Transcript Highlights:

• inefficient sales tax exemption that's in there and applies it back to the R&D sales tax credit. program
• for franchise tax that's set to expire at the end of 2026 and also make some improvements to the program
• How long has this program been in place?
• The City of Galveston is responsible for Local HOT and all of our other programs.
• jobs, and solidify Texas's position as a leader in aviation excellence.

Bills: SB263, SB467, SB850, SB1030, SB1352, SB1453, SB2064, SB2206, SB2779, SJR84

Keywords: SB 263, Texas franchise tax, cost of goods sold, COGS, broadcasters, television broadcasting, radio broadcasting, media tax, broadcast license, FCC, 47 C.F.R. Part 73, 47 C.F.R. Part 74, film production, television production, tax deduction, margin tax, Texas Tax Code, depreciation, amortization, broadcast rights

Transcript Highlights:

• General and the programs of Oklahoma National Guard members, chiefly with their retirement benefits
• So if someone is working in Oklahoma and doing ag business in Oklahoma, can't they apply for an Oklahoma
• So if someone is working in Oklahoma and doing ag business in Oklahoma, can't they apply for an Oklahoma
• If someone lives in Texas but does work in Oklahoma, they could apply to the Oklahoma Tax Commission
• In rural Oklahoma. He's requesting it.

Summary: The committee considered and advanced a series of bills, beginning with House Bill 3834, which creates a revolving fund at the Department of Health for ibogaine research. The author said the measure is limited to clinical trials, has support from several tribal nations, and would not have an immediate fiscal impact, though retirement-related costs were discussed as roughly $1 million based on prior estimates. HB 3834 passed 20-0. House Bill 3940, updating Oklahoma Military Department provisions, National Guard retirement benefits, and some Uniform Code of Military Justice language, also passed after questions about the same estimated retirement cost and the effect of changing the date for implementation; it passed 21-1. Members then approved House Bill 4346, with an amendment aimed at addressing fraud concerns in agricultural sales tax exemptions. The bill would extend reciprocity to holders of ag sales tax exemption cards from Texas and other surrounding states, allowing them to use those exemptions in Oklahoma border communities. Opponents argued the change would place too much burden on retailers to verify out-of-state cards and could increase liability, but supporters said it would help rural businesses. The bill passed 17-4. House Bill 2947, allowing clinical interns and accredited behavioral health graduate programs to bill Medicaid for supervised services, passed 21-0, and House Bill 3257, extending state benefits for 100% disabled veterans to those similarly disabled due to negligence at a VA hospital, also passed 21-0. The committee next passed House Bill 3264, which adds domestic abuse by strangulation to the list of 85% crimes. Supporters emphasized the seriousness of strangulation and its connection to later homicide risk, while questions focused on prison population growth and costs; the bill passed 21-0. House Bill 4326, dealing with Oklahoma Promise homeschool language and the definition of certified classroom personnel, was amended to remove unrelated T-SET restructuring language and then passed 19-2. House Bill 4421, “Leo’s Law,” which requires fentanyl testing in child welfare drug screens when fentanyl use is suspected, drew emotional testimony about a child’s death and had its fiscal estimate discussed as dropping from $125 million to about $16 million; it passed 22-0. Finally, the committee approved House Bill 3944, a State Finance Act cleanup and modernization measure, after questions about reporting dates and public finance oversight, and House Bill 3979, which raises financing caps under the Oklahoma Economic Development Finance Pool, after an amendment to add an effective date and emergency clause; both passed 21-0. House Bill 4118, updating the family caregiver tax credit and raising the maximum credit while keeping the annual cap unchanged, passed 20-1. The meeting ended with thanks to members and staff and adjournment.

Transcript Highlights:

• FLORIDA CAN BE A LEADER TO PROTECT THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE SURGICAL TEAM BY IMPROVING THE QUALITY
• ADDITIONAL LEGISLATION IS EXPECTED THIS YEAR IN TEXAS OKLAHOMA SOUTH CAROLINA NORTH CAROLINA AND MORE
• NORTON MENTIONED MICHIGAN WAS MEDICAID PROGRAM HAS OPEN ACCESS POLICIES FOR ANTIPSYCHOTICS FOR OVER A
• DECADE MEDICAID PROGRAMS THAT DO NOT, CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS AND WISCONSIN.
• BUT FOR SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS THE WORST CAN BE THE LOSS OF A JOB, THE LOSS OF A HOME.

Keywords: 999, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• But are you aware of the program? I'm aware of the program.
• Y'all did a good job. Thank you. All right, y'all did a good job. Thank you.
• I had the job. I loved it.
• Mine did a really good job.
• Mine did a really good job.

