Monday, April 13, to Thursday, April 16, 2015

Monday, April 13

• The Senate convened on Monday and approved several bills.

- HB 1515, by Reps. Jason Nelson, Lee Denney, Leslie Osborn, Lisa J. Billy, Marian Cooksey, and Sally Kern, prohibits a health benefit plan that provides coverage for cancer therapy from holding proton radiation therapy to a higher standard of clinical evidence for medical policy benefit coverage decisions than the health plan requires for coverage of any other radiation therapy treatment. It also prohibits a mandate on the coverage of proton radiation therapy by a health benefit plan. The bill passed by a vote of 36-9.

-HB 1103, by Rep. Scott Biggs, exempts any report of contagious or infectious animal diseases from the Oklahoma Open Records Act except in a way that no person or farm can be individually identified. The bill passed by a vote of 45-0.

-HB 1150, by Rep. Randy Grau, eliminates treatment facilities from a list of certain mental health recovery facilities prohibited from being located within a certain distance from certain schools. The bill and its emergency clause passed by a vote of 42-0.

-HB 1283, by Rep. Josh Cockroft, requires the Department of Labor adopt rules and procedures requiring that the retail sale of compressed natural gas and liquefied natural gas used as a motor vehicle fuel be dispensed in certain manners. It permits the department to take into consideration whether the National Conference on Weights and Measures has adopted similar standards for dispensing CNG and LNG and whether those standards use different values for GCE and DGE units and, if the National Conference on Weights and Measures has adopted different GCE and DGE units, it will be presumed that such standards should also be adopted for Oklahoma unless good cause is shown otherwise. The bill passed 44-0.

-HB 1399, by Rep. Jason Murphey, limits the filing fees for any apostille requested for an
international adoption to not exceed $100 for the adoption of each child. The bill passed 43-0.

-HB 1408, by Rep. Lisa J. Billy, requires a license for establishments selling food or drink. It permits certain food establishments to function without a license. It permits the Board to provide a fee-exempt license for a food establishment operated by a nonprofit, civic, charitable or religious organization using unpaid persons to sell or offer food on a frequent basis. The bill passed 43-2.

-HB 1577, by Rep. Cory T. Williams, modifies time limit of a tenancy for a landlord to return a security deposit to a tenant to 45 days after the termination.

-HB 1687, by Rep. Lee Denney, removes references to GED and replaces them with "high school equivalency test" as it relates to adult education. The bill passed 45-0.

-HB 1751, by Rep. Tom Newell, requires the Oklahoma Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board to require only one Class VII-Cylinder Exchange Program permit if a person, firm or corporation participating in the cylinder exchange program has more than one cylinder exchange location. It requires the permit to cover all cylinder exchange locations operated by the person, firm or corporation. The bill passed 45-0.

-HB 2184, by Rep. Jeff Hickman, allows the Chief Medical Examiner to equip vehicles that are used to investigate deaths with flashing lights and sirens. It allows the Chief Medical Examiner to authorize such vehicles to exceed the maximum speed limits so long as speeding does not endanger life or property. The bill passed 26-19.

-HB 2185, by Rep. Jeff Hickman, requires any unsolicited application, proposal, bid, or any other document to obtain funding to not be considered to be confidential and be subject to the Oklahoma Open Records Act and Oklahoma Open Meeting Act at all times as it relates to the Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust Fund and its board. The bill passed 44-0.

• The following Senate bill was passed this week in committee on Monday:

-CS for SB 454, by Sen. John Ford, increases the earnings limitations for retired certified teachers who are members of the Teachers Retirement System to 150 percent of the average teacher salary and benefits for the preceding fiscal year as reported by the Oklahoma State Department of Education. In an effort to help address the teacher shortage in Oklahoma, the bill would allow retired teachers to more money than currently allowed if they return to the classroom to the legislative actuary. Current law limits retired teachers under the age of 62 to $15,000 in annual earnings if they return to the classroom and those over 62 to $30,000.

