LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Teachers' Retirement Study Released: The final report of the Oklahoma Teachers' Retirement System (OTRS) Task Force was released this week by its Chair, Dr. Alexander Holmes. Among the primary recommendations of the Task Force are the following:

• The time period over which the system's unfunded liability is paid should be extended, with an initial targeted funding level of 80% within 29 years. Under this scenario, total contributions could be capped at 18.75% (7% from employee, 6.05% from employer, 5.7% from state funds) rather than the eventual 25% level currently required by law.
• The natural gas gross production tax presently earmarked for OTRS should be directed to the General Revenue Fund and a special certified account in the General Revenue Fund be created exclusively for OTRS.
• No COLA's or benefit enhancements should be created without appropriate funding.
• Any COLA provided should be funded through direct appropriation from the General Revenue Fund.
• All "Rainy Day Fund" deposits not already committed and all potential windfalls from tobacco lawsuit settlements should be appropriated to OTRS until the unfunded liability is amortized.

Other recommendations included in the report included:

• No tax cuts should be enacted until OTRS reaches a healthy level of funding.
• The Task Force supports mandatory participation of all higher education institutions in OTRS subject to the recommended contribution levels. This would allow institutions to continue funding discretionary retirement benefit plans and OTRS at the same time.
• The Task Force recommended no change in the ten-year vesting period for OTRS.
• OTRS members should be encouraged to retire later rather than early.

The report also included five minority reports:

• Minority Report 1 (endorsed by 1 member) recommends that the current statutory contribution schedule should be adhered to so that OTRS would reach a 100% funded level in 16 years.
• Minority Report 2 (endorsed by 14 members) recommends that funding for COLA's should be built into the contribution structure. The recommended employer contribution rate of 6.05% should be increased by 0.95% to 7.0% and that this increment be set aside as a "COLA pool" to fund benefit increases.
• Minority Report 3 (endorsed by 5 members) recommends that earnings in excess of the actuarially assumed rate of return be made available to retirees in the form of a "13^th check" within parameters that maintain the financial soundness of the system.
• Minority Report 4 (endorsed by 1 member) does not support extending the amortization schedule for OTRS' unfunded liability and advocates the development of a defined contribution retirement plan.
• Minority Report 5 (endorsed by 3 members) recommends reducing the OTRS vesting period from 10 years to 5 years.

Presidents' Council Considers OTRS Recommendations: On Wednesday the Presidents' Council reviewed the OTRS Task Force Report and adopted the four following positions:

1. The amortization target of 80% within 29 years recommended by the OTRS Task Force should be adopted, which allows employer contribution rates to be capped at lower levels than currently mandated by statute.
2. The Task Force recommendation to direct the natural gas gross production tax to the General Revenue Fund and create a special certified fund for OTRS should be adopted.
3. Minority Report 2, which builds COLA funding into the contribution structure, should be adopted (adds 0.95% to the employer contribution rate).
4. Minority Report 5, which reduces the vesting period from 10 years to 5 years, should be adopted (adds 0.3% to the employer contribution rate).

Bill Would Require Colleges to Offer Reading Tests: HB 2889 was amended last week by the Senate Education Committee to require colleges to offer reading proficiency tests to individuals under 18 years of age needing the test to obtain their drivers license. Legislation passed last year required all individuals under 18 years of age to pass an eighth-grade level reading test before they could get their driver's license. Those students who do not pass the test when regularly taken in school, would be allowed to take alternative tests at certain "testing sites". These sites would include public schools, vo-tech schools, regional education service centers, colleges, and accredited private schools which choose to participate.

The bill mandates that the first alternative test for each student will be provided free of charge and that a fee of up to $25 may be charge for any subsequent test.

Bills Deleted from Tracking List: We are removing over 30 bills from our tracking list. Most of these bills did not survive last week's committee action deadline. A list of all the deleted bills is provided further in this report.

