Social media has allowed at-home food business owners to reach larger numbers of potential customers, but Oklahoma’s strict regulations have kept many from growing and succeeding.  Sen. Adam Pugh, R-Edmond, wants to remove unnecessary regulations for these small business owners with his Senate Bill 1714, the Homemade Food Freedom Act, which passed unanimously Monday out of the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee.

A bill to encourage and retain Oklahoma’s top educators has cleared its first legislative hurdle. Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, is the author of Senate Bill 1127, the Teacher Retention Act of 2020.  The bill was approved by the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday.

On Monday, the Senate Public Safety Committee voted unanimously to strengthen the penalty against individuals who sell intimate photos or videos without their partners’ consent.  Senate Bill 1462, by Sen. Kim David, R-Porter, creates a felony for individuals attempting to gain financial advantage or gain anything of value as a result of the nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images.

In an effort to protect Oklahoma’s unborn, Sen. Paul Scott has authored Senate Bill 1859, which passed out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Monday afternoon.  The bill would require doctors to recognize life just as they do death through heartbeats and brainwaves or the lack of such activity.

The Senate Health and Human Services approved Senate Bill 1296 to add marijuana to the list of products that cannot be smoked or vaped in public places.  Sen. Lonnie Paxton authored the bill to address the growing number of citizens utilizing medicinal marijuana around stores, restaurants and other public places.

The Senate’s Health and Human Services Committee voted Monday in favor of legislation increasing the age to buy or use tobacco products from 18 to 21.  Senator Greg McCortney, chair of the committee, is the author of Senate Bill 1423. 

In December, President Donald Trump signed the Tobacco-Free Youth Act into law, prohibiting the sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21.  McCortney, R-Ada, said SB 1423 brings Oklahoma into line with that federal change.

A bill requiring Oklahoma school districts to adopt suicide awareness and training programs for grades seven through 12 has been passed by the Senate.

Senate Bill 266 by Sen. Allison Ikley-Freeman, D-Tulsa, who is also a mental health professional, is the first step in preventing suicide among Oklahoma’s children, she said.

After years of stalled attempts to modernize Oklahoma statutes dealing with Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs), compromise legislation has cleared the full Senate.  Senate Bill 801 would bring Oklahoma in line with much of the country in how CRNAs are regulated.  The bill, authored by Sen. Paul Rosino, was approved unanimously on Monday.

An exemption allowing in-home hospice providers the ability to opt out of electronic prescribing has been passed by the full Senate.

Sen. Dave Rader, R-Tulsa, authored Senate Bill 1278, which allows outpatient hospice patients to have greater access to their medications by exempting their doctors from Oklahoma’s electronic prescription law that went into effect on Jan. 1.

The law was a recommendation from the Oklahoma Commission on Opioid Abuse and aims to combat prescription fraud and opioid abuse.

Under current state law, honorably discharged veterans get free entry to all state parks and museums.  However, the law is written assuming state parks charge per person rather than per vehicle, which parks are starting to do.  To ensure these veterans continue getting free entry, Sen. Frank Simpson, R-Springer, authored Senate Bill 1185 at the request of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.  The bill was unanimously approved Thursday by the Senate Business, Commerce and Tourism Committee.