ABOUT US | CONTACT US

Update on legislation you may find interesting

Yesterday was the deadline for bills to come out of their chamber of origin in the Legislature.
Because of the response we received to our last no-frills list of bills, here is another. Keep in
mind that these bills may change greatly in the coming weeks and may not ever make it to the
governor's desk.
If you support or oppose one of these bills, call your legislators to express your opinion. Click
HERE to find out who represents you and get their phone numbers.
Health care
Senate Bill 1251
SB 1251 prohibits domestic violence from being used as a pre-existing condition or to deny
insurance claims.
Read SB 1251 HERE.
Senate Joint Resolution 58
SJR 58 petitions Congress to allow the state to not participate in health care reform and asks for
taxes collected under health care reform to be returned to the state as block grants.
Read SJR 58 HERE.
Senate Joint Resolution 59
SJR 59 proposes a constitutional amendment to "opt out" of health care reform.
Read SJR 59 HERE.
House Bill 1686
HB 1686 requires preferential bidding on state contracts to firms that provide health insurance
for their employees, when bids are otherwise equal.
Read HB 1686 HERE.
Senate Bill 2046
SB 2046 allows interstate health insurance sales.
Read SB 2046 HERE.
Senate Bill 2148
SB 2148 allows medical professionals who charge no more than the Medicare reimbursement
rate to be shielded from lawsuits.
Read SB 2148 HERE.
House Bill 3077
HB 3077 makes it illegal for women to sell their eggs.
Read HB 3077 HERE.
seniors
House Bill 2906
HB 2906 adds to the list of people required to make a report of abuse, neglect or exploitation of a
vulnerable adult.
Read HB 2906 HERE.
House Bill 2596
HB 2596 directs the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to include in the cash and counseling
program (which is an alternative to long-term care) that consumers receive a monthly budget
based on their needs.
Read HB 2596 HERE.
House Bill 2776
HB 2776 requires disclosure of information related to the death or near-death of a vulnerable
adult.
Read HB 2776 HERE.
House Bill 2778
HB 2778 changes the Oklahoma Health Care Authority's incentive reimbursement plan for
nursing facilities.
Read HB 2778 HERE.
Senate Bill 1879
SB 1879 requires nursing homes to report suspected rape and other criminal acts to law
enforcement immediately.
Read SB 1879 HERE.
Senate Bill 1289
SB 1289 expands the circumstances under which a long-term care facility may not hire a person
with a criminal background.
Read SB 1289 HERE.
consumer issues
Senate Bill 847
SB 847 requires a two-year "cooling-off" period before former legislators may become lobbyists.
Read SB 847 HERE.
Senate Bill 1328
SB 1328 eliminates the grocery sales tax once the state recovers economically.
Read SB 1328 HERE.
Senate Bill 1392
SB 1392 originally was a bill to require drug testing for recipients of Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF) but was amended to require drug testing of state elected officials and
CEOs of companies that receive tax credits/deductions.
Read SB 1392 HERE.
Senate Bill 1849
SB 1849 requires legislative approval of state-agency rules.
Read SB 1849 HERE.
Senate Bill 1973
SB 1973 overhauls the state's worker's compensation system.
Read SB 1973 HERE.
Senate Bill 1996
SB 1996 requires sale of the state-backed CompSource worker's compensation insurer.
Read SB 1996 HERE.
Senate Bill 2241
SB 2241 requires property owners to remediate an apartment, hotel room or residence that has
been used for meth production before it may be rented again.
Read SB 2241 HERE.
House Bill 2316
HB 2316 makes it illegal to sell a card or system designed to "spoof" a caller ID.
Read HB 2316 HERE.
House Bill 2541
HB 2541 requires municipal courts to keep personally identifying information confidential.
Read HB 2541 HERE.
House Bill 2569
HB 2569 prohibits use of radio-frequency identification tags on driver's licenses and ID cards.
Read HB 2569 HERE.
House Bill 2745
HB 2745 creates the Oklahoma Pet Quality Assurance and Protection Act and establishes a
licensing process for pet breeders.
Read HB 2745 HERE.
House Bill 2748
HB 2748 designates public-education facilities as non-smoking and allows the State Regents for
Higher Education to impose penalties.
Read HB 2748 HERE.
House Bill 2774
HB 2774 helps pay for restaurants that build smoking rooms to become smoke-free.
Read HB 2774 HERE.
House Bill 3166
HB 3166 requires an annual evaluation and review of state tax credits.
Read HB 3166 HERE.
House Bill 3250
HB 3250 prohibits texting while driving.
Read HB 3250 HERE.
Senate Bill 2053
SB 2053 creates a Consumers' Insurance Bill of Rights.
Read SB 2053 HERE.
House Bill 2634
HB 2634 requires pre-marital counseling and does away with new common-law marriages.
Read HB 2634 HERE.
House Bill 3053
HB 3053 limits the amount of time that property can be taken by eminent domain and not be
used.
Read HB 3053 HERE.
House Bill 2829
HB 2829 exempts telecommunications providers from some Corporation Commission
regulations.
Read HB 2829 HERE.
Education
Senate Bill 2330
SB 2330 allows local school districts to be free of some state mandates.
Read SB 2330 HERE.
House Bill 3393
HB 3393 provides scholarships for special-needs students to attend any accredited public or
private school.
Read HB 3393 HERE.
Here is a listing of the “SENIOR RELATED” bills that are still ‘active’ in the Legislature for this
session. Jim Spencer 3/13/10
==============================================================