• Several bills on the House floor were approved on Monday, including the following:

-SB 362, by Sen. Nathan Dahm, allows a person to record the activity of law enforcement in a public area, as long as the recording does not impede the agent in his or her duties. The bill passed unanimously 94 to 0 without any further discussion or debate.

-SB 90, by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, permits agencies authorized by statute to conduct national criminal history background checks for individuals to participate in the Federal Rap Back Program administered by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. It authorizes the OSBI to collect all Federal Rap Back Program fees from eligible agencies wishing to participate and remit such fees to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The bill passed by a vote of 85 to 1.

-SB 131, by Sen. Ron Justice, authorizes the State Fire Marshal to serve as a code
variance and appeals board for the trades and industries he or she regulates which do not already a have statutory code variance and appeals boards. The bill passed by a vote of 91 to 2.

-SB 138, by Sen. Corey Brooks, allows students to be eligible for in-state status regardless of the residency of the student if he or she is eligible for benefits under the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or other federal law authorizing educational benefits for veterans or the spouse or child 25 years of age or younger of someone receiving those benefits. It expands references to "child" include stepchild. It provides for a student to be eligible for resident tuition to file with the institution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education which the student intends to register a letter of intent to establish residence in this state and reside in this state while enrolled in the institution. The bill and emergency passed by a vote of 92 to 0.

-SB 140, by Sen. Robert Standridge, adds designated employees of the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs Control to the list of those who can access certain
investigative information. The bill and emergency passed by a vote of 93 to 0.

-SB 147, by Sen. Frank Simpson, modifies the use of funds in the Patriot License Plate
Revolving Fund to include, but not be limited to, the production of historical documents, displays, videos, and books that capture the National Guard's involvement in overseas deployments and domestic operations within the United States for members of the Oklahoma National Guard, Oklahoma public school libraries, and civic leaders, as determined by the Adjutant General. The bill and emergency passed by a vote of 92 to 0.

-SB 313, by Sen. David Holt, allows eligible citizens to register to vote online. The bill establishes citizens to be eligible if they possess a valid Oklahoma driver license or identification card, is registering to vote at the address provided on the card and is a qualified elector and entitled to become a registered voter. It requires any person who submits false information on an electronic voter registration application to be deemed guilty of a felony. It authorizes the Secretary of the Board to develop a system to electronically transmit voter registration applications from the agency to the Board or county election boards. The bill requires certain information to be provided on the website. It allows for the use of an individual's driver license to be provided in lieu of a signature. The bill passed by a vote of 61 to 29.

-SB 372, by Sen. Susan Paddack, provides any person who drives a motorcycle or motor-driven cycle on a public road, street, highway, turnpike or other public place without the proper endorsement on a current state-issued license will be guilty of a misdemeanor. The bill passed by a vote of 66 to 24.

-SB 414, by Sen. Rick Brinkley, includes Bacone College, Family of Faith College, Mid-America Christian University, Oklahoma Baptist University, Oklahoma Christian University, Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, Oral Roberts University, Southern Nazarene University, Southwestern Christian University, St. Gregory's University, the University of Tulsa, and Hillsdale Free Will Baptist College on an exact list of institutions of higher education eligible for an Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant. The bill passed by a vote of 88 to 0.

-SB 499, by Sen. Anthony Sykes, creates the Facilitating Business Rapid Response to State Declared Disasters Act of 2015. The bill states an out-of-state business that conducts operations within the state related to a declared state disaster or emergency will not be required to register, file and/or remit state or local taxes or be subject to any state licensing or certification requirements, with exception. The bill states no such out-of-state employee will be considered to have established residency that would require him or her to pay income taxes or be subjected to tax withholdings or to file and pay any other state or local tax or fee during the disaster response period. It states a business or employee staying in the state after that period is over will become subject to state tax and certification requirements. The bill requires an out-of-state business to submit a statement to the Oklahoma Tax Commission showing it is in the state to assist with emergency needs. The bill and emergency passed by a vote of 89 to 1.

-SB 721, by Sen. Anthony Sykes, adds the definition of advertising or advertisement in relation to trafficking in children. The bill defines the terms to mean any communication that originates by newspaper, periodical, telephone book listing, outdoor sign, radio, television or any communication that is disseminated through the use of a computer or related electronic device. The bill passed by a vote of 93 to 0.