Summary: The House Committee on Public Health heard House Bill 5, a proposal to ban THC products outside the Texas Compassionate Use Program while allowing non-intoxicating CBD and CBG products under tighter regulation. Chair Van Deaver gave a lengthy background on the 2018 federal Farm Bill and Texas’s 2019 hemp law, arguing that the lack of guardrails allowed a large, unregulated THC market to develop. HB 5 would impose licensing fees, product registration, testing and inspection requirements, and restrictions intended to keep products away from children. Invited witnesses from law enforcement strongly supported the bill. Steve Dye of the Texas Police Chiefs Association and Brian Hawthorne of the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas argued that THC consumables are widely mislabeled, often far more potent than advertised, and linked to youth access, impaired driving, and organized crime. Both said regulation would be ineffective and would amount to legalization, while a ban would be easier for officers to enforce. They also emphasized support for the Texas Compassionate Use Program and said medical THC should remain available. Dr. Peter Stout of the Texas Association of Crime Lab Directors and Alice Amelot of Texas DPS testified as resource witnesses about forensic testing. They said current lab resources are already stretched thin, that quantitative testing for THC and related cannabinoids is expensive and time-consuming, and that a ban would simplify enforcement because labs could focus on presence/absence testing rather than concentration. Amelot said DPS labs are neutral on the bill but explained that mislabeled products and inaccurate certificates of analysis are common. Committee members asked about traffic safety, impairment, youth use, and the costs of enforcement and lab testing; witnesses repeatedly said the bill would reduce complexity for law enforcement but that any approach would still require more resources for labs.

Transcript Highlights:

• Two of the programs part of the program.
• <00:31:47.039> And program, these grant programs. And program, these grant programs.
• program runs.
• program runs.
• . program. program.

Keywords: 1191, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Most successful insurance program because of congressional inaction.
• Quality of life remains essential to readiness, alongside the aircraft maintenance upgrades.
• Thank you to the gentleman from Oklahoma, Mr.
• I yield as much time as you may consume to the gentleman from Oklahoma, Mr.
• Our colleagues in the Senate just need to do their job.

Keywords: U.S. House of Representatives Floor Proceedings on Monday, March 24, 2025, 1012, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We want to be more and more to the community of Oklahoma City as well as Oklahoma, as many of you can
• But when you think about rural Oklahoma and jobs, that would be kind of win-win because you'd have a
• We're located here in Oklahoma City.
• Respite programs have been around for over 3 decades and The adoption of these programs is spreading
• For our state, respite programs rely on...

Summary: The meeting focused on hospital “avoidable days” and the difficulty of discharging medically stable patients who still need post-acute placement or social services. Presenters from Saint Anthony Hospital Midtown, the Oklahoma Hospital Association, City Care, and OU Health described common barriers including lack of skilled nursing, rehab, long-term care, behavioral health, and hospice placements; insurance prior authorization delays; Medicaid and Social Security eligibility delays; guardianship and Adult Protective Services bottlenecks; limited home health and private duty nursing; and the challenge of placing unhoused, uninsured, or medically complex patients. Several speakers emphasized that these delays reduce bed availability, increase emergency department boarding, contribute to staff burnout, and expose patients to hospital-acquired conditions and other harms. The testimony included multiple examples of patients remaining in acute care for days, weeks, or even months after being medically ready for discharge, including patients awaiting guardianship, disability determinations, or placement in facilities willing to accept them. Speakers also highlighted special populations such as patients with behavioral health or substance use disorders, medically fragile children, patients with criminal histories, and unhoused individuals who need respite or hospice care. City Care described its planned 40-bed medical respite facility, set to open in 2027, as a way to provide clinical support and housing navigation for patients too sick to recover on the street or in shelters. Witnesses recommended policy and system changes such as standardizing preauthorization protocols, expanding rural swing-bed and home-based services, increasing public guardianship resources, improving data collection on homelessness, expanding private duty nursing hours, and creating more placement options for complex patients. They also suggested better coordination between hospitals, DHS, APS, the Health Department, and post-acute facilities, including a database of facility services to improve discharge planning and keep patients closer to home. No votes or formal committee actions were taken in the transcript, but the chair indicated the issue would require collaboration across multiple agencies and partners.

Transcript Highlights:

• You might consider those somewhat separate from your CTE programs, but in a high-quality CTE program,
• And then finally, you could think about incentives for program quality.
• For maybe 3 or 4 years, but we need to get these programs put in place—the CTE programs, the high-quality
• , and they've got to move to Oklahoma to get a job.
• But if we're not doing a quality job, then forget about it. Let's just not do it at all.

