Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1013

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/3/25
• Refer: 2/4/25

Caption

Workers' compensation; expanding certain rights and remedies. Effective date.

Summary

SB1013 would amend Oklahoma’s Administrative Workers’ Compensation Act to broaden and clarify the exclusive-remedy rules that govern workplace injury claims. The bill restates that workers’ compensation is generally the sole remedy against an employer and related parties for injury, illness, or death, but it also specifies exceptions when an employer fails to secure required compensation coverage or when the injury is caused by a narrowly defined intentional tort. The bill tightens the intentional-tort standard by requiring proof of a specific intent to injure and rejecting “substantially certain” conduct as sufficient by itself. The measure also adds new provisions aimed at construction and subcontracting arrangements. It defines “general contractor,” “subcontractor,” and what it means to provide workers’ compensation coverage, and it authorizes written agreements under which a general contractor provides coverage for a subcontractor and may deduct the associated premiums from contract payments. It further treats certain general contractors, including premises owners acting as general contractors, as employers for workers’ compensation purposes in specified situations, while limiting coverage for independent contractors working on oil and gas wells unless there is an agreement under the new section.

Impact

If enacted, SB1013 would amend Title 85A to expand and clarify employer immunity from civil suits, narrow the circumstances under which employees may pursue tort claims, and create additional statutory rules for contractor-subcontractor coverage arrangements. It would affect employers, injured workers, general contractors, subcontractors, premises owners, and certain design professionals by defining when workers’ compensation coverage is deemed provided and when immunity applies. The bill would also codify a new section governing premium deductions, employer status for coverage purposes, and special treatment for oil and gas well work, with an effective date of November 1, 2025.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available legislative history, the measure appears to be a policy-driven workers’ compensation reform rather than a highly debated or publicly contested bill at this stage. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided materials, and the bill had only advanced to second reading and referral to the Business and Insurance Committee. The overall framing suggests an effort to strengthen predictability and limit litigation exposure for employers and contractors.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are the bill’s narrowing of intentional-tort claims and its expansion of exclusive-remedy immunity, which would make it harder for injured employees to sue employers outside the workers’ compensation system. Labor advocates or employee-side interests could object to the heightened pleading and proof standard, especially the rejection of “substantially certain” conduct as a basis for intentional-tort liability. By contrast, employers, insurers, and construction-industry stakeholders may support the bill’s clearer coverage rules, premium-deduction provisions, and expanded immunity for general contractors and related parties. The special oil and gas contractor limitation may also draw attention from that sector.