Tuesday, April 14

• The Senate met Tuesday and approved the following legislation:

-HB 1008, by Rep. David Brumbaugh, modifies the definition of "blighted area." The bill also modifies the public hearing requirements for municipal governments concerning urban renewal plans. The bill increases the number of published notices to three from one and requires that they be published not less than 30 days before the hearing. The bill also increases the number, size and posting time of public notice signs and specifies they be placed on the most traveled roads. It now requires that two public hearings prior to adopting an urban renewal plan. It also modifies the timing and number of notices prior to public hearings as well as describing the purpose of said meetings. It now directs the setting notice requirements for hearings and the listing contents of the notice. The bill passed 44 to 0.

-HB 1032, by Rep. Dan Kirby, allows those with an existing agreement to represent a public body to be present or participate in an executive session for the purpose of discussing the purchase or appraisal of real property. These sessions are otherwise limited to members of the public body, the attorney for the public body, and the immediate staff of the public body. The bill passed 43 to 0.

-HB 1081, by Rep. Pat Ownbey, modifies the duties of the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Board of Nursing. The bill allows the Board to impose a corrective action to a licensed person who violates certain rules. The bill states what the corrective actions may include. The bill requires that the corrective action not be considered as disciplinary action, unless the action is a subsequent violation of the Nursing Practice Act, Board rule or corrective action order. The bill requires the Board to promulgate the rules to implement the provisions. The bill passed 42 to 0.

-HB 1113, by Rep. Chuck Hoskin, adds a Department of Transportation maintenance vehicle properly and lawfully making use of an audible signal or flashing lights, or of a Turnpike Authority maintenance vehicle properly and lawfully making use of an audible signal or flashing lights to the list of vehicles to which drivers of other vehicles must yield the right-of-way. The bill passed 41 to 3.

-HB 1435, by Rep. Jeannie McDaniel, states the requirements for which a nurse aide may have his or her certification suspended or revoked. The bill requires nurse aides and nurse aide trainees to give written notification of their current residential address to a State Department of Health registry. This bill specifies other information to be included in the registry. The bill passed 44 to 0.

-HB 1033, by Rep. Dan Kirby, requires applicants for a professional bondsman license
submit to the Insurance Commissioner an audited financial statement prepared in accordance to the Statements on Auditing Standards put into effect by the Auditing Standards Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The bill passed 43 to 0.

-HB 1074, by Rep. Richard Morrissette, states an eligible patient must be diagnosed with a terminal illness, have considered all treatments currently approved, has been unable to participate in a clinical trial, received a recommendation from a physician and given written consent for the use of the investigational drug. The bill passed 44 to 0.

-HB 1407, with its title restored, by Rep. John Pfeiffer, prohibits any county assessor to decrease the percentage of value used to compute the taxable value of real or personal property unless the assessor provides written notice of intent to decrease at least 90 days beforehand. It requires the written notice to be mailed by certified mail with a return receipt requested to the county's treasurer, clerk, sheriff, and each of its commissioners no later than 60 days before the 90 day period prescribed. The bill requires the county assessor to publish a notice of intent to decrease the applicable percentage which clearly states the percentage in effect prior to the decrease, the category of property to be affected and the date such a decrease would take effect. It requires that this notice be placed at least one time for 3 consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the assessor holds office. The bill passed 39 to 6.

-HB 1568, with its title restored, by Rep. Glen Mulready, changes and adds definitions to term used therein. The bill also now accounts for video toll collection systems in relation to the Oklahoma Electronic Toll Collection Act. The bill clarifies the fining process. The bill passed 42 to 3.

-HB 1826, by Rep. Scott Martin, prohibits the Department of Environmental Quality from requiring a permit for reusing captured wastewater from a splash pad for irrigation or land application if the pad is within the jurisdiction of the municipality or county and meets certain requirements. Passed 44 to 0 and its emergency clause passed 43 to 1.

