Healthcare (Substance Abuse)

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 1343: Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; duties; powers; responsibilities; State Department of Corrections; real and personal property; effective date; emergency.

HB 1343 abolishes Oklahoma's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and transfers all its duties, powers, responsibilities, property (including records, funds, and equipment), and assets to the State Department of Corrections. This bill directly affects the mental health department's operations and the corrections department's expanded responsibilities. The transfer takes effect on July 1, 2025, as specified in the bill's effective date. The legislation eliminates the standalone mental health department, consolidating its functions under corrections.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareAbolishes dedicated mental health department, transferring duties to corrections (lacks treatment focus), weakening specialized services per bill's transfer of duties and assets.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Substance Abuse

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vetoed · Oklahoma · House May 30, 2025

HB 2513: Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; individual to address the Department's consent decree; qualifications; emergency.

HB 2513, titled the "Oklahoma Mental Health Reform Act of 2025," proposed creating a position requiring an individual with specific qualifications to address the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services' court-ordered consent decree. The bill specified requirements for this appointee and included an emergency provision. It was scheduled to take effect November 1, 2025, but was pocket-vetoed by the Governor on May 30, 2025, with the veto taking effect June 15, 2025, meaning it never became law. The bill directly affected the Department's compliance with its existing legal agreement but was not enacted.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates position to address mental health consent decree, aiming to improve service compliance and quality under healthcare topic of mental health services.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Substance Abuse

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passed both · Oklahoma · House Mar 5, 2025

HCR 1004: Concurrent resolution; consent decree; Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Oklahoma Forensic Center, and the putative class; approval.

HCR 1004 is a procedural resolution approving a consent decree resolving a class-action lawsuit against Oklahoma's mental health system. It formally authorizes the Oklahoma Legislature to adopt the court-approved settlement between the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the Oklahoma Forensic Center, and a group of individuals alleging inadequate competency restoration treatment for people found incompetent to stand trial. The decree resolves claims about delays in providing required treatment to ensure court competency, avoiding further litigation costs. This resolution does not create new policy but legally ratifies an existing court agreement.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeApproves consent decree resolving inadequate competency restoration treatment delays in criminal justice system, advancing mental health care for defendants95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareApproves consent decree resolving mental health treatment delays, mandating improved competency restoration services for vulnerable patients per court settlement.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Mental Health Substance Abuse

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died · Oklahoma · House Feb 11, 2025

HB 1589: School employees; Education Employee Assistant Program; Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services; effective date; emergency.

HB 1589 creates a voluntary Education Employee Assistance Program within Oklahoma's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. The program provides school employees and their families with confidential support for personal, mental health, or substance abuse issues - including emotional, financial, or family concerns - without impacting their employment status. Key provisions include keeping participation records separate from personnel files, prohibiting subpoenas for records unless a safety threat exists, and requiring school districts to follow Board-established rules for any existing or new employee assistance programs. The bill explicitly states that participation or nonparticipation does not affect disciplinary actions or employment terms.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides confidential mental health support for school employees, strengthening educator well-being and retention without employment impact.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates voluntary mental health/substance abuse support program for school employees, expanding access to mental health services without employment impact.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides confidential mental health support for school employees without employment impact, aligning with worker well-being protections under labor & employment standards.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Mental Health Substance Abuse

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died · Oklahoma · House May 30, 2025

HB 1224: Health care; minor self-consent to health services; granting certain protections to parent or legal guardian related to medical records; effective date.

HB 1224 allows certain minors to consent to specific health services without parental approval, including treatment for pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, substance abuse, or sexual assault. Parents generally retain access to their minor child's medical records, but this right is limited when the minor uses the bill's self-consent provisions for the listed health conditions. Health professionals must make a reasonable attempt to notify parents for emergency care but are not required to inform them for most other services covered under the bill. The bill also protects health providers from liability when acting in good faith under these rules, ensuring minors' confidentiality in sensitive health matters.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEnables minors to access sensitive health services (pregnancy, STIs, etc.) without parental consent, expanding patient access and protecting rights in healthcare.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 1042: Sunset; Opioid Overdose Fatality Review Board; extending sunset year.

