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Week In Review

Monday, March 11 to Thursday, March 14, 2013



Monday, March 11

• The Senate met Monday, approving a number of bills including the following:

-SB 585 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, reduces the top income tax rate.

-SB 37 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, amends language related to the transportation of dead bodies.

-SB 101 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, creates the Task Force on State Services for Adults with Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism.

-SB 268 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, increases the amount of time schools must be in session.

-SB 280 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, amends language pertaining to student transfers.

-SB 316 by Sen. John Ford, provides that teachers receiving a superior or highly effective rating will receive a $1,000 bonus and a $500 bonus upon full implementation of the Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Evaluation System.

-SB 324 by Sen. Charles Wyrick, allows certain game fish to be taken by noodling.

-SB 360 by Sen. Charles Wyrick, increases the term of the Board of Directors of the Grand River Dam Authority from four years to five.

-SB 406 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, allows the first license revocation of any persons who fail to stop or remain stopped for school bus loading or unloading of children to be modified.

-SB 419 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, clarifies the definition of “educationally appropriate” in language related to schools.

-SB 423 by Sen. John Sparks, modifies the eligibility requirements for in-state tuition.

-SB 478 by Sen. Charles Wyrick, requires legislative authorization of budgets.

-SB 521 by Sen. Greg Treat, directs the Department of Human Services to develop a plan to create a workforce development program for child welfare workers.

-SB 582 by Sen. Rick Brinkley, amends language relating to service liens on personal property.

-SB 583 by Sen. Rick Brinkley, removes language prohibiting a vehicle left by its owner in a place of business for garaging, repairing, parking or storing vehicles for the public.

-SB 733 by Sen. Rick Brinkley, updates statutory references relating to retirement and OPERS.

-SB 752 by Sen. Tom Ivester, modifies language relating to identification cards for members of the armed forces.

-SB 772 by Sen. Tom Ivester, adds an Oklahoma Army or Air National Guard NGB Form 22 to the list of approved documents in order to earn a veteran designation on driver licenses or identification cards.

-SB 814 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, amends language relating to tattooing and piercing.

-SB 860 by Sen. Charles Wyrick, permits a written operator’s security verification form required under the Compulsory Insurance Law to be provided in an electronic version on a portable electronic device.

-SB 907 by Sen. Greg Treat, authorizes the Joint Committee on Accountability to have certain powers and duties for the purpose of conducting performance audits.

-SB 1008 by Sen. Greg Treat, creates the Oklahoma Office of Privatization Act.

-SB 1111 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, creates the Teachers’ Retirement System Cost-of-Living Adjustment Revolving Fund.

-SJR 4 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, declares the Woodring Wall of Honor in Enid as the State of Oklahoma’s official Vietnam War Memorial.

-SJR 8 by Sen. Brian Bingman, requires the president, vice-president and Congress to work to eliminate or reform the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance tax and other Affordable Care Act taxes that create higher costs, reduce jobs and decrease consumer choice.

-SJR 13 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, designates Route 66 through Oklahoma as Oklahoma’s Official Bicycle Route.

-SB 991 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, prohibits insurers from increasing the limits of liability by the stacking of policies.

• Senate committees took no action on bills Monday.

• The House convened Monday, approving a number of bills including the following:

-HB 1234 by Rep. Ann Coody, adds goals to school districts’ professional development programs.

-HB 1369 by Rep. David Dank, establishes a definition for a tax credit.

-HB 1887 by Rep. Josh Cockroft, amends language relating to elections and election dates.

-HB 1783 by Rep. Todd Russ, amends language relating to prescriptions for controlled dangerous substances.

-HB 1478 by Rep. Jason Murphey, creates the Executive Reform Act of 2013.

-HB 1711 by Rep. Todd Thomsen, establishes the School District Unfunded Mandate Relief Program.

-HB 1712 by Rep. Todd Thomsen, creates the Common Education Lottery Revolving Fund.

-HB 1909 by Rep. T.W. Shannon, amends language relating to food stamp eligibility.

