OKLAHOMA CITY - A bill co-sponsored by Reps. Stacy Jo Adams (R-Duncan), Dick Lowe (R-Amber) and Daniel Pae (R-Lawton) was vetoed by Gov. Kevin Sitt last week.
House Bill 1389, authored by Rep. Melissa Provenzano (R-Tulsa) sought to amend state law and expand access to diagnostic mammograms. Specifics of the bill included increasing the definitions and coverage requirements for diagnostic examinations and breast cancer screening. New types of examinations would have been added, including molecular breast imaging and contrast- enhanced mammograms.
“I am deeply sympathetic to the women across our state who have bravely fought breast cancer,” Gov. Stitt said in his veto remarks. “While early detection and access to care are critical priorities, this legislation imposes new and costly insurance mandates on private health plans that will ultimately raise insurance premiums for working families and small businesses.
“Mammograms are already covered, and when a doctor sees the need for further tests, they are empowered to order further tests that can be covered by insurance. Without fail, when government gets involved in markets, prices rise for everyone. Rather than expanding government mandates, we should focus on empowering individuals and encouraging innovation in the marketplace to improve access and affordability.”
Rep. Stacy Jo Adams (R-Duncan) is co-sponsor of two bills that were recently approved by the governor. They are:
• HB 1076, also known as the Food Truck Freedom Act, intends to cut red tape for the state’s growing mobile food industry by creating a streamlined, statewide licensing system for food truck operators.
The new law will allow any mobile food vendor with a valid state food establishment license to operate anywhere in the state, provided they follow local health and zoning regulations, according to a legislative press release. Previously, food trucks were required to obtain separate permits for each city or county in which they did business, resulting in duplicative fees and logistical hurdles.
Some requirements for mobile vendors will remain the same, as they must still adhere to operational standards, including keeping their vehicles clean and in good repair, displaying their licenses and notifying the State Department of Health and local officials before serving at mass gatherings. They’re also responsible for providing trash receptacles and maintaining cleanliness within a 25-foot radius.
• Senate Bill 500, which will establish new regulations for state government contracts. Focus is on protecting firearm entities and firearm trade associations from discrimination. The law now requires companies seeking government contracts to provide written verification that they do not promote policies that refuse to do business with or terminate relationships with firearm entities.
The requirements will only apply to contracts with companies having at least 10 full-time employees and valued at $100,000 or more. The goal is to prevent businesses from being penalized due to their involvement in the firearms industry.
Rep. Brad Boles (R-Marlow) authored three energy-related bills that were approved by the governor last week. They are:
• HB 1369, which pertains to oil and gas and modifies the requirements for operators to show financial ability to plug wells, close surface impoundments and remove equipment in the state.
The Category A surety (a financial statement proving net worth) will be phased out by Nov. 1 and a tiered Category B surety system based on the number of wells an operator manages will be introduced. Current operators in good standing will be able to retain the Category A surety.
Ensuring that oil and gas operators have sufficient financial resources to fulfill their operational and environmental responsibilities is the goal of the law. In addition, the measure seeks to protect the state from potential cleanup costs if operators fail to manage their sites and wells.
• HB 1372 will modify the state’s gross production tax law and stipulates a 50% tax reduction for oil and gas recovery projects be provided, if wells are used from the Corporation Commission’s orphaned well list. The intent is to encourage the recovery and productive use of orphaned wells.
• HB 1373 establishes critical statutory protections for landowners hosting industrial solar facilities. It ensures that solar companies are held accountable for decommissioning activities. Currently, the state lacks regulations governing the removal of solar infrastructure if a company goes out of business or doesn’t decommission in a timely manner once production ends.
The measure also introduces new requirements for solar companies, such as requiring financial assurance to the landowner that must be at least equal to the estimated amount by which the cost or removing the solar power facilities from the property. It also specifies that the property be restored to as near as reasonably possible to the condition prior to the solar facility installation.
A nonenergy-related bill co-sponsored by Boles also became law last week without the governor’s signature. During the legislative session, a bill sent to the governor’s desk can become law without his signature provided no action, such as approval or veto, is taken within five days.
HB 1017 creates the Oklahoma College Athletic Conference Act and the Oklahoma NCAA Division II Athletic Conference Exploration Commission. In part, the purpose of the legislation is to establish a new intercollegiate athletic conference, with name to be determined, to promote and regulate college athletics among member institutions within the state.
It will be designed to provide enhanced athletic competition, foster community and state pride, support student athletes educational experiences by giving more time in the classroom and creating higher graduation rates.
Other goals of the new athletic conference include reduction of university athletic budgets due to less travel and providing better in-state rivalries to enhance student and spectator experience. It also aims to allow better in-state recruiting to keep Oklahoma students in Oklahoma. Compliance with both state and federal regulations governing college athletics will be ensured.
