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Week In Review

Monday, Feb. 17, 2014

• The Senate met briefly Monday, approving the following legislation.

-SB 1265 by Sen. Ron Justice, amends language relating to single-axle load limits.


• Senate committees approved a number of measures Monday, including the following.

-SB 1848 by Sen. Greg Treat, modifies language relating to the regulation of abortion clinics.

-SB 1994 by Sen. Nathan Dahm, authorizes the Attorney General to prohibit the implementation of the Health Care Exchange.

-SB 1495 by Sen. Kim David, directs the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to implement a managed care model for provision of services.

-SB 1143 by Sen. Rob Standridge, would require public elementary schools to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

-SB 1500 by Sen. Larry Boggs, requires the Pledge of Allegiance to be recited once daily in certain schools.

-SB 1915 by Sen. Ron Justice, creates the Home Food to Consumer Act.

-SB 1851 by Sen. Ron Justice, requires the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to promulgate rules for the licensing and inspection of vendors at Oklahoma and Tulsa County farmers markets.


• The House approved several measures Monday including the following.

-HB 2496 by Rep. Dennis Casey, amends language relating to the possession of firearms on school property.

-HB 2405 by Rep. Randy Grau, modifies definitions and the scope of liability under the Governmental Tort Claims Act.


• House committees met Monday, approving numerous measures including the following.

-HB 2583 by Rep. Todd Thomsen, amends language relating to the Oklahoma School Testing Program.

-HB 2661 by Rep. David Derby, creates the Corporate Taxation Reform Act of 2014.

-HB 3142 by Rep. Mike Jackson, enacts the Five-Year Manufacturing Exemption Taxpayer Responsibility Act of 2014.

-HB 3364 by Rep. John Echols, provides credit equal to amount of fines imposed upon certain natural persons pursuant to provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

-HB 3098 by Rep. Mike Jackson, provides a pay increase for the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

-HB 2313 by Rep. Mike Brown, modifies language relating to the teacher salary schedule.

-HB 2636 by Rep. Eric Proctor, provides a pay increase for certain public school teachers.

Tuesday, February 18

• The Senate met Tuesday, approving the following measures.

-SB 1536 by Sen. Brian Crain, requires hospitals to provide each patient or patient’s legal guardian with an opportunity to designate at least one caregiver no later than 24 hours following the patient’s entry into a hospital, and prior to the patient’s discharge or transfer.

-SB 1738 by Sen. Brian Crain, removes the requirement that sheriffs that are the sole source for certain records never destroy the records and replaces it with language that requires the records to be maintained for three years.

-SB 1739 by Sen. Brian Crain, clarifies language related to the responsibility of an arresting agency to take an individual directly to a medical facility to receive emergency medical care.

-SB 1329 by Sen. Ron Sharp, removes language relating to the Small Employer Quality Jobs Incentive Act.


• Senate committees approved a number of measures Tuesday, including the following.

-SB 1959 by Sen. Sean Burrage, creates the Rural Tourism Protection Act.

-SB 1458 by Sen. Mark Allen, prohibits county sheriffs and any salaried deputy sheriff from stopping any vehicle in order to weigh such vehicle by means of portable or stationary scales.

• The House approved several measures Tuesday, including the following.

-HB 2622 by Rep. Randy McDaniel, decreases the years state employer contributions will be determined on the basis of the most recent actuarial valuation from 40 years to 15 years from July 1, 2014.

-HB 2422 by Rep. John Bennett, creates the Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act.

• House committees approved a number of bills Tuesday, including the following.

-HB 2672 by Rep. David Derby, allows any person with a valid handgun license to be authorized to enter the State Capitol building upon presenting a valid handgun license.

-HB 2805 by Rep. Lewis Moore, creates the Oklahoma Firearm Sales and Manufacturing Initiative which exempts from federal law any personal firearm, firearm accessory or ammunition manufactured commercially or privately in Oklahoma.

-HB 1333 by Rep. Mike Jackson, creates the Municipal Roads and Bridges Revolving Fund.

