OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Kevin Stitt this week signed into law a bill that clarifies the rights and responsibilities of Oklahomans seeking to move into an assisted living center. House Bill 3919 is authored by House Majority Leader Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City. "There are many respected referral agencies that work closely with prospective assisted living residents, but there is some ambiguity regarding residents' rights," West said. "This legislation is an attempt to provide clarification on the rights and responsibilities of all parties involved so that those choosing this living option can do so with confidence and knowledge." West said the bill was a collaboration between the Oklahoma Assisted Living Association, which represents assisted living centers across the state, and A Place for Mom, which is the nation's top senior living referral agency. "This bill adds consumer protections for our constituents looking to move into assisted living, and it works to keep bad actors out of that space," West said. "It works to protect and create a healthy environment for residents and operators in Oklahoma." West worked with Reps. Ty Burns, R-Pawnee, Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, and Forrest Bennett, D-Oklahoma City, to secure a solution that is good for all Oklahomans. Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, is the Senate author of the legislation. “As someone who built her career working in assisted living facilities, I know finding the perfect home for an aging family member can be a difficult and stressful experience,” Garvin said. “Although I am no longer in the industry, I believe House Bill 3919 will protect consumers by ensuring families aren’t charged unexpected fees when working with a referral agency to find the best nursing home or assisted living facility for their loved one.” HB3919 builds upon West's prior work to help Oklahoma's aging population. In 2023, West's House Bill 1029XX – the Caring for Caregivers Act – was signed into law, making Oklahoma the first in the nation to adopt an expansive caregiver tax credit for those providing in-home care for a loved one. In 2021, West secured passage of House Bill 1887, which addressed the use of antipsychotic drugs for residents in assisted living and long-term care centers.
Legislation addressing the social worker shortage in Oklahoma will take effect Nov. 1. Rep. Jeff Boatman, R-Tulsa, authored House Bill 3015 to make Oklahoma more competitive with other states in the region for social workers. The bill, which was signed into law Tuesday, revises the practicum requirement for licensed social workers, licensed clinical social workers and licensed social workers with administration specialty from 2 years to 3,000 hours of postgraduate experience in the related field. "There are too many social workers that are trained in Oklahoma but leave for other states to complete their supervision," Boatman said. "In restructuring the postgraduate experience requirements for social workers to make the process more straightforward, we can significantly help the recruitment and retention of social workers to our state. I hope this legislation helps strengthen Oklahoma's social work workforce and ensure the well-being of our communities." HB3015 was carried in the Senate by Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan. “House Bill 3015 will make it easier for Oklahoma to recruit and retain qualified social workers by reducing the number of supervised work hours they must complete to obtain their license,” Garvin said. “This will eliminate some of the barriers that discourage talented professionals from pursuing these critical jobs while also bringing Oklahoma’s licensing requirements in line with the national standard.”
A measure making Oklahoma's state employee management agency and the Chief Information Officer subject to the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act has been sent to the governor's desk. House Bill 3057, authored by Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, would require all purchases of equipment, products and services within the Information Services Division of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) and the Chief Information Officer to be subject to the Oklahoma Central Purchasing Act and the Public Competitive Bidding Act of 1974 without exception. "Oklahomans demand transparency and accountability regarding the expenditure of their hard-earned tax dollars," Steagall said. "The abuse of certain exemptions provided for in current statute pertaining to the competitive bid process has to end, and with the passage of HB3057, the Legislature is taking steps to reign in a significant portion of such exploitation. As the author of the bill and concerned taxpayer, I will be working to amend additional statutes to close loopholes and eliminate exemptions used or designed to bypass the competitive bid process." HB3057 is authored in the Senate by Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore. "A government that can’t be trusted is a government that will lose citizen support," Weaver said. "How we conduct business must be above reproach and above board. As Senate author of HB 3057, I am grateful that we are taking action and adding a safety rail to guard against corrupt activities." The House passed HB3057 99-0 in March and, this week, the Senate passed it 37-0. HB3057 is now at the governor's desk and available to be signed into law.