-HB 1912 by Rep. T.W. Shannon, states that the defendant will be required to pay all or any part of the cost of treatment and counseling services.

• The House Calendar Committee met Monday, and advanced a number of proposals to the floor agenda.

Tuesday, March 12

• The Senate met Tuesday, approving numerous bills including the following:

-SB 587 by Sen. Ron Justice, clarifies definitions relating to public health.

-SB 470 by Sen. Earl Garrison, requires that members of county excise boards in all counties receive as compensation an amount established by the board of county commissioners for the county in which they serve.

-SB 679 by Sen. A.J. Griffin, modifies circumstances that allow taking a child into custody.

-SB 912 by Sen. Mark Allen, enacts a moratorium on the issuance of any required state permits for the construction, installation or operation of any energy generation facilities utilizing wind turbines located within a 10 mile radius of any incorporated municipality with a population of 200,000 persons or more.

-SB 1040 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, requires a proceeding under the section to be the jurisdiction of either the district court or administrative court.

-SB 864 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, permits the Tax Commission or a taxpayer for a dispute which relates to a proposed assessment of taxes or additional taxes, or denial of a claim for refund to file an appeal in the district court of Oklahoma County or the county in which the taxpayer resides or appeal directly to the Supreme Court for a trial de novo.

-SB 447 by Sen. Clark Jolley, changes references to criterion reference tests to formative assessments.

-SB 459 by Sen. Jabar Shumate, creates the Task Force on Regulatory Standards for Hospice Care.

-SB 13 by Sen. Roger Ballenger, designates a section of State Highway 4 as the Pikey’s Crossing Memorial Bridge.

-SB 89 by Sen. Roger Ballenger, increases the fine for a state traffic citation for dumping trash on private property.

-SB 106 by Sen. Roger Ballenger, increases the penalty for violations of the Oklahoma Scrap Metal Dealers Act.

-SB 156 by Sen. Jim Halligan, requires the State Regents for Higher Education to annually submit a report to the Legislature with information concerning all baccalaureate programs offered in the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education.

-SB 173 by Sen. A.J. Griffin, exempts any person or business that allows any individual except a convicted felon to carry a loaded weapon on the property that the person, corporation, place of worship or business entity owns from liability.

-SB 199 by Sen. Corey Brooks, prohibits district boards of education and administrators from inquiring whether an interviewee has children or where they plan to enroll their children.

-SB 200 by Sen. A.J. Griffin, establishes a program of foster care for children in the custody of the Office of Juvenile Affairs which would recruit foster families.

-SB 244 by Sen. Clark Jolley, provides that any person who has been employed as a full-time teacher by a school district in Oklahoma who applies for employment as a full-time teacher in another school district in this state may not be required to have a national criminal history record check if the teacher can provide a copy of a criminal history record check completed within the preceding year.

-SB 251 by Sen. Earl Garrison, allows the Oklahoma School for the Blind and the Oklahoma School for the Deaf to be considered local education agencies solely for the purposes of purchasing, administering and obtaining test results.

-SB 276 by Sen. Randy Bass, amends language relating to absentee ballots.

-SB 277 by Sen. Randy Bass, amends language pertaining to elections and compensation of precinct officials.

-SB 302 by Sen. Clark Jolley, authorizes the Board of Podiatric Medical Examiners to use certain examinations for licensing exams.

-SB 365 by Sen. A.J. Griffin, clarifies the definitions of the terms license and department in the Oklahoma Scrap Metal Dealers Act.

-SB 376 by Sen. Roger Ballenger, prohibits the Medical Expense Liability Fund from falling below $1 million for purposes of reimbursing counties for detention officer training provided by the Oklahoma Sheriff’s Association.

-SB 380 by Sen. Jabar Shumate, specifies the purpose of the Oklahoma Bridge to Literacy Program.

-SB 399 by Sen. Tom Ivester, modifies requirements for OHLAP eligibility.

-SB 413 by Sen. Mike Schulz, removes outdated language related to public water supply systems.