-HB 1918, by Rep. John Jordan, permits a court, in a paternity action prior to genetic testing to establish paternity under the Uniform Parentage Act, to award custody to the presumed father if it would be in the best interests of the child. The bill defines the term "presumed father." The bill passed 42 to 2.

-HB 2069, with its title, effective date and emergency clause restored, by Rep. Jason Nelson, allows the residence of a child in foster care to be changed to the school district in which the child resided prior to being placed in foster care or the school district in which the previous foster family home of the child is located. The bill and its emergency clause passed 45 to 0.

• House amendment to the following Senate bill was adopted:

-SB 5, by Sen. Ron Sharp, exempts education employees from liability for the use of necessary and reasonable force to control and discipline a student during the time the student is in attendance at the school or in transit to or from the school, or any other function authorized by the school district. The bill passed 44 to 1.

• The House met Tuesday with a lengthy agenda and passed the following legislation:

-SB 114, by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, allows any state agency that purchases, subscribes to, or is an authorized or licensed user of the United States Postal Service's National Change of Address dataset to share the records with the State Election board. The bill allows the Secretary of the State Election Board to utilize records from the dataset to determine if a registered voter in the State of Oklahoma has changed his or her address of residence. The bill passed by a vote of 67 to 20.

-SB 189, by Sen. Ron Sharp, creates Oklahoma Performance Informed Budget and Transparency Act of 2015. The bill changes references to "zero-based" budgeting to "performance-informed" budgeting. The bill permits the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House Appropriations and Budget Committee or their subcommittee to perform the duties of the Legislative Oversight Committee on State Budget Performance. The bill passed by a vote of 69 to 14. Its emergency bill passed by a vote of 68 to 18.

-SB 253, as amended, by Sen. Eddie Fields, requires the Board of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to include two licensed osteopathic physicians. The bill states the members must be appointed from a list submitted to the Governor by the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association. The bill passed by a vote of 84 to 1.

-SB 375, by Sen. Dan Newberry, requires licenses received by the Department of Consumer Credit to be paid in full by Dec. 31 of any year. The bill establishes late fees and grounds for revocation of certain licenses. The bill passed by a vote of 89 to 0.

-SB 541, by Sen. Corey Brooks, modifies grounds for placement on the Online Child Care Restricted Registry to include a conviction of abuse or neglect, supported by written findings of fact and conclusions of law. The bill was passed by a vote of 88 to 0.

-SB 713, by Sen. Frank Simpson, allows the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to facilitate the development of seven peer-supported, drop-in centers for serving Oklahoma veterans. The bill requires the Department to promulgate rules to implement the provisions of the act. The bill and its emergency passed by a vote of 88 to 0.

-SB 782, by Sen. Clark Jolley, allows any school district to sponsor a charter school. The bill allows the State Board of Education to sponsor a school has been denied by its own school district. This bill allows a sponsor to give priority to certain applicants. The bill specifies what will be included in an application for a charter sent to a sponsor. It specifies what powers the charter school sponsor will have and requires sponsors to develop a protocol for accepting and denying school applications. The bill passed by a vote of 64 to 31.

-SB 494, by Sen. David Holt, requires the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to coordinate with domestic violence sexual assault programs certified by the Office of the Attorney General who provide counseling services for victims of domestic violence to ensure that any explanation of benefits and billing information provided, maintained, monitored, or otherwise handled by the authority or any other state agency, including, but not limited to, services rendered by such facilities, is not sent by paper mail to the actual physical address of persons receiving such services. The bill passed by a vote of 88 to 0.

-SB 562, by Sen. Kim David, modifies the exemption of the Grand River Dam Authority and its Board members from the provisions of the Oklahoma Open Records Act to include security plans and procedures related to its role as an electric utility regulated by the federal government. The bill passed by a vote of 59 to 30.

-SB 715, by Sen. Jason Smalley, requires the suspension of a criminal proceeding if a person who is found to be incompetent because he or she requires treatment but capable of achieving competence through treatment be committed to the legal custody of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services or be remanded to the county detention facility. The bill requires the individual to receive an initial competency attainment treatment in the legal custody of the Department or in the county detention center provided by the Department. The bill and emergency passed by a vote of 90 to 0.