Transcript Highlights:

• So while we're not anti-sales, we are anti-mandates. program director to assist the dealers program director
• to do my usual uh you know thorough job to do my usual uh you know thorough job in<00:14:54.320>
• air quality air quality tests<00:37:27.040> when<00:37:27.200> we<00:37:27.319>
• That is the job of the Legislature.
• rights too so Colorado Oklahoma rights too so Colorado Oklahoma Minnesota<01:13:49.840> at

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• just isn't getting to us as programs.
• <00:10:56.800> from unfunded unfunded delegated program from unfunded unfunded delegated program
• <00:53:37.240> so Summers all those different programs so Summers all those different programs
• surveyed is our school-based programs surveyed is our school-based programs there's<01:09:45.120
• <01:09:50.880> indicators looking at all those quality indicators looking at all those quality

Bills: HF656, HF655, HF633

Keywords: child care, childcare, day care, daycare, licensing, variance, licensed capacity, capacity limit, staff qualifications, staffing, child care center, family child care, provider flexibility, Minnesota career lattice, Department of Children Youth and Families, DCYF, licensing rules, enrollment, indoor space, professional development

Transcript Highlights:

• Uh, we did, and it has been a tremendously successful program throughout the state — many jobs, many
• Uh, we did, and it has been a tremendously successful program throughout the state — many jobs, many
• construction jobs.
• These are really good jobs.
• These are really good jobs.

Keywords: 1183, house

Transcript Highlights:

• Okay, good job. Class. And I got it to you before now. Okay, good job.
• Assistance Program.
• And so we would have to, you know, establish the program, find the funding, and create the program.
• This would be a small program.
• It's the value of their program and the effectiveness of their program.

Bills: AB6, AB102, AB131, AB212, AB213, AB220, AB259, AB282, AB376, AB396, AB479, AB503, AB570, AB572, AB574, AB576, AB593, SB185, SB207, SB507, AB6

Keywords: fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, FASD, prenatal alcohol exposure, children's health, developmental disability, early intervention, treatment assistance, Aging and Disability Services Division, Department of Health and Human Services, Autism Treatment Assistance Program, public health, parent education, evidence-based treatment, Nevada NRS 427A, disability services, behavioral health, emergency medical services, ambulance, licensing, health district

Transcript Highlights:

• That's because of nationwide actions, not problems in Oklahoma.
• Oklahoma. Excellent question.
• Oklahoma has some of. The lowest fees in the country.
• Broader apprenticeship program.
• We had Oklahoma Roofing come to campus and do an evaluation.

Keywords: 914, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I've been a licensed Oklahoma drug counselor for the last 5 and 1/2 years.
• Withdrawal management programs often operate as an emergency service.
• Withdrawal management programs often operate as an emergency service.
• funds, and makes it clear that quality funds, and makes it clear that quality care,<00:24:16.520
• integrity and quality. integrity and quality.

Keywords: 919, house, all

Summary: The committee took up House File 729, an omnibus policy bill, and walked through a series of amendments before moving the bill forward. Early amendments addressed adult maltreatment accountability, senior nutrition flexibility, MA provider enrollment and fraud prevention, Direct Care and Treatment data and staffing provisions, disability and aging policy changes, technical corrections from DHS, behavioral health language, and MDH policy updates. Most amendments were adopted without public opposition, and several members and testifiers described them as clarifications or technical fixes to existing policy. Testimony focused on the practical effects of the bill’s provisions. Direct Care and Treatment representatives said the changes would help with data sharing, governance, staffing, patient care, and longer return stays for certain patients. Several witnesses from the substance use disorder and health care provider community supported changes to discharge summary deadlines and claims recoupment rules, arguing that business-day timelines and limits on late clawbacks would reduce administrative burden and financial uncertainty. A disability advocate also urged passage of the bill, saying services for people with disabilities were at risk if it did not advance. After public testimony and member discussion, the committee adopted the DE2 amendment as amended and then approved the bill as amended. Chair Noor renewed the motion to re-refer House File 729 to the Committee on Ways and Means, and that motion passed.

Transcript Highlights:

• Rogers County Youth Services also has a program. They call it the U-Turn program.
• Rogers County Youth Services also has a program. They call it the U-Turn program.
• Are they, because now in Oklahoma in our regular ed programs, we don't have credentialed teachers actually
• The next one is our CARS program. Our CARS program is a community-at-risk program.
• We all have unique programs.

