SB 423 updates Oklahoma's medical records access law by establishing standardized fees for patients and their representatives to obtain copies of medical records. Patients pay $0.50 per page for standard records, $15 for printed x-rays, and $20 for x-rays on CD/DVD, with providers prohibited from charging for searching or preparing records for the patient. The bill excludes psychological, psychiatric, mental health, and substance abuse records from these provisions, requiring separate access under different legal processes. It also sets higher fees for third parties (e.g., $20 base fee plus per-page charges for attorneys), while maintaining existing rules for disability-related requests.
HB 4423 requires the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to verify the immigration status of all Medicaid applicants using the federal SAVE system (or its successor) before approving benefits. It specifically mandates that the Authority notify U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if an applicant's status cannot be verified as lawful. This applies to all applicants, including adults applying for child-only Medicaid benefits on behalf of a child. The bill takes effect October 1, 2026, and does not change Medicaid eligibility criteria but adds a verification step for immigration status.
SB 1555 updates Oklahoma's Medicaid definitions for "individual with intellectual disability" and "developmental disability" to align with current standards. It raises the age for disability manifestation from 18 to 22 years, refines IQ criteria (e.g., requiring scores below 70 or 71-75 with specific scoring), and revises adaptive skill areas to match Social Security Administration guidelines for daily living skills. These changes directly affect Medicaid eligibility for individuals seeking home- and community-based services under Oklahoma Statutes §1406-1424. The bill ensures existing Medicaid recipients as of September 1, 1991, remain eligible, and the Department of Human Services may expand services for underserved individuals within available resources. The updated definitions take effect November 1, 2026.
HB 1168 makes it a felony to knowingly deliver or possess abortion-inducing drugs (like misoprostol or methotrexate) with the intent of causing an abortion, punishable by up to $100,000 in fines or 10 years in prison. It directly affects individuals who provide such drugs for non-exceptional purposes, including off-label use for abortion. Key exceptions include pharmacists, manufacturers, and distributors acting within lawful medical practices, as well as preventive contraception used as directed by manufacturers. The law does not restrict treatment for ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages, or medical uses of drugs like chemotherapy.
HB 3143 extends Oklahoma's moratorium on new medical marijuana business licenses (dispensaries, processors, growers) from August 1, 2026, to August 1, 2028. It requires existing license holders to get written approval from the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority before transferring ownership, including submitting documentation to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Narcotics. Transfers must follow a 15-business-day timeline for license and registration changes, and applicants cannot submit transfer requests if disciplinary actions are pending. The bill also mandates that businesses provide a full inventory of all medical marijuana products during ownership changes and prohibits transfers without approval, with a 30-day window for pending applications to comply with new rules.
SB 1645 establishes new rules for auditing long-term care providers (like nursing homes and Medicaid home-care agencies) under Oklahoma's Medicaid program. It requires the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to give providers 1 week's notice before audits, limits audits to 50 claims or 0.25% of annual claims, and prohibits holding providers liable for simple clerical errors (like typos) as fraud. Providers must be allowed 60 days to correct claims after an audit, and recoupments (recovery of overpaid funds) can only apply to corrected claims, not original billing errors. The bill also creates a two-step appeals process, allowing providers to challenge audit results through the Authority and then to an administrative law judge.
SB 1134 allocates $100,000 from Oklahoma's General Revenue Fund to the Oklahoma Health Care Authority for the 2026 fiscal year. The bill directly provides funding for the Authority to carry out its legal duties. It declares an emergency to allow immediate implementation upon passage. This is a procedural appropriations measure with no policy changes beyond the specified funding amount.
SB 1142 allocates $100,000 from unallocated state funds to Oklahoma's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The funding is intended to support the department's existing duties, including providing mental health and substance abuse services to Oklahomans. The bill declares an emergency to allow immediate implementation upon approval, bypassing standard legislative timelines. This is a procedural funding measure, not a policy change, and remains pending before the Appropriations Committee.
HB 3645 amends Oklahoma's hospice care requirements to expand eligibility determination options when patients lack legal representatives. It allows hospice admission decisions by a licensed long-term care administrator (with 6 months oversight and two physician approvals), two physicians reviewing medical history, or a primary care physician managing care for six months. The bill maintains existing standards like 24/7 care, bereavement programs, and prohibitions on improper patient solicitation. It directly affects hospice providers and patients without appointed guardians, ensuring timely access to hospice services under defined criteria.
HB 3901 establishes a pilot program for psychological autopsies in Oklahoma, which investigate ambiguous deaths (like suicides) to reconstruct a deceased person's mental state and influences. The Commissioner of Health must appoint a full-time psychological autopsy examiner who will submit annual progress reports and coordinate with mental health and medical examiner offices. The pilot runs until November 1, 2031, with a recommendation for permanency or termination. Its goal is to use data from these reviews to inform suicide prevention efforts, without changing existing laws or creating new obligations for individuals.