-HJR 1074 by Rep. Charles Joyner, proposes a vote of the people to consider a constitutional amendment that increases the maximum Constitutional Reserve Fund balance from 15 percent of the General Revenue Fund certification for the preceding fiscal year to 22 percent of the General Revenue Fund certification for the preceding fiscal year.

-HB 1436 by Rep. Mike Turner, modifies penalties for the intentional smuggling of human beings for profit or commercial purposes.

-HB 2887 by Rep. John Enns, permits any college or university or technology center school to establish a policy for the general public regarding firearms on campus in lieu of written permission to each individual licensee under the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act.

Wednesday, February 19

• The Senate met Wednesday, approving the following bills.

-SB 2120 by Sen. Rick Brinkley, creates the Future State Employee Retirement Act.

-SB 1181 by Sen. Ron Sharp, creates the Oklahoma-A STEM State of Mind Program.

-SB 1198 by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, removes the requirement that one member of the Oklahoma Waterways Advisory Board be an economist with not less than five continuous years of bona fide experience in inland navigation feasibility studies, operation, maintenance and rehabilitation issues.

-SB 1788 by Sen. Brian Bingman, provides penalties for dispensing contact lenses without a prescription.

-SB 1789 by Sen. Brian Bingman, permits optometrists to prescribe hydrocodone or hydrocodone-containing drugs regardless of schedule.

-SB 1444 by Sen. David Holt, requires local law enforcement agencies to photograph those subject to the Sex Offender Registration Act when they submit their address verification form.

• Senate committees met Wednesday, approving a number of measures including the following.

-SB 1651 by Sen. Clark Jolley, directs $40 million from the State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Fund to the Native American Cultural Center and Museum Trust Fund.

-SJR 65 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, proposes a constitutional amendment that allows a school district located within a county with a population of more than 200,000 people to hold an election for the purpose of reallocating ad valorem taxes for the construction of storm shelters.

-SB 1988 by Sen. Anthony Sykes, requires three attorney members of the Judicial Nominating Commission to be appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate and three attorney members to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

-SJR 55 by Sen. Mike Schulz, proposes a vote of the people on a constitutional amendment that permits wineries inside and outside the state that are licensed by the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Law Enforcement Commission to receive orders for, sell and ship wine directly to consumers over the age of 21 within or outside of the state who have visited the winery in person.

-SB 232 by Sen. Clark Jolley, removes outdated language related to salaries for the Commissioner of Public Safety, the Assistant Commissioner of Public Safety and the commissioned officers within the Highway Patrol Division.

-SB 1047 by Sen. Ralph Shortey, creates the Oklahoma Work Program to provide unemployed individuals who are currently receiving unemployment benefits, or whose benefit period has expired by operation of law, the opportunity to train temporarily with an Oklahoma employer.

-SB 1505 by Sen. David Holt, authorizes state agencies to offer their employees an option to voluntarily elect to be paid, one time annually, for a certain number of hours of unused accrued annual leave.


• The House met Wednesday, approving a number of bills including the following.

-HB 1020 by Rep. Arthur Hulbert, amends language pertaining to physical therapy and to the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision.

-HB 1384 by Rep. Sally Kern, creates the Parents’ Bill of Rights.


• House committees met Wednesday, approving several measures including the following.

-HB 2528 by Rep. Kay Floyd, appropriates $360,000 to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services from the General Revenue Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015.

-HB 2620 by Rep. Steve Martin, creates the Protect Property Rights Act.

-HB 2870 by Rep. Tom Newell, creates an individual income tax deduction for taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 2014, for a husband and wife filing a joint return based on the length of time the husband and wife have been married.

-HB 3398 by Rep. Jason Nelson, creates the Oklahoma Education Savings Account Act and defines related terms.


Thursday, February 20

• The Senate met Thursday, approving the following legislation.

-SB 2044 by Sen. Brian Bingman, authorizes up to $160 million in bonds for the repair of the state Capitol.