Advocacy and Legislative Agenda - 2010

1. Support legislation that provides for adequate funding of nutrition sites to improve the
health and nutrition of older Oklahomans.

ALL BILLS DIED.

2. Support legislation that improves the lives of grandparents needing access to or providing
services for grandchildren.
HB2733 Rep. Rousselot (D)/ Sen. Garrison (D). Makes it easier for relatives to petition and
acquire guardianship for minors. Establishes a judicial procedure for custody by a relative after a
parent has abandoned the child. (DHS Request Bill) OAP Bill. Passed House. Sent to Senate
Judiciary Committee.
3. Support efforts to pass or strengthen laws that improve the lives of Oklahoma Long Term
Care (LTC) residents and protect their rights while in LTC.

HB2283 Rep. John Wright (R)/Sen. Aldridge (R). Provides for Extension of Long-Term Care
Facility Advisory Board until 2014. OAP Bill. Passed House. Sent to Senate Gen. Gov.
Committee.

HB2285 Rep. John Wright (R)/ Sen. Aldridge (R). Provides for Extension of Long-Term Care
Facility Advisory Board until 2014. OAP Bill. Passed House. Sent to Senate Gen. Gov.
Committee.

HB2695 Rep. Tibbs (R). Exempts certain assisted living facilities, licensed to house six or fewer
residents prior to July 1, 2008, from the requirement to install fire sprinkler protection. Passed
House. HB2778 Rep. Steele (R)/Sen. Crain(R). Requires the OK Health Care Authority to
increase transparency of the incentive reimbursement plan developed for nursing homes. OAP
Bill Passed House. Sent to Senate Appropriations- Health.