April 16, Thursday -- Bills from Floor of Opposite House

May 29, Friday -- Sine Die Adjournment

Actions on Bills This Week:

SENATE ACTIONS

Bills Passed on Senate Floor:

• HB 1162 - Oklahoma made/grown products
• HB 1822 - sole source contracts
• HB 2219 - Minority Teacher Recruitment Center; sunset date
• HB 2228 - State Data Processing and Telecommunications Adv. Comm.
• HB 2229 - recreating Minority Teacher Recruitment Advisory Comm.
• HB 2230 - juvenile sex offenders
• HB 2280 - managed care plans; coverage of emergency services
• HB 2287 - Defined Benefit Plan Amendments Act of 1998
• HB 2228 - "Benefit Enhancement Account for Retirees Act"
• HB 2290 - life insurance; state group insurance program
• HB 2326 - annuity contracts
• HB 2361 - Tulsa State University Consortium
• HB 2399 - Rogers University
• HB 2500 - teachers' retirement; death benefit tax exemption
• HB 2532 - Oklahoma Privatization of State Functions Act
• HB 2557 - Minority Teacher Recruitment Advisory Committee
• HB 2563 - real estate licensure; required courses
• HB 2569 - retirement benefits; prohibiting garnishment
• HB 2607 - designated state holidays
• HB 2651 - educational technology
• HB 2668 - teachers' retirement
• HB 2695 - "Cost of Living Adjustment Feasibility Analysis Act"
• HB 2740 - "State Agency Reform and Improvement Act"
• HB 2822 - "Oklahoma Native American Day"
• HB 2823 - Task Force on Agriculture Cooperatives
• HB 2837 - child care facility
• HB 2863 - technology transfer
• HB 2909 - public construction contract; reusable inventory
• HB 2914 - fire ant research/OSU
• HB 2934 - Oklahoma College Savings Plan Act
• HB 2952 - recycling
• HB 3120 - "Technology in the Classroom Act"
• HB 3169 - "Genetic Nondiscrimination Act"
• HB 3213 - smoke detectors for the deaf
• HB 3226 - airplane travel/purchasing/bidding
• HB 3241 - employee oaths
• HB 3287 - electronic signatures
• HB 3312 - sole source contracts
• HJR 1073 - technology transfer

Bills Failed on Senate Floor:

• none

Bills Passed in Senate Committees:

• none

Bills Failed in Senate Committees:

• none

HOUSE ACTIONS

Bills Passed on House Floor:

• SB 862 - Commission for Teacher Preparation
• SB 1033 - teachers' retirement
• SB 1050 - public construction contracts
• SB 1236 - veterinary college
• SB 1246 - travel/conference registration
• SB 1250 - dual office holding
• SB 1310 - CPA requirements
• SB 1349 - educational indicators
• SB 1355 - inventor assistance program
• SB 1405 - technology transfer
• SB 1406 - certificate of distinction; high school
• SJR 16 - Ok. Council on Violence Prevention
• SJR 25 - technology transfer
• HB 2963 - administrative procedures; hearing examiners

Bills Failed on the House Floor:

• none

GOVERNOR'S ACTIONS

Bills Sent to the Governor:

• SB 1236 - veterinary college
• HB 1162 - Oklahoma made/grown products
• HB 2563 - real estate licensure; required courses
• HB 2963 - administrative procedures; hearing examiners
• HB 3241 - employee oaths

Bills Signed By the Governor:

• SB 963 - supplemental appropriation; OneNet
• SB 1310 - CPA requirements
• HB 3086 - review of internal audit functions
• HB 2228 - State Data Processing and Telecommunications Adv. Comm.
• HB 2229 - recreating Minority Teacher Recruitment Advisory Comm.
• HB 2607 - designated state holidays
• HB 2822 - "Oklahoma Native American Day"
• HB 2823 - Task Force on Agriculture Cooperatives

Bills Vetoed By the Governor:

• none

CHANGES TO THE LIST

Bills Added to the List:

• SB 448 - related to State Dental Act
• HCR 1081 - internet websites; allowing complaints
• HR 1046 - designating April as Science and Technology Month