Wednesday, April 8

• The Senate convened on Wednesday and approved several bills.

-FS for HB 2154, by Rep. Jon Echols, creates Katie and Cayman's Law. It modifies the definition of "marihuana" to exclude cannabidiol derived from the seeds of the marihuana plant or cannabidiol derived from mature stalks. It also exempts persons under 18 participating in a clinical trial or in an expanded -access program related to administering cannabidiol for the treatment of severe forms of epilepsy, a drug or substance approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration for use by those participants; or persons who have received written certification from a physician licensed in the state that the person has been diagnosed by a physician as having Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, Dravet Syndrome, also known as Severe Myoclonic Epilepsy of Infancy, or any other severe form of epilepsy that is not adequately treated by traditional medical therapies, the substance cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid, or any compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of any plant of the Cannabis sativa L. or Cannabis indica that is essentially free from plant material, and has a tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of not more than 0.3 percent on dry weight basis. The measure is now heading back to the House for consideration.

-HB 1040, by Rep. George Faught, changes Purple Heart Week, the last week of May, to Purple Heart Day on Aug. 7. The bill passed 47 to 0.

-HB 1046, by Rep. Scott Biggs, requires that if the court cancels all or part of restitution owed, the court must also apply the same percentage reduction to any court-ordered monetary obligation owed by the defendant. The bill passed 45 to 0.

-HB 1124, with enacting clause stricken, by Rep. Todd Russ, exempts any child care facility employee who has already completed a national criminal history record check conducted by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation from the requirement to obtain a national criminal history records search based upon submission of fingerprints. The bill requires the Department of Human Services to work with the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to contract with a statewide vendor that can provide electronic fingerprint services to support the national criminal history records searches required for employment. The bill passed 46 to 0.

-HB 1149, by Rep. Randy Grau, creates the An Act to Preserve Testamentary and Marital Intent. The bill requires the burden of proof in any action or claim by a party to invalidate any instrument intended to dispose of the property of a descendent or person subsequently adjudged incompetent, such as a will or prenuptial agreement, to be on the party seeking relief and by convincing evidence of the grounds asserted for said relief. The bill passed 46 to 0.

-HB 1274, by Rep. Ken Walker, permits any relevant information to the ability of an individual to perform tasks requiring direct contact with children to be released to another child care facility in response to a request from the child care facility that is considering employing or contacting with said individual unless deemed confidential by state and federal laws. It also requires requirements for confidentiality and recordkeeping with regard to the information to be the same for the child care facility receiving the information in response to a request as those provided in the bill for the child care facility releasing such information. The bill passed 47 to 0.

-HB 1294, with title restored, by Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, appropriates $12.0 million out of funds made available by the federal Unemployment Compensation Modernization Transfer to the Employment Security Administration Fund to be used by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission to pay the administrative expenses certain programs. The bill passed 41 to 5.

-HB 1403, by Rep. John Pfeiffer, creates the Care and Disposition of Disaster Animals Act, the purpose of which is to provide certainty of ownership for disaster animals by providing an owner with a specific time frame by which the owner is required to reclaim companion animals following a declared deferral disaster or state emergency and to provide an animal shelter with specific guidelines as to how long disaster animals are required to be held prior to their disposition. The bill and its emergency clause passed 46 to 0.

-HB 1405, with title and emergency clause restored, by Rep. John Pfeiffer, requires that the total fee for injection of drinking water be no less than $2,000 or more than $5,000 per year. The bill and its emergency clause passed 33 to 13.

-HB 1548, by Rep. Scott Biggs, allows the courts to modify the sentence of any inmate who was originally sentenced for a drug charge and ordered to complete the Drug Offender Work Camp at the Bill Johnson Correctional Facility and direct that another sentence be imposed, if the court is satisfied that the best interests of the public will not be jeopardized. It prohibits the court from imposing a deferred sentence. It allows an application for sentence modification to be filed and ruled upon beyond the initial twenty-four-month time period. The bill passed 46 to 0.

