximately 0.5 miles south of State Highway 63 in Le Flore County) as the "PFC Lewis Othel Branscum Memorial Bridge." The bill requires the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to install permanent markers bearing this name on the bridge. This memorial honors PFC Lewis Othel Branscum, a military service member, and applies directly to the public using this location. The designation becomes effective November 1, 2025.
HB 1831 creates Oklahoma's first formal certification system for community health workers, establishing voluntary certification through the State Department of Health. It defines key terms, sets eligibility (Oklahoma residency, 18+ years old, U.S. residency, and 1,000 hours work experience option), and requires the Department to set standards, exams, and fees. The law specifically enables certified workers to serve as health liaisons, identify service gaps, and build community health capacity - while also authorizing partnerships with faith-based organizations for outreach. The certification becomes effective November 1, 2025, and does not require mandatory certification for workers.
HB 1408 requires public school administrators to optionally report when students leave for private schools, homeschooling, or other education methods. The State Department of Education must create an online portal for these reports. This change excludes students whose departures are reported under the bill from being counted as "school dropouts" in existing state reporting requirements. The bill amends current law to clarify that reported departures do not count toward dropout statistics, which are used for annual legislative reports and program planning. The policy takes effect July 1, 2025.
HB 2265 requires new Oklahoma notaries to pass an exam based on a state-approved course covering notary laws, ethics, and procedures. It mandates that all notaries maintain a detailed journal of every notarial act (including date, identity verification, and fees) for 10 years, in either a physical bound book or a secure electronic format. Notaries must transmit their journals to the Secretary of State upon resignation, suspension, death, or if the journal is lost/stolen. The bill applies directly to all current and new notaries public in Oklahoma and takes effect November 1, 2025.
HB 1366 enacts Oklahoma's participation in the American Association of Dental Boards (AADB) Compact, allowing dentists and dental hygienists to more easily practice across participating states. The bill establishes a uniform licensing process requiring a standardized exam, shares disciplinary records through the AADB Clearinghouse, and eliminates duplicate fees for licensees. It specifically waives application fees for active-duty military members and their spouses, expediting their ability to practice when relocating. This compact affects dental professionals seeking multi-state licensure and streamlines processes for military families.
HB 2194 amends Oklahoma's tax code to adjust how businesses calculate taxable income, specifically changing the rules for applying federal net operating losses (NOLs) to Oklahoma taxes. It directly affects businesses with multi-state operations that carry forward or back NOLs, requiring Oklahoma to treat these losses consistently with federal rules for tax years beginning after December 31, 2008. The key change aligns Oklahoma's NOL carryback and carryforward rules with the federal Internal Revenue Code, replacing "federal" terms with "Oklahoma" equivalents while maintaining similar time limits for loss application. This simplifies the calculation process for businesses operating across state lines. The bill became effective upon enactment as specified in the legislative text.
HB 2800 is a technical amendment to an existing property owners association law, not a substantive policy change. The bill corrects punctuation by deleting the word "or" between "fines" and "assessments" and inserting a comma, changing "fines or assessments" to "fines, assessments" in the text. This minor grammatical adjustment has no impact on fees, disclosures, or legal obligations for homeowners or property associations. The amendment passed unanimously in the House and is now moving to the Senate for consideration.
SB 484 prohibits municipalities with populations under 300,000 (per the latest federal census) from approving new schools, shelters, or homeless shelters operated within places of worship near existing schools, hospitals, or government buildings. The bill directly affects smaller Oklahoma cities and towns by restricting where certain facilities can be built. Key provisions remove ambiguous language about "property" and explicitly include homeless shelters in places of worship within the prohibited locations. This creates a clear geographic restriction to prevent new facilities from being sited adjacent to existing community infrastructure.