HB 1042 extends the expiration date of Oklahoma's Opioid Overdose Fatality Review Board from July 1, 2025, to July 1, 2026, under the state's Sunset Law. The board, created within the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, reviews opioid overdose deaths (for individuals 18+) to analyze causes, coordinate prevention efforts, and make system improvement recommendations to medical and law enforcement agencies. This procedural bill does not alter the board's existing duties - such as data collection, confidential case reviews, or annual reporting - but ensures its continued operation for one additional year.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExtends oversight board analyzing opioid deaths to improve prevention and coordination with law enforcement, supporting systemic reform through data-driven prevention efforts.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExtends opioid overdose fatality review board, maintaining public health prevention efforts under mental health services.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Law Enforcement Mental Health Substance Abuse

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 2923: Prisoner reentry; creating the Oklahoma Prisoner Reentry Pilot Program; stating purpose of pilot program; codification; effective date.

HB 2923 creates the Oklahoma Prisoner Reentry Pilot Program to support inmates transitioning from prison to community life. It directly affects inmates under the Department of Corrections' jurisdiction who have a medium or high risk of felony re-arrest, focusing on those in counties with over 500,000 residents. The bill requires the Department to provide case management services connecting participants to 14 specific support areas, including housing, job training, healthcare, substance abuse treatment, and transitional services like transportation. The program must be evaluated annually to assess recidivism reduction, with results reported to the Legislature and Governor, and becomes effective November 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates Oklahoma Prisoner Reentry Pilot Program with case management services (housing, job training, healthcare) to reduce recidivism among high-risk inmates, directly advancing criminal justice reform.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates healthcare as one of 14 required support services for prisoner reentry program participants, directly advancing healthcare access for this population.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Probation & Parole Substance Abuse

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signed · Oklahoma · House May 8, 2025

HB 2049: Medicaid parity; coverage; mental health and substance use disorders; contract compliance; noncompliance reviews; Oklahoma Health Care Authority; complaints; publication of reports; effective date.

HB 2049 requires Oklahoma's Medicaid managed care plans to comply with federal parity laws for mental health and substance use disorder coverage. It mandates regular compliance checks on nonquantitative treatment limitations (like prior authorization), creates a standardized process for handling parity complaints, and requires the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to publicly report on compliance. The law directly affects Medicaid managed care plans, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, and Medicaid beneficiaries seeking mental health or substance use services. Key provisions include contract requirements for parity analysis, public disclosure of compliance reports, and a 30-day deadline for publishing federal reports. The bill became effective November 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires Medicaid plans to comply with federal parity laws for mental health/substance use coverage, strengthening patient access and rights under Medicaid.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Mental Health Substance Abuse

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 691: Law enforcement; requiring the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to develop certain program. Effective date.

SB 691 requires Oklahoma's Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training and the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to create a voluntary program offering specialized training for law enforcement officers to handle mental health crisis calls. Officers who complete the training will be designated as "law enforcement mental health specialists." The bill mandates these agencies to develop the program and establish rules for its implementation, effective November 1, 2025. This directly affects participating officers and aims to improve responses to mental health emergencies involving law enforcement.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill creates mental health crisis training for law enforcement to reduce unnecessary criminalization and improve officer responses, a key criminal justice reform initiative.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires specialized mental health training for law enforcement to improve crisis response, directly supporting mental health services access and coordination.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Mental Health Substance Abuse

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 17, 2025

HB 2371: Schools; mental health; pilot programs; revolving fund; effective date.

HB 2371 proposes funding pilot programs for school districts to use AI software on school-issued devices as a safety tool, without direct student surveillance. The bill requires the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the State Department of Education to fund AI programs that analyze device activity (via existing web filtering systems) to assess student safety, readiness to learn, and well-being, using data already collected for compliance. It creates a dedicated revolving fund in the state treasury to cover costs like software, equipment, and personnel for these voluntary pilot programs, which can be implemented at the district or school level. The bill would take effect November 1, 2025, if passed.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill allocates state funds for AI safety pilot programs in schools, enhancing student well-being initiatives through existing infrastructure without direct surveillance.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates funding for AI programs assessing student well-being via school devices, directly supporting school-based mental health services under mental health departments.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill funds AI software pilot programs for school safety using existing web filtering systems, advancing technology use without direct surveillance.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Student Health Mental Health Substance Abuse Artificial Intelligence

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