Bills Deleted from the List:

• SB 773 - deferred compensation
• SB 823 - tourism promotion and research
• SB 829 - OneNet; provider reimbursement
• SB 830 - OneNet; right-of-way
• SB 877 - public construction contracts; change orders
• SB 1000 - Higher Education Completion Revolving Fund
• SB 1027 - Tulsa State University
• SB 1098 - public institution foundations
• SB 1109 - anatomical gifts
• SB 1130 - health insurance; high deductible plan
• SB 1197 - annual leave benefits
• SB 1414 - graduate fellowships
• SB 1418 - graduate fellowships
• SB 1423 - art academies
• SB 1428 - higher education bonds
• SJR 29 - technology transfer
• SJR 30 - capital improvement bonds
• HB 2357 - livestock activities liability
• HB 2467 - employee classification; student employees
• HB 2469 - Statewide Temporary Assistance Responsibility System
• HB 2602 - travel reform
• HB 2644 - teachers' retirement; natural gas gross production tax
• HB 2652 - re-creating Ok. Teacher Preparation Commission
• HB 2719 - state insurance fund; proceeds to retirement systems
• HB 2739 - university hospitals
• HB 2755 - technology plans for school districts
• HB 2808 - health insurance/co-payments
• HB 2930 - Hope Scholarship tax credit
• HB 2951 - tuition freeze
• HB 2954 - creating Office of Technology
• HB 3100 - educational indicators
• HB 3207 - job training tax credit
• HB 3211 - technology transfer
• HB 3236 - teachers' retirement
• HJR 1066 - teachers' retirement; issuance of bonds
• HJR 1067 - capital improvement bonds

April 3, 1998

A&M Board of Regents, HB 2802

Administrative procedures, HB 2963, HB 3189

Advanced placement, SB 774, SB 1427

Agriculture cooperatives task force, HB 2823

Airplane travel, HB 3226

Animal feeding operations, SB 1175

Annuity contracts, HB 2326

Appropriations

Asbestos abatement, SB 934

Atkinson, H. B., SR 49

Audits, internal, HB 3086

Better Schools Incentive Grant Program, SB 1351

Bids, HB 2802, HB 2909, HB 3226

Bond issue, HJR 1077

Brisch, Hans, HR 1043

Budget and program oversight, HB 3058

Campus safety, SB 1104

Capital improvements, HJR 1077

Certified Public Accountants’ education requirements, SB 1310

Child care facilities, HB 2837, HB 3144

Children First Program, SB 923

Civil discovery, HB 2423

College savings plan, SB 1430, HB 2934

Complaint form, HCR 1081

Contracts, SB 1050, HB 2693, HB 2802, HB 2909, HB 3070, HB 3226

Credit card

Data processing, SB 862, HB 2219, HB 2228

Dental Board, SB 448

Diploma with distinction, SB 1406

Dual-office holding, SB 1250

Economic development, SB 798, HB 1162, HB 3284

Educational Indicators Program, HB 2897

Electronic signature technology, HB 3287

Employee

Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History, SB 1137

Faculty termination, SB 1372

Family Savings Initiative, SB 1350

Fee increase, HB 2704

Fire ant research, HB 2914

4-H Day, HCR 1068

Garnishment, HB 2568

Genetic nondiscrimination, HB 3169

Hauptman, Herbert, SR 52

Holidays, HB 2607, HB 2822

Individual retirement accounts, SB 1167

Insurance, health, SB 873, SB 1059, SB 1088, SB 1089, SB 1210, HB 2280, HB 2313, HB 2531, HB 2947, HB 3169, HB 3171

Insurance, life, HB 2290

International students, HCR 1075

Inventory

Job training, HB 2363, HB 2638

Juvenile Sex Offenders, HB 2219, HB 2230

Landscape architects, HB 2405

Langston University, SB 1426, HB 3213

Leave

License plates, SB 1183

Long-Range Capital Planning, SB 981

Mid-career teacher programs, SB 1424

Minority Teacher Recruitment, HB 2219, HB 2229, HB 2557

Nigh, George, SCR 40

Northeastern Oklahoma University, SB 1426

Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST), SB 1355, HB 2863, HB 3012

Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP), SB 1432

Oklahoma Hope Scholarship, HJR 1084

Oklahoma State University

OneNet, SB 820

Open Meeting, SB 996

Open Records, SB 996

Optometry, SB 1192

OU/OSU Tulsa, SB 1426

Partnership schools, HB 3186

Payroll reports, SJR 19

Poultry

Privatization of state functions, HB 2532

Publications, HB 2802

Public

Purchasing, SB 820, SB 1174, HB 1822, HB 2693, HB 2802, HB 3226, HR 1043

Reading proficiency tests, HB 2889

Real estate courses, HB 2563

Recycling, HB 2952

Redlands Community College, SB 1270

Reduction in force, HB 2855

Remediation, SB 1349

Reports, HB 2802

Research (see also Technology transfer)

Residential care home administrator certification, SB 1013

Retirement, SB 776, SB 1033, SB 1037, HB 2287, HB 2288, HB 2500, HB 2568, HB 2668, HB 2695

Rogers University, SB 1426, HB 2361, HB 2399

School testing, SB 1349, HB 2889, HB 2897

Science and Technology Month, HR 1046

Smoke detectors, HB 3213

Sole source contracts, HB 1822, HB 2693, HB 3070, HB 3312, HR 1043

Speech pathologists/audiologists education requirements, HB 3244

State agency reform, HB 2740

State Regents, SB 955, HR 1043

Student loans, SB 798

Tax

Teacher

Technology

Telecommunications, SB 832, SB 862, SB 1351, HB 2219, HB 2228, HB 2868

Telemedicine, SB 832, HB 2868

Therapists, marital and family, HB 2279

Thistle eradication, HB 2277

Travel, SB 1246

Trust institutions, HB 2894

Tuition/fees,

Tuition trust, HB 2934

Tulsa, university in, SB 1426, HB 2361, HB 2399

Tulsa State University Consortium, HB 2361

Unemployment, SB 793, HB 2792

University of Central Oklahoma, SR 52

University of Oklahoma inventory report, HB 2802

Veterinary college/university, SB 1236

Vietnam Veterans Day, HB 2255

Violence prevention, SJR 16

Workers’ Compensation, SB 1185

Workplace protection, HB 1017

Status Reported as of April 2, 1998

• SB 448 (Robinson/Stanley) – DENTAL BOARD. Clarifies language relating to the State Dental Board. (59 § 328.15)

• SB 772 (Roberts/Begley) – TEACHER DEVELOPMENT. This is a shell bill relating to teacher professional development. (70 § 6-192)

• SB 774 (Roberts/Begley) – ADVANCED PLACEMENT. This is a shell bill relating to the Oklahoma Advanced Placement Incentive Program. (70 § 1210.701)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/11/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (45-0) 02/25/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/25/98

• SB 776 (Roberts/Begley) – TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT. Requires that a graduated amount equal to a portion of a teacher’s annual salary be credited against the employee contribution amount to the Teachers’ Retirement System for FY’99. (70 §17-108.2)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/17/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (45-0) 02/25/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/25/98

• SB 793 (Long/Fields) – UNEMPLOYMENT. Modifies filing requirements for the Employment Security Commission to provide for electronic filing; requires persons claiming benefits to report all wages, regardless of the source or amount; modifies the maximum benefit amount computation to provide for increases in the applicable percentage determined by the conditional factor; makes benefits subject to federal income tax; modifies conditions constituting good cause for voluntarily leaving work to include when a physician found that it was medically necessary for a claimant to stop working or change occupations due to diagnosis or treatment of a medically verifiable illness or medical condition of the claimant or the minor child of the claimant; provides that an employer’s benefit wages shall not include wages paid by the employer to any employee or former employee who was discharged by an employer for unsatisfactory performance during an initial employment probationary period; provides for a 50-percent-reduction in employers’ contribution rates; requires that employers with a 5.5-percent-earned rate be reduced to 5.4 percent and those whose earned rate is 0.1 percent be reduced to 0 percent; modifies filings requirements for appeals; requires that monies credited to the unemployment trust fund, with respect to federal fiscal years 1999 through 2001, be used solely for administration of the unemployment compensation program and not subject to legislative appropriation; repeals sections relating to filing of notices, protests or appeals and to notice of intention to appeal. (40 § 1-224)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/09/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (43-0) 03/09/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/24/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/24/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/25/98