Rep. Toni Hasenbeck (R-Elgin) is the author of HB 1364, a measure prohibiting the dissemination of revenge pornography created using artificial intelligence. It will take effect later this year, after the governor’s approval last week.
“As technology evolves, so must our laws,” Hasenbeck said in a press release. “Artificial intelligence should never be used as a weapon to exploit or humiliate someone. By closing this loophole, we’re protecting Oklahomans from a deeply harmful and invasive form of abuse.”
Revenge pornography occurs when a person shares private sexual images without the consent of the depicted person to humiliate that person. Under the provisions of HB 1364, AI-created revenge porn will become a misdemeanor offense.
Hasenbeck previously authored legislation to expand the definition of “child pornography” to include AI-generated depictions of children in sexually explicit content.
She is also author of HB 1360, which became law last week without the governor’s signature. This new law will amend state statutes and expand protections for personal information confidentiality related to domestic abuse. It would allow the program manager of the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) to request that personal information be kept secure and not publicly available online.
The measure would also allow ACP participants to obtain a court order requiring county assessors to also keep personal information confidential.
Rep. Gerrid Kendrix (R-Altus) authored HB 2731, which became law last week without the governor’s signature. It will amend the Administrative Procedures Act by changing the rule submission date from April 1 to Feb. 1. This will impact how the governor can approve or disapprove administrative rules.
In addition, a bill co-sponsored by Kendrix, SB 283, also became law without the governor’s signature. It pertains to the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education and will amend state statutes specifically relating to the Oklahoma State Finance Act. The intent is to update two sections of law and allow expansion of the master lease program for state universities.
The master lease program permits the State Regents to finance property acquisitions or refinance lease terms with state higher education facilities. It also funds improvement projects and seeks to provide more financial flexibility for state universities in managing their lease-related and property financial obligations.
Rep. Dick Lowe (R-Amber) is co-sponsor of two bills that will become new laws. They are:
• SB 794, which was approved by the governor last week, will require the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to establish new student teaching requirements for teacher candidates enrolled in accredited educator preparation programs. The goal is to ensure that teacher candidates receive practical, comprehensive training before entering the classroom.
• HB 1089, which pertains to amusements and sports; specifically horse racing, will become law without the governor’s signature. The measure will amend the existing state horse racing legislation and modify the negotiation requirements and representation for horsemen’s organizations.
Rep. Daniel Pae (R-Lawton), who co-sponsored the mammogram- related measure, HB 1389, that was vetoed by the governor, was also co-sponsor of another vetoed proposal last week. SB 128 pertained to forcible entry and detainer and sought to provide more time for defendants in eviction proceedings, ensuring they have adequate notice and opportunity to respond.
Stitt said in his veto remarks that the proposal would make “the already burdensome and difficult” process of obtaining an eviction even more burdensome.
“The existing procedures already provide adequate due process and notice. This bill would also do the opposite as intended. Instead of assisting renters in arrears, it would incentivize landlords to specifically not rent housing units to low-income households, for risk of greater eviction costs. We cannot overcome economic realities with good intentions.”
Three other bills co-sponsored by Pae were approved by the governor last week. Two of the measures are aimed at combating antisemitism in public schools and universities. They are:
• SB 942 requires public schools and higher education institutions to integrate the definition of antisemitism into their codes of conduct and include antisemitism awareness in training programs for students and staff. The legislation ensures that antisemitism is addressed with the same urgency and seriousness as racial discrimination.
• SB 991 adopts the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s non-legally binding Working Definition of Anti-Semitism as a tool for education, training, recognizing and combating anti-Semitic hate crimes or discrimination. It also provides provision for tracking and reporting anti-Semitic incidents in the state.
The definition is meant to be a guideline for understanding and addressing anti-Semitism without restricting free speech.
• HB 1601, which was also approved by the governor, will create the Advancing Rights for Caregiving, Health and Extended Recovery (ARCHER) Act and seeks to expand maternity leave protections for teachers and certain educational employees.
Rep. Rande Worthen (R-Lawton) is co-sponsor of two bills that have been sent to the governor’s desk with one being vetoed and the other becoming law without the governor’s signature.
• SB 76, a new law that modifies Oklahoma’s parole revocation process by expanding the authority to revoke parole will now include the Pardon and Parole Board. The measure is designed to provide additional flexibility in managing parole violations while maintaining strict oversight of parolees.
• HB 1819, which was vetoed by the governor, sought to amend state laws regarding optometry licensing and fees. It would have increased the maximum annual license fee that the Board of Examiners in Optometry could charge.
In his veto remarks, Stitt said, “A fee increase is nothing more than a bureaucrat’s attempt at a pay raise. This bill would raise optometry license fees from $300 to $500, which will raise prices for Oklahoma consumers for something as simple as kids’ glasses. Every time government gets involved, prices go up. Not on my watch.”