A slate of 276 new laws will take effect on Nov. 1.
They address a wide array of issues from renewable energy to elections to criminal justice.
Here is a breakdown of more key laws set to take effect next month.
Tax cuts are coming
One of the big victories for lawmakers this session was securing income tax cuts, a goal long championed by the Republican supermajority in the legislature and Gov. Kevin Stitt.
House Bill 2764 sets the top income tax rate at 4.5% for individuals earning more than $2,300 each month or married couples earning more than $7,500. It's the quarter-percentage-point cut Stitt managed to work out with Republicans in the legislature earlier this year, despite some expressing concerns about induced state revenue cuts amid rising inflation.The law reduces all the state income tax rates by one-quarter of a percent and eliminates the three lowest brackets, all while establishing a system for further reductions in income tax rates based on revenue estimates.
Legislative fiscal reports estimate the tax reduction will cost the state $357 million annually by Fiscal Year 2028.
Oklahoma cracks down on driving under the influence
Oklahoma drivers will face more serious charges for certain DUIs under Senate Bill 54. Previously, a first DUI offense was a misdemeanor, and subsequent DUIs were felonies. Now, people who are arrested for "aggravated" DUIs will be charged with a felony, even if it's their first offense.
There are a few different ways a DUI can be classified as "aggravated." One is driving under the influence "in a careless or wanton manner without regard for the safety of persons or property." And if a driver has a breath alcohol content higher than 0.15, they can be charged with a felony DUI for going the wrong way on a one-way street, speeding more than 20 miles per hour over the limit or getting in an accident.
People who already have a DUI on their records will also receive a harsher sentence if caught driving drunk again. According to House Bill 1222, people arrested for a second or subsequent DUI must appear before a judge and be assigned bail.
Renewable energy and manufacturing changes
Manufacturers of small wind turbines can now count on paying more taxes for building in Oklahoma. House Bill 1205 by Durant Republicans Rep. Cody Maynard and Sen. David Bullard repeals the tax credit for manufacturing the renewable energy machines that rely on wind to generate electricity.
The credit has been in place for almost a decade and was initially meant to encourage the construction of energy grids with lower pollution and emissions than traditional fossil fuels like oil and natural gas, while also benefiting rural communities with extra income from leasing private land for wind turbines.Relatedly, lawmakers approved House Bill 2752, by Republicans Rep. Trey Caldwell from Faxon and Sen. Todd Gollihare from Bristow, which limits renewable energy project investors from using eminent domain to build on private land, whether they're wind turbines, hydroelectric power plants or solar farms.
Other measures establish standards and procedures for decommissioning solar farms once they're no longer in use, and eliminate requirements for cities and counties to implement energy- and cost-saving measures in government buildings.
State tweaks competency restoration process amid turmoil
Any time period where a defendant refuses prescribed or court-ordered medication cannot be counted toward their competency restoration treatment.
Senate Bill 1089, which passed on veto override, amends existing state law about mental health treatment for criminal defendants who are too mentally unwell to move through the trial process. The change addresses a facet of Oklahoma's fraught competency restoration process, which the Department of Mental Health has been legally mandated to reform.
Previously, a person deemed incompetent to stand trial could receive services for up to two years. The new law allows longer treatment if a person refuses medication intended to restore competency. The change comes amid questions about the quality of care at the Oklahoma Forensic Center, after a man accused of killing a police officer and injuring another met the treatment deadline without improvement.
Sentencing reform changes
A number of criminal justice reforms are set to take effect this November, giving incarcerated Oklahomans a better chance to land on their feet.
House Bill 1460 removes several fees for people moving through the justice system and strengthens the court fee waiver process. Gov. Stitt highlighted the need to reduce costs associated with incarceration during his State of the State address in February, saying outstanding debts can cripple people after they get out from behind bars.
The bill eliminated six fees, some of which had collection rates as low as 25% and cost the state more than they brought in. People who can't keep pace with fines and fees may face driver's license suspension, re-arrest or even more jail time, further entrenching them in the cycle of incarceration. House Bill 1462 also reforms payment structures, directing courts to prioritize restitution payments to victims over other fees.
House Bill 2364 helps ensure people leaving prison have a driver's license, birth certificate and Social Security card. Another measure, Senate Bill 216, keeps people's driver's licenses from expiring while they are incarcerated.
Another change to state law, Senate Bill 690, will allow people serving time in county jails to earn credit for good behavior. Credits can be applied toward early release, as in Oklahoma's state prisons.
Lauria and Ashley's Law has been proposed each of the last three years, though it finally became law this year via House Bill 1001. It requires that anyone who is an accessory to murder serve at least 85% of their prison sentence before being considered for parole.
The law is named for Welch teenagers Lauria Bible and Ashley Freeman, who were kidnapped and killed in 1999. Only one person, Ronnie Busick, was arrested in relation the crime. He received a ten-year sentence as an accessory to murder but was released after three years in prison.
Health care changes
Oklahomans can now count on fewer trips to the pharmacy to obtain contraceptives, thanks to legislation authored by Sen. Jo Anna Dossett, D-Tulsa, and Rep. Cynthia Roe, R-Lindsay. Senate Bill 176 requires health benefit plans to offer coverage for a three-month supply the first time an enrollee obtains a contraceptive drug and a six-month supply each subsequent time.
House Bill 2298 by House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, and Senate Pro Tem. Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, allows certified nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists or certified nurse midwives to prescribe independently of a physician. They must complete a minimum of 6,240 supervised clinical practice hours and apply to the Oklahoma Board of Nursing for this authority.
Professionals will be allowed to administer Schedule III, IV and V controlled dangerous substances, which include things like anabolic steroids, Ambien and Xanax. Supporters argue this will help expand access to care in rural communities.
Senate Bill 889, by Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, and Rep. Mark Lepak, R-Claremore, requires hospitals to publish a list of prices for 300 common services in an easy-to-understand manner. That includes things like a simple description of the service, its billing code, discounted cash price and negotiated insurance rates. The State Department of Health may monitor hospital compliance.
Lawmakers tweak ballot collection process, reduce number of elections
Oklahoma officials will soon be making some changes to the ballot box.
Multiple laws passed last session have altered Oklahoma's election processes. Perhaps the most controversial is Senate Bill 1027, which sets limits on the number of signatures that can come from residents of any given county in the initiative petition process. These restrictions are tied to the number of ballots cast in the previous gubernatorial election; for a statutory petition, no more than 11.5% of that number can count toward the petition, and for a constitutional amendment, it rises to 20.8%.
The law is already the subject of legal challenges, with one disputing its constitutionality.
Nearly 20% of the state's population lives in Oklahoma County, and another 17% lives in Tulsa County.
Senate Bill 147 continues discussions of election security that made headlines during the 2020 presidential election. The law requires county election board secretaries to conduct audits following certain elections, such as the general election, primary elections and run-off primary elections.
Senate Bill 652 reduces the number of elections Oklahoma holds any given year. Currently, the state has seven in even-numbered years and 12 in odd-numbered ones. That amount will drop to between five and six, depending on the year. The measure was designed to increase voter turnout amid election fatigue.