• SB 798 (Stipe/Mass) – INCOME TAX CREDIT/STUDENT LOANS. Creates the "Economic Development Through Education Act" to provide an incentive for Oklahoma college graduates to stay in Oklahoma and work in "basic industry" companies (in particular, the semiconductor manufacturing industry, such as Intel Corp.); provides for an income tax credit for student loan payments for loans made after the effective date of this act, covering the cost of attendance at a state higher education institution, with which the taxpayer must have obtained a degree from such an institution; limits credit to the amount of loan repayments made in the tax year; provides for a 10-year carry-forward. (68 § 2357.71)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/16/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 02/25/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/25/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/26/98

• SB 820 (Robinson/Adair) – ONENET. Section 2 modifies language relating to OneNet to delete authorization for state agencies to make certain purchases that are not on a statewide contract but are available from a General Services Administration schedule or contract or are on a GSA schedule at a lesser price. (74 § 85.9E)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (45-0) 03/04/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/31/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE 03/31/98

(100 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 1 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

• SB 832 (Robinson/Ervin) – TELEMEDICINE ADVISORY COUNCIL. Creates a Telemedicine Advisory Council until July 1, 2004, to advise the governor and legislature regarding improvement of public policy relating to telemedicine; includes the Chancellor or his designee as member of the council; states duties of the Council. (36 § 6805)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (47-0) 03/11/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/23/98

• SB 862 (Harrison/Askins) – TEACHER PREPARATION. Removes from the 1998 sunset list the Commission for Teacher Preparation. The committee substitute modifies the list by removing the State Data Processing and Telecommunications Advisory Committee, and the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation. (74 § 3905)

BILL PASSED - SENATE (45-0) 03/09/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/30/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 03/30/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE 03/30/98

(101 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 0 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

• SB 873 (Helton/Glover) – HEALTH INSURANCE/PROSTATE CANCER. Requires health benefit plans offered by the Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board and the State Employee Benefits Council that provide medical and surgical benefits for treatment of prostate cancer and other related conditions to also provide coverage for side effects commonly associated with radical retropubic prostatectomy surgery, including impotence and incontinence, and for other prostate-related conditions; requires the Board to notify insureds regarding the coverage. (74 §§ 1324, 1373)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/19/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (41-4) 03/03/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/23/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/23/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/24/98

• SB 901 (Haney/Hamilton) – APPROPRIATIONS. Appropriates to the various educational entities. Section 14 provides for the expenditure of $500,000 for scholarships to the Great Expectations Summer Institutes for Teachers, provides for the establishment of an elementary level Great Expectations Demonstration Project, provides $3.35 million for the Professional Development Institutes in Reading; provides for the expenditure of $1 million on a competitive application basis to the State Vo-Tech Board and to State System institutions for implementing technology training for teachers. Section 15 apportions $280,344 to be expended on a competitive application basis to a State System institution for implementing telecommunications curriculum statewide. Section 16 provides for $25,000 to be expended on a contractual basis to a community education consortium group which is associated with a State System institution. Section 17 provides that certain funds in the Education Leadership Oklahoma Revolving Fund be used to provide program development and evaluation by the Teacher Preparation Commission and curriculum enhancement and monitoring programs for teacher applicants on a contract basis with a State System institution. Section 23 provides for $48,000 to be used to ensure school district participation in the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Sections 38 through 40 appropriate to the Commission for Teacher Preparation.