-SB 418 by Sen. Kyle Loveless, designates a portion of I-40 as the Bill Swisher Memorial Highway.

-SB 484 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, changes from two to five, the number of years a person who has previously served as a juror may be exempt from serving again in their counties.

-SB 488 by Sen. Susan Paddack, creates the Inmate Farm Worker Act.

-SB 503 by Sen. Jabar Shumate, creates the Booker T. Washington High School License Plate.

-SB 511 by Sen. Greg Treat, moves the Native American Cultural and Educational Authority under the Oklahoma Historical Society.

-SB 513 by Sen. Jim Halligan, replaces language related to school districts.

-SB 546 by Sen. Kyle Loveless, amends language relating to motor vehicles and license plates.

-SB 547 by Sen. Bill Brown, modifies language relating to chiropractic physicians.

-SB 619 by Sen. Corey Brooks, requires the Oklahoma Tax Commission to cancel the license of any cigarette or tobacco dealer who has been determined to have violated the provisions of the Unfair Cigarette and Tobacco Product Sales Act.

-SB 631 by Sen. Clark Jolley, creates a task force to study technological integration into academic standards.

-SB 633 by Sen. Corey Brooks, adds the requirement that an individual applying for a low-point beer permit verify on their application that they have not been convicted of violating the laws related to the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act.

-SB 638 by Sen. Clark Jolley, allows the State Board of Education to adopt alternative tests by which a student may demonstrate mastery of the desired levels of competencies.

-SB 641 by Sen. Mike Schulz, modifies language related to waters and water rights.

-SB 645 by Sen. Mike Schulz, adds an aircraft which is purchased to be used exclusively for the purpose of training relating to rotary wing aircraft as exempt from excise tax levy.

-SB 671 by Sen. Tom Ivester, expands the definition of persons responsible for a child’s health, safety, and welfare to include any person with a reasonable expectation of responsibility over a child, regardless of where this person resides.

-SB 759 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, creates the Deployed Parents School Act of 2013.

-SB 804 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, creates the Oklahoma Affordable Housing Act.

-SB 819 by Sen. Ralph Shortey, prohibits the use of certain hunting aids.

-SB 831 by Sen. Ralph Shortey, allows citizens 21 years of age or older to transport a pistol in a motor vehicle for the purpose of self-defense.

-SB 875 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, adds elk to the list of nuisance wildlife.

-SB 911 by Sen. Bill Brown, modifies appointment fees and amends language related to requirements for licensure as a life or accident and health insurance broker.

-SB 934 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, adds that a legal guardian of a child or a person acting with the permission of the parent may give the child a firearm for certain purposes including education.

-SB 937 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, modifies statutory references related to the State Department of Health.

-SB 966 by Sen. Mike Schulz, permits a notarized affidavit signed by a custodial legal parent or legal guardian submitted by the person under the age of 18 years to be submitted with an application for an identification card by any person under the age of 18.

-SB 969 by Sen. Cliff Branan, creates the Pipeline Safety Task Force.

-SB 976 by Sen. Dan Newberry, modifies language related to the Oklahoma Quality Events Incentive Act.

-SB 984 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, provides that a deferred prosecution cannot be offered to a person accused of an offense that would require service of 85 percent of the sentence or an underlying offense which would result in a requirement to register as a sex offender.

-SB 985 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, modifies the additional assessment allowed for those convicted under the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act.

-SB 1013 by Sen. Ralph Shortey, creates the Bail Enforcement and Licensing Act.

-SB 1026 by Sen. Brian Bingman, creates the CompSource Mutual Insurance Company Act.

-SB 1030 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, requires persons convicted of operating a vehicle under the influence to attend in-person a live victim impact panel.

-SB 1041 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, provides that a court will not seal any records or files unless specifically authorized by the Oklahoma Constitution or by statute.

-SB 1042 by Sen. Dan Newberry, clarifies the duties and powers of the Alarm and Locksmith Industry Committee.

-SB 1074 by Sen. Dan Newberry, recreates the Construction Industries Board.

-SJR 33 by Sen. Eddie Fields, modifies language relating to office holders who serve in the National Guard Reserve.