-FS for HB 1614, by Rep. Katie Henke, creates the Oklahoma Transportation Network Company Services Act. The bill regulates transportation network companies, services and drivers. The bill prohibits transportation network companies (TNCs) or TNC driver from being considered motor carriers of persons defined in Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statues, or considered to provide taxicab or for-hire vehicle services. The bill prohibits a person from operating a TNC in Oklahoma without first having obtained a permit from the Corporation Commission. The bill and its emergency clause passed 35 to 11.

-HB 1652, by Rep. Scooter Park, requires an archery hunting license to expire on Jan. 15 of the calendar year after the year purchased or if purchased during the deer archery season it shall expire at the end of that season. The bill and its emergency clause passed 47 to 0.

-HB 1806, by Rep. Gary Banz, authorizes the testing of a conscious person for the
purpose of determining blood alcohol levels if a search warrant is issued. The bill passed 46 to 0.

-HB 1902, as amended, by Rep. Dennis Johnson, grants liability from civil immunity for any damage resulting from the forcible entry of a motor vehicle for the purpose of removing a child from the motor vehicle under certain conditions. The bill provides it does not affect the person's civil liability if the person attempts to render aid to the child in addition to what is authorized by the bill. The amendment adds an emergency clause to the bill. The bill and it emergency clause passed 46 to 0.

• The Senate adopted House amendments to the following bills and gave them passing votes, clearing the way for them to go to Gov. Mary Fallin for her consideration:

-SB 138, by Sen. Corey Brooks allows students to be eligible for in-state status regardless of the residency of the student if he or she is eligible for benefits under the federal Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 or other federal law authorizing educational benefits for veterans or is the spouse or child 25 years of age or younger of someone receiving those benefits. It expands references to "child" include stepchild. The bill and its emergency clause passed 45 to 0.

-SB 411, by Sen. Brian Crain, requires the department to conduct annual inspections of the commercial driver license training school facilities and equipment. It prohibits any commercial driver license training school to be established unless such school applies for and obtains from the Department of Public Safety a license in the manner and form prescribed by the Department. It requires that regulation adopted by the Department to state the requirements for a commercial driver license training school license. It requires that every school offering instruction for a Class A, B or C commercial license must provide for a minimum number of hours of actual classroom and field driving instruction determined by the Department. It prohibits any person from acting as a commercial driver license training instructor unless such person applies for and obtains a license from the Department. The bill passed 33 to 11.

• The Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the State Department of Health both met with the Senate Appropriations Committee Wednesday morning in lieu of the state's $611 million shortfall. Both agencies discussed with the committee what budget cuts would look like over the next fiscal year.

Terri White, ODMHSAS Commissioner, was first to present saying she would "concentrate on what's happened to our budget over the last few years," specifically 2009, 2014 and 2015. The agency currently serves 190,000 people annually, with between 700,000 and 950,000 individuals in need. White said Oklahoma has some of the highest rates for mental illness and addiction. The department's administrative overhead is less than 3 percent of the budget and agency full-time employees have decreased by 542 since 2009, said White.

Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) Commissioner Terry Cline also focused on fiscal years 2009 to 2015, saying the state appropriations to the agency in that time period declined by $14.3 million. Cline said OSDH currently represent .85 percent of Oklahoma state appropriated budget. In FY2015, 17 percent of the $352 million of estimated expenditures were state appropriated dollars. State funds are spent on limited public health programs, said Cline, 23.78 percent of these state funds are matched with federal or other funds. According to Cline, the agency's FY2015 budget was 57 percent federally funded.

• The House met Wednesday and approved the following bills:

-SB 380, with title and enacting clause restored as amended, by Sen. Dan Newberry, requires every licensed alarm or locksmith company to conduct a fingerprint-based national criminal history records search on each employee or agent before his or her employment with the licensed company. The bill prohibits a person convicted of a felony offense or entered a plea of nolo contendere or plead guilty to any felony offense from being employed by or represent the licensed company as its agent and prohibits them from involvement in design, planning, specifying or laying out of a customer's burglar alarm system. The bill exempts the sale of alarm or locksmith products or systems by a retail counter sales agent from the Alarm and Locksmith Industry Act. Measure passed by a vote of 81-10.