HB3393 Rep. Nelson (R)/Senator Anderson (R) Mandates ADvantage to expand its
consumer-directed services option CD-PASS statewide. Passed House. Sent to Senate. SB1289
Senator Coates (R)/ Rep. Shelton (D). Amends current law to provide that any person who has
pled guilty or no contest to, or received a deferred sentence for, a variety of offenses cannot be
hired at a long-term care facility. OAP Bill. Passed Senate. Sent to House. SB1879 Senator
Newberry (R)/Rep. Thompson (R). Requires nursing homes to report situations where rape has
occurred or is suspected immediately. Other crimes need only be reported within twenty-four
hours. OAP Bill. Passed Senate. Sent to House. SB1907 Senator Aldridge (R)/Rep. Wright, J
(R). Extends deadline from 2010 to 2014 for a variety of statutory entities involving boards,
including those related to long-term care facilities and disabled persons. OAP Bill. Passed
Senate. Sent to House. 4. Support funding and expansion of efforts to foster independence of
older Oklahomans who desire to reside in their homes.
HB2596 Rep. Richard Morrissette (D)/Sen. Coates (R). "Empower-OK Act" creates Cash and
Counseling service as part of the ADvantage program. Service is one component of a consumer
directed care program through which funds are sent directly to the consumer to purchase services
rather than to an agency for delivery of services. OAP Bill. Passed House. Sent to Senate.
HB2828 Rep. Peters (R)/Sen. Bingman. Provides that the Oklahoma Health Care Authority shall
annually assess a Home-Based Support Quality Assurance Assessment on each contracted
community-based service provider in this state. Provides that payment of Assessment shall be an
allowable cost for Medicaid reimbursement purposes. OAP Bill. Passed House. Sent to Senate.
HB2986 Rep. Schwartz (R)/ Sen. Ford (R). Establishes a registry for those individuals
providing companion or sitter services that are not employed by an agency. Requires that a
criminal history records search be conducted. Passed House. Sent to Senate. SB1819 Senator
Crain (R)/Rep. Cox (R). Creates the Direct Care Worker Advisory Council to advise the
Commissioner of Health on the regulation and certification of direct care workers and to develop
recommendations for direct care workers in the state. Passed Senate. Sent to House. SB1916
Senator Ford (R)/Rep. Peters (R). Charges the Dept of Health with establishing an online registry
for those who are employed by or contract with a home care agency, specifies registration
information and requires compliance by 2011. OAP Bill. Passed Senate. Sent to House.
5. Support efforts to pass or strengthen laws to increase the financial independence of older
Oklahomans.

SB1280 Senator Anderson (R)/ Rep. Peters (R). The bill will allow payment of unemployment
taxes of only 2%, rather than the 6.2% required by federal law, making more money available for
wages to direct care workers. (DHS Request Bill) Passed Senate. Sent to House.

6. Support laws that promote the health and safety of older Oklahomans.

HB2776 Rep. Steele (R)/Sen. Justice (R). Lists information that is in the public's best interest to
know when the caretaker of a vulnerable adult has been charged with causing his or her death or
near death, including circumstances of the investigation. OAP Bill. Passed House. Sent to Senate
Health and Human Services Committee.

HB2906 Rep. Morgan (D)/ Sen. Easley-McIntyre. Adds municipal employees to the list of
persons who must report suspected abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult.
Establishes a Vulnerable Adult Intervention Team Pilot Program. Passed House. Sent to Senate.
HB 2990 Rep. Enns (R)/ Sen. Russell (R). Provides that the Oklahoma Health Care Authority be
required to establish reimbursement rates for prosthetic devices for Medicaid-eligible individuals
in an amount that equals the Medicare rates, depending on available funding. Passed House.
Sent to Senate.
SB1325 Senator Anderson (R)/ Rep. Enns (R). Changes the revocation procedure in
do-not-resuscitate form to state that the representative may revoke the DNR consent by written or
oral notification to the physician. Passed Senate. Sent to House. SB1357 Senator Anderson (R)
Rep. Jackson (R). Requires the Dept. of Health to develop a universal transfer form for use when
transferring patients between facilities. Also provides the Dept. the authority to fine facilities up
to $500 for failure to comply. OAP Bill Passed Senate. Sent to House. SB1776- Senator
Anderson (R)/ Rep. Peters (R). The bill changes the name of the Oklahoma 2-1-1 Advisory
Collaborative to the 2-1-1 Oklahoma Coordinating Council. The bill also defines the duties and
responsibilities of the council. Passed Senate. Sent to House. SB2204 Senator Ivester (D)/Rep.
Dank (R). Creates the Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Act to address
the problems of determining of which state has jurisdiction to appoint a guardian when more than
one state, or even another country, is involved. Passed Senate. Sent to House. SJR78 Senator
Ivester (D). Encourages local governments to require Alzheimer's disease training for all first
responders. OAP Bill.