• Senate committees took no action on Tuesday.

• The House convened Tuesday, approving numerous bills including the following:

-HB 2032 by Rep. T.W. Shannon, reduces the income tax rate.

-HB 1588 by Rep. Rebecca Hamilton, creates the Parental Notification for Abortion Act.

-HB 1361 by Rep. Randy Grau, requires a parent entitled to notice and consent for an abortion by an unemancipated minor to provide to the physician a copy of a government-issued proof of identification.

-HB 2015 by Rep. Sean Roberts, adds additional questions to the Individual Abortion Form.

-HB 2021 by Rep. Sean Roberts, creates the Firearms Freedom Act.

-HB 1062 by Rep. Mark McCullough, permits a handgun to be carried into any elementary or secondary school by school personnel who have successfully completed a special reserve school resource officer academy offered by CLEET.

-HB 1716 by Rep. Leslie Osborn, repeals the Oklahoma franchise tax.

-HB 1328 by Rep. Scott Biggs, creates the Criminal Procedure Act of 2013.

-HB 1914 by Rep. T. W. Shannon, creates the Public Agency Fee Moratorium.

-HB 1622 by Rep. Sally Kern, allows a concealed or unconcealed handgun to be carried onto private elementary or private secondary school property by a person who is appropriately licensed.

• The House Calendar Committee met Tuesday, and advanced a number of bills to the floor agenda.

Wednesday, March 13

• The Senate approved the following measures Wednesday:

-SB 164 by Sen. Jabar Shumate, reauthorizes Sigma Gamma Rho license plates.

-SB 256 by Sen. Brian Bingman, requires all public schools to conduct a minimum of eight safety drills per school year.

-SB 257 by Sen. Brian Bingman, requires the Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security to designate a division of their office as the Oklahoma School Security Institute.

-SB 258 by Sen. Brian Bingman, requires natural and man-made disasters and emergency plans to be reviewed and updated annually as prepared by each school.

-SB 501 by Sen. Frank Simpson, gives local political subdivisions the authority to ban smoking in municipal parks and other facilities under their control.

-SB 259 by Sen. Brian Bingman, modifies language related to firearms.

-SB 267 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, allows the State Board of Education to sponsor the applicant of a charter school from the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board that is for the purpose of establishing a full-time statewide virtual charter school.

-SB 512 by Sen. Clark Jolley, consolidates ABLE with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs.

-SB 573 by Sen. Clark Jolley, creates the Public Charter School Commission.

-SB 162 by Sen. Patrick Anderson, removes the ability of the Director of the Department of Corrections to transfer any prisoner who appears to be mentally ill to a state hospital for care and treatment.

-SB 1038 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, establishes that the court shall assess a fine equal to the number of months deferred or suspended multiplied by $40, which shall be payable to the Department of Corrections or the district attorney for any period of the sentence that is deferred or suspended.

-SB 692 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, clarifies that insurance and insurance department are interchangeable.

-SB 49 by Sen. John Sparks, provides that public universities that maintain CLEET-certified law enforcement agencies may elect to be considered jurisdictions under the Oklahoma Intrastate Mutual Aid Compact.

-SB 78 by Sen. Brian Bingman, adds language concerning multiunit horizontal wells.

-SB 191 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, allows process servers to deliver a written notice of their intent to drill containing a designation of the proposed location and the approximate date that the operator proposes to commence drilling to the owner of the land where the drilling would take place.

-SB 298 by Sen. Al McAffrey, amends language pertaining to licensure requirements for physicians allowing those certified the right to advertise as board certified.

-SB 341 by Sen. Mike Mazzei, repeals statutory language related to franchise or excise tax upon corporations.

-SB 436 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, modifies language related to boards of education.

-SB 466 by Sen. Frank Simpson, modifies language relating to local government subdivisions.

-SB 639 by Sen. Kim David, expands the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s Child Abuse Response Team.

-SB 708 by Sen. John Sparks, creates a misdemeanor for any person who willfully cuts or damages a fence used for the containment of livestock.