-SB 54, by Sen. Kim David, adds Probation and Parole officers, Internal Affairs agents of the Department of Corrections and adds law enforcement officers of the Grand River Dam Authority to the list of individuals entitled to receive on retirement by reason of length of service the sidearm and badge carried as officer, investigator, or agent immediately prior to retirement. The bill also removes those officers from the list entitled to retain only their badges upon retirement. The bill and emergency passed by a vote of 79 to 16.

-SB 134, by Sen. Corey Brooks, allows an OHP officer, upon retirement, to purchase the shotgun or riffle issued to them at the original price paid for the firearm. The bill passed by a vote of 89 to 1.

-SB 155, as amended, by Sen. Wayne Shaw, provides exemption for members of the Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission from restrictions relating to dual office holding. The bill also exempts the Board of Osteopathic Examiners from these provisions. The bill and emergency clause passed by a vote of 77 to 12.

-SB 208, by Sen. Ron Justice, creates neither a total fee of not less than $2,000 nor more than $5,000 per year for injection of drinking water treatment residuals into a Class V underground injection well. The bill passed by a vote of 68 to 20. The emergency failed 55 to 32 with Pfeiffer serving notice.

-SB 246, by Sen. Mike Mazzei, modifies requirements and procedures related to motor vehicle registration relating to the certification of a security verification form. The bill allows verification of coverage through an online verification system. The bill passed by a vote of 87 to 1.

-SB 248, by Sen. Mike Mazzei, removes the requirement for Tax Commission to exchange damaged cigarette stamps given to cigarette wholesalers. The bill deletes the authority of wholesalers to sell cigarette stamps to distributers. The bill modifies procedures regarding stamps returned to a manufacturer, requiring certain proof to be given to the Tax Commission. The bill passed by a vote of 84 to 5.

-SB 322, by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, authorizes the Oklahoma Department of Transportation and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority to post a temporary reduced speed limit for maintenance operations or when special hazards are present. The bill and emergency passed by a vote of 84 to 3.

-SB 340, by Sen. Gary Stanislawski, requires any Interlocal Entity that insures any Oklahoma educational institution after Jan. 1, 2016 to obtain recognition or accreditation from a national organization approved by the Insurance Commissioner. The bill passed by a vote of 87 to 0.

-SB 434, by Sen. Kay Floyd, allows the executive director of the Board of Chiropractic Examiners, in consultation with the chair of the advisory committee, or designee, to assign a complaint to an investigator if the board determines a complaint merits further investigation. The bill removes language related to the advisory committee. The bill states guidelines for international applicants for a license to practice chiropractic in Oklahoma. The bill passed by a vote of 79 to 4.

-SB 502, by Sen. Marty Quinn, modifies self-referential language. The bill also prohibits any credit allowed under this bill by a taxpayer engaged in electric power generation by means of wind, as described by the North American Industry System No. 22119. The bill passed by a vote of 85 to 3.

-SB 690, by Sen. Clark Jolley, requires a brewer not licensed in Oklahoma selling beer to a nonresident seller to have a written Distribution Sales Agreement with said seller and that such an agreement is subject to inspection by the ABLE Commission. The bill and emergency passed by a vote of 83 to 1.

-SB 383, by Sen. Stephanie Bice, allows a retail package store to store and sell beer at below room temperature and also allows for the sale of beer and wine in incorporated cities and towns to be available to the public through qualified ABLE Commission licensed retail stores. The bill requires the retail sales of alcoholic beverages to be the original sealed package by licensed privately owned and operated retail stores in cities and towns having a population over 200 persons. The bill requires the space in which retail alcoholic beverages are sold or displayed to be secured by a door or closure approved by the ABLE Commission during times that sales are prohibited. The bill passed by a vote of 68 to 21.