Summary: The committee held an interim study on how to educate and support students with severe violent or disruptive behavior while protecting classmates, teachers, and school staff. Members framed the issue as one involving students who have often experienced trauma and may be removed from class through suspension, expulsion, or juvenile placement, but who still need a meaningful path back to school. Several legislators shared personal experiences as former educators or administrators and emphasized that schools need clearer criteria for removal and return, along with stronger support for families and staff. Dr. Michelle Butler, an alternative education director, testified that Oklahoma’s current alternative education system is not designed to serve students removed for major discipline issues because placement is generally voluntary and programs are built around students who need a different learning environment, not punitive removal. She argued for early intervention, stronger attendance enforcement, trauma screening, teacher training, and a regional or cooperative model that would combine credentialed educators, social workers, therapists, and family counselors. She also described existing programs such as Trace Academy, Rogers County Youth Services diversion programs, and the limitations of virtual-only models and current funding, saying the system lacks sufficient resources and staffing. Representatives and senators asked about funding, staffing, credentials, and whether statutes should be changed to prevent alternative education dollars from going to programs that do not provide direct services. Other testimony came from Family and Children’s Services and Mid-Del Youth and Family Services, both of which described embedded school-based mental health, crisis response, intensive outpatient services, family engagement, and juvenile diversion programs. Witnesses stressed that wraparound services, school-community partnerships, and a bridge back to the home school are essential, and that many students and families need mandatory or strongly supported participation rather than purely voluntary help. The study concluded with members noting possible next steps, including expanding or supplementing alternative education, improving early intervention, and examining participation requirements and transition supports; no votes were taken, and the committee adjourned after the presentations.

Transcript Highlights:

• <00:05:35.240> at career guidance and support program at career guidance and support program
• <00:10:23.839> Indiana Maine Nevada Texas Oklahoma Indiana Maine Nevada Texas Oklahoma Indiana
• safely we are ready to provide quality safely we are ready to provide quality Care<00:37:24.160>
• in attracting and retaining high quality in attracting and retaining high quality Talent<00:43:22.160
• <00:44:38.720> and 1144 and protecting the quality and 1144 and protecting the quality and

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• I think the program itself is great, but...
• And the program that is proposed or prescribed in the bill is basically a mirror or the same program
• But it is a one-time, three-year pilot program.
• The requirements of the first component of the pilot program are similar to a program recently developed
• Since that's the program that's already started.

Keywords: 996, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The statewide respite program provides comprehensive training programs, and the funds are used to pay
• The bill also provides funds for three senior volunteer programs: the Senior Companion Program and RSVP
• The targeted programs under House Bill 704 include caregiver respite programs.
• I am the program manager for the AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program.
• <02:36:31.080> so program and the state funded program so program and the state funded program

Keywords: 1189, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• the inefficient sales tax exemption that's in there and applies it back to the R&D sales tax credit program
• for franchise tax that's set to expire at the end of 2026 and also make some improvements to the program
• How long has this been in place, this program?
• credits, a tool that's already helping Texas attract investment, drive innovation, and support high-wage job
• jobs, and solidify Texas's position as a hub for aviation excellence.

Transcript Highlights:

• Today we have Lou Ann Moody from Henrietta, Oklahoma.
• And Oklahoma, as we know, population is really centered into two cities: Tulsa and Oklahoma City, and
• Oklahoma City has over a $2 billion annual budget.
• I was privy to some conversations between Tulsa and Oklahoma City, and Oklahoma City, as far as I'm concerned
• For you and what you do in southwest Oklahoma City.

Bills: HB3045

Keywords: accident response, motor vehicle, law enforcement, fire department, fee prohibition

Summary: The Public Safety Committee first considered several gubernatorial nominations. Brent Black of Bixby was renominated to the Forensic Review Board, with Senator Guthrie noting the board’s seven-member makeup and the need for mental health professionals; the nomination was advanced 8-0. Lou Ann Moody of Henrietta was then presented for the Forensic Review Board. Moody described her long legal career, her work as city attorney and in juvenile/dependency matters, and her decision to avoid criminal defense work to avoid ethical conflicts. Members asked about the board’s caseload and meeting schedule, and the nomination was advanced 8-0. The committee also heard the nomination of a retired Oklahoma Highway Patrol officer, Mr. McCoy, to the OSBI Commission. He emphasized his decades of law enforcement and emergency-management experience, and the nomination was advanced 8-0. The committee then took up House Bill 3045, with an amendment offered by Senator Reinhart. The amendment would allow certain fire departments, rural fire districts, and fire protection districts in municipalities under 200,000 population to recover accident response fees, while preventing those fees from going into general revenue or funding non-fire services. Reinhart explained the bill was intended to address fire departments’ ability to recover costs while limiting the impact on the state’s two largest cities. Senator Brooks questioned why the exemption would apply only to the largest municipalities, and Reinhart responded that Tulsa and Oklahoma City would see the greatest fiscal impact and that rural departments lacked comparable revenue sources. Senator Murdoch raised a point that the bill had an unescorted fiscal impact on municipalities and asked for a ruling under the Municipal Fiscal Impact Act. The chair took the matter under advisement and, at the sponsor’s request, laid the bill over rather than proceeding further. The meeting concluded with members offering extended personal remarks thanking the chair and vice chair for their leadership and service, and the chair adjourned the committee.