-SB 711 by Sen. Rick Brinkley, exempts a new development on unincorporated tracts of land from certain requirements.

-SB 849 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, amends language relating to the Oklahoma Insurance Code.

-SB 924 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, expands the duties of the Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Commission.

-SB 925 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, provides definitions for powersports vehicles.

-SB 951 by Sen. Ralph Shortey, establishes that courts are prohibited to enforce foreign law.

-SB 971 by Sen. Cliff Branan, adds language providing that owners electing to participate in the drilling and development of the initial well drilled in a spacing unit under a pooling order will be entitled to participate in any subsequent well drilled in the spacing unit to a common source of supply covered by the pooling order and will be entitled to a separate election on each subsequent well as long as the pooling order remains in effect.

-SB 977 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, consolidates and repeals duplicative sections.

-SB 1009 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, removes from the objectives of circuit engineering districts to provide certain assistance to county governments.

-SB 1039 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, modifies procedure for pardon and parole.

-SB 1119 by Sen. John Sparks, requires designees serving on state retirement systems to be full-time employees of the appropriate agency.

-SJR 10 by Sen. Josh Brecheen, proposes a constitutional amendment limiting the amount of Oklahoma’s debt to $2 billion.

-SJR 16 by Sen. John Sparks, allows a disabled veteran to claim a homestead exemption on the full amount of a manufactured home.

-SJR 17 by Sen. Clark Jolley, renames ABLE the Oklahoma Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Enforcement.

-SJR 21 by Sen. Clark Jolley, proposes a constitutional amendment to require Senate approval of judicial nominees.

-SJR 22 by Sen. Clark Jolley, proposes a constitutional amendment to allow the governor to appoint the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

-SJR 24 by Sen. Clark Jolley, proposes a constitutional amendment to limit the period of time a person may serve as the judge of an appellate court.

-SCR 1 by Sen. Jerry Ellis, calls upon Congress to enact a balanced federal budget.

• Senate committees took no action on Wednesday.

• The House met Wednesday, approving a number of measures including the following:

-HB 2201 by Rep. T.W. Shannon, creates the CompSource Mutual Insurance Company Act.

-HB 1021 by Rep. Mike Ritze, declares that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is invalid in Oklahoma.

-HB 1412 by Rep. Sally Kern, prohibits the state from implementing any policy recommendations originating in United Nations Agenda 21.

-HB 1672 by Rep. Gus Blackwell, creates the Continuity of Care Act of 2013.

-HB 1022 by Rep. Randy McDaniel, gives power and authority to the Commissioners of Land Office to purchase real property.

-HB 1911 by Rep. T.W. Shannon, states that an individual from another state will be employed in Oklahoma for three months prior to being eligible for unemployment benefits.


• The House Calendar Committee met Wednesday, and moved a number of proposals to the floor agenda.


Thursday, March 14

• The Senate met Thursday, approving the following measures:

-SB 1058 by Sen. Mike Schulz, allows for a refund or credit for consumer credit sale or consumer loan to be initiated by a creditor with knowledge that a refund is due.

-SB 767 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, transfers the duties of the Commission on Marginally Producing Wells to the Committee for Sustaining Oklahoma’s Energy Resources.

-SB 965 by Sen. Bryce Marlatt, modifies appointments to the Water Resources Board based on regional representation.

-SB 592 by Sen. David Holt, allows assisted living facilities to participate in an informal dispute resolution panel offered by the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

-SB 596 by Sen. David Holt, directs the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to develop an accountability method to determine performance and efficiency for state agencies.

-SB 887 by Sen. David Holt, prohibits the transfer of food stamp benefits to persons not authorized to possess them.

-SB 889 by Sen. David Holt, creates a system for level one and level two sex offenders to be removed from the registry under certain circumstances.

-SB 309 by Sen. David Holt, states that Presidential Electors who violate their oath forfeit their office.

-SB 461 by Sen. David Holt, prohibits state contracts from being renewed for any period longer than the initial contract period without reopening the bid for competition.