-SB 528, by Sen. Ralph Shortey, modifying language related to meeting and overtaking a stopped bus to include a bus owned and operated by a nonprofit charitable organization. The bill requires vehicles to yield right-of-way and stop for buses used by nonprofit charitable organizations for the purpose of transporting children. This bill passed by a vote of 91 to 0.

Thursday, April 16

• The Senate met Thursday morning before adjourning for the weekend.

-The Senate memorialized the 20th anniversary of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on Thursday with SR 27 by Sen. David Holt et al of the Senate. The resolution recognized the role of state employees in that event, remembered those state workers who were injured and mourned those killed in the attack. Many current and former state employees affected by the bombing were present in the Senate gallery for the reading of the resolution.

-SR 1, by Sen. Kim David of the Senate, declared April 18, 2015 as Drug-Endangered Children's Day in the State of Oklahoma.
-SB 782, by Sen. Clark Jolley, allows any school district to sponsor a charter school and allows the State Board of Education to sponsor a school that has been denied by its own school district. The bill specifies what will be included in an application for a charter sent to a sponsor. It specifies what powers the charter school sponsor will have and requires sponsors to develop a protocol for accepting and denying school applications. This bill outlines what may be included in a contract between a sponsor and a charter school and states that no public charter school will begin operations without a contract in place. This bill prohibits a charter identified as being in the bottom five percent in school performance from being renewed. The measure passed in the Senate on Thursday by a vote of 35-7.

Other news this week

• Lt. Governor Todd Lamb announced the 17th Annual Small Business Day will be held on Wednesday, April 29th at 9:30am on the 2nd Floor Rotunda at the State Capitol Building.

This year's event will include a legislative update from Speaker of the House Jeff Hickman and Pro Tempore of the Senate Brian Bingman. The guest speaker will be Dr. Marcie Mack, State Director of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

• State Rep. David Dank passed away unexpectedly at the age of 76 at his Oklahoma City home on Friday, April 10. Dank was elected to represent District 85 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives, succeeding his wife Odilia, who had served in that role for 12 years. Throughout his legislative service he was known as the "conscience of the Legislature" for his strong stands in favor of reform, winning him respect from both sides of the aisle. He was preceded in death by his wife. Services for Dank were held Thursday, April 16th in Oklahoma City.

• Senator Kevin Matthews was sworn in as Senator for district 11 on Wednesday. Sen. Matthews was also named to five committees and two budget subcommittees this week by Senate Democratic Leader Randy Bass. Committee appointments include: General Government, Pensions, Transportation, Public Safety, Appropriations, Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and Transportation, and Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

Matthews is a former Democratic House member from Tulsa and received 47.35 percent of the vote in the April 7 winner-take-all primary to win the Senate District 11 seat. No Republicans or Independents filed to run in the election. He succeeds former Sen. Jabar Shumate, who resigned earlier this year, and becomes the eighth member of the Senate's Democratic Caucus.

• Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak named Gordon Amini as General Counsel of the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) this week. Amini held the same title when he previously worked at the OID in 1981.

Amini recently retired from Physician Liability Insurance Company (PLICO) after a nine-year tenure as Senior Vice President and General Counsel. He served as board member for the Oklahoma Association of Life Insurance Companies and the Oklahoma Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association in addition to State Vice President of the American Council of Life Insurance. Prior to working at PLICO, Amini was Senior Vice President and General Counsel for C.L. Frates and Company and First Life Assurance Company.

Amini’s predecessor, Susan Dobbins, retired in March.

• As part of the Oklahoma Standard Campaign and events surrounding the 20th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, Governor Mary Fallin will ride a Harley-Davidson Trike as her "act of honor" in the eighth annual Oklahoma Memorial Motorcycle Run, a Ride to Remember, on Saturday, April 18. The governor and other participants will ride from Papa's Leather to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum's 9:03 Gate. From there, the governor will join the riders during a wreath-laying ceremony in the Field of Empty Chairs.

Since inception, the Memorial Motorcycle Run has raised more than $60,000 for the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum. The Oklahoma Standard campaign asks participants to engage in one act of service, one act of honor and one act of kindness during April.