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2024 Mental Health and Housing Related Legislation

MHAOK is watching these important mental health and housing related bills this legislative session:

Behavioral Health Workforce

HB 3015 would set Oklahoma’s required supervision hours for Licensed Clinical Social Workers at 3000 hours, more in line with other states. (Rep. Jeff Boatman / R-Tulsa)

HB 3330 would result in more robust data collection by directing state licensure boards to ask a standard set of questions on behavioral health licensure applications/renewals. (Rep. Cynthia Roe / R-Lindsay and Sen. Paul Rosino / R-OKC)

HB 3451 expands the definition of “person requiring treatment” to include an individual who is a condition of severe deterioration that is continuing, as has been observed within the previous 72-hour period who without immediate intervention poses a risk of harm to oneself, others or property. (Rep. Jeff Boatman / R-Tulsa)

SB 1738 modifies the term “person requiring treatment” as it relates to mental illness by striking the word the word “immediate” as it relates to posing a danger to self or others and by removing an exclusion relating to homeless individuals. (Sen. Darrell Weaver / R-Moore)

HB 3449 expands how funds in the Oklahoma State University Medical Authority Behavioral Health Workforce Development can be used and establishes the Behavioral Health Workforce Development Fund and the University Hospitals Authority Trust. (Rep. Jeff Boatman / R-Tulsa)

SB 1358 Creates the Workforce Development Revolving Fund for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. It also appropriates $200 million to increase the number of degrees granted in areas of Oklahoma’s most critical workforce needs, deemed by the Oklahoma Workforce Commission. (Sen. Adam Pugh / R-Edmond)

HB 3372 adds any licensed professional counselor employed by a public school district who is a National Certified Counselor by the National Board for Certified Counselors to a group of other specialized professionals eligible to receive $5,000 annual bonuses when funds are available. (Rep. Marcus McEntire / R-Duncan)

SB 1379 requires licensing boards to utilize a singular, web-based platform for the licensing of health care providers and behavioral health providers (Sen. Michael Bergstrom / R-Adair)

HB 3167 creates the Accessibility of Government Services Task Force to study, evaluate and make recommendations on strategies to improve the accessibility and customer service of state agencies and the additional services to be offered by Service Oklahoma. (Rep. Dell Kerbs / R-Shawnee)

HB 2997 would allow specifically trained psychologists to prescribe psychotropic medication under a physician’s supervision for two years and then independently upon completing supervision requirements. (Rep. Randy Randelman / R-Eufala)

Criminal Justice/Public Safety

SB 1702 authorizes the use of a pretrial release program or an assisted outpatient treatment program as it relates to the Pretrial Release Act; or in the absence of such program, it directs the court to require the person be placed on an electronic monitoring device and released using the least restrictive means. Each program is an alternative means to bail. (Sen. Todd Gollihare / R-Kellyville)

SB 1783 authorizes the use of a pretrial release program or an assisted outpatient treatment program as it relates to the Pretrial Release Act; or in the absence of such program, it directs the court to require the person be placed on an electronic monitoring device and released using the least restrictive means. Each program is an alternative means to bail. (Sen. Brent Howard / R-Altus)

SB 1740 asserts limited liability for Good Samaritans, family members and first responders who administer emergency opioid antagonists, such as naloxone, to someone experiencing an opioid overdose. (Sen. Todd Gollihare / R-Kellyville)

SB 1806 establishes the Oklahoman Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services as the lead agency for coordinating emergency opioid antagonists distribution. This includes data collection and publishing a report. (Sen. Paul Rosino / R-OKC)

Children/Youth

HB 3512 would enhance substance use education by requiring each school district to provide annual, research-based instruction related to drug poisoning awareness and fentanyl abuse prevention for students in 6th – 12th grade. (Rep. Ronny Johns / R-Ada)

SB 1676 would remove the requirement that health education taught in schools must include mental health and social-emotional health, and schools that choose to provide mental health instruction would be required to offer it outside of normal physical health education courses and obtain parental consent. It also states that the State Board of Education must develop a complaints process for perceived violations. (Sen. Nathan Dahm / R-Broken Arrow)

SB 1596 expands school resource officer eligibility to anyone who has a valid firearm license and completes 136 hours of a program developed by the local sheriff (4 hours of which must be mental health awareness related and working with children/students) OR anyone who has completed the basic peace officer academy and has school-based training. (Sen. Roger Thompson / R-Okemah)

HB 4132 would require school resource officers to complete 12 hours of adolescent mental health training and 40 hours of basic school resource officer course training. (Rep. Amanda Swope / D-Tulsa)

HB 3277 creates the Student Digital Safety and Awareness Act, requiring school boards to create digital safety policies. These policies monitor content students can access, which includes self-harm/suicide related content. The policies also address cyberbullying and require notification to the school of any violence threats to allow for timely intervention. (Rep. Rhonda Baker / R-Yukon)

SB 1756 would require courts to consider termination of any previous custody, guardianship or visitation rights for failure to comply with court-ordered mental health or substance use treatment when reviewing a current request for guardianship, custody or visitation arrangement for a child. (Sen. Ally Seifried / R-Claremore)

SB 1539 would require written parental consent for students to complete the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment survey. (Sen. John Haste / R-Broken Arrow)

HB 3800 would make the Oklahoma Prevention Needs Assessment survey optional for schools to administer, rather than mandatory and require parents to opt in rather than opt out. (Rep. Sherrie Conley / R-Newcastle)

Public/Private Health Insurance

SB 1423 requires Oklahoman Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and other certain agencies to conduct market surveys of their reimbursement rates and compare said rates to rates in other states, rates of other public payers and private payers’ rates. (Sen. Jessica Garvin / R-Duncan)

Funding/Administration

SB 1453 would expand the allowed uses for grant funding that the Oklahoma Opioid Abatement Board distributes. It also expands who can apply for funding. (Sen. Paul Rosino / R-OKC)

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