BILL PASSED - SENATE (46-0) 02/10/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 03/11/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (93-4) 03/11/98

• SB 906 (Haney/Hamilton) – APPROPRIATIONS. Provides budgetary limitations for the Commission for Teacher Preparation.

BILL PASSED - SENATE (45-0) 02/10/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 03/11/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (70-29) 03/11/98

• SB 923 (Haney/Hamilton) - APPROPRIATIONS. Relates to various health services agencies. Section 17 provides funds for contractual services with the Perinatal Continuing Education Program within the OB/GYN department of the OU College of Medicine; provides funds to be allocated to the OUHSC for health services programs for uninsured or underinsured women and children. Section 19 states intent that certain funds be used to establish the Children First Program and that the Health Department contract with a university-related program for a performance-based evaluation of the program. Section 28 appropriates to the University Hospitals Authority.

BILL PASSED - SENATE (45-0) 02/10/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 03/16/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (92-4) 03/16/98

• SB 928 (Haney/Hamilton) - APPROPRIATIONS. Provides budgetary limitations for the University Hospitals.

BILL PASSED - SENATE (45-1) 02/10/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (87-11) 03/16/98

• SB 934 (Haney/Hamilton) - APPROPRIATIONS. Section 9 appropriates to the Department of Agriculture and provides for expenditures for contracts for statewide dissemination of intensive financial management technical assistance by Oklahoma State University’s extension service; Section 21 requires the State Regents to cooperate with the Department of Labor to provide information required concerning asbestos abatement.

BILL PASSED - SENATE (45-0) 02/10/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 03/16/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (93-5) 03/16/98

• SB 955 (Haney/Hamilton) – STATE REGENTS. This is a shell bill relating to the powers and duties of the State Regents. (70 § 3206)

BILL PASSED - SENATE (43-3) 02/10/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 03/17/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (92-6) 03/17/98

• SB 960 (Haney/Hamilton) - APPROPRIATIONS. This is a general appropriations bill. Sections 11 through 13 appropriate to the State Regents; Sections 16 and 17 appropriate to the Physician Manpower Training Commission; Section 20 appropriates to the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST); Section 22 appropriates to the Teacher Preparation Commission; Section 75 appropriates to the University Hospitals Authority.

TITLE STRICKEN 02/18/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE (38-0) 03/11/98

SECOND READING - REFERRED DIRECT TO CALENDAR 03/16/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/16/98

• SB 962 (Haney/Hamilton) - APPROPRIATIONS. Modifies certain budgetary limitations for the Physician Manpower Training Commission.

BILL PASSED - SENATE (46-0) 02/10/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 03/23/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (92-8) 03/23/98

• SB 963 (Haney/Hamilton) – APPROPRIATIONS/ONENET. Makes supplemental appropriations to various state agencies. Section 5 appropriates $189,000 to the State Regents to reimburse OneNet for providing a telemedicine program for a rural hospital consortium.

• SB 981 (Haney/Hamilton) – LONG-RANGE CAPITAL PLANNING. Clarifies language relating to the Long-Range Capital Planning Commission. (62 § 901)

• SB 996 (Herbert/Seikel) – OPEN MEETING/OPEN RECORDS. Adds entities created by public trusts to the definition of "public body" in the Open Meeting Act and the Open Records Act. (25 § 304, 51 § 24A.3)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/24/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (46-0) 02/24/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/26/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/26/98

• SB 1013 (Rabon/Ervin) – RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME ADMINISTRATOR CERTIFICATION. Modifies requirements for residential care home administrator certification to allow applicants at any time to present an institution of higher education with documentation of prior education and work experience for consideration for possible credit toward certification; authorizes a certified administrator to make a written request to the commissioner of health to be placed in an inactive status for up to five subsequent calendar years and to waive educational requirements during that time. (63 § 1-836)

BILL PASSED - SENATE (47-0) 03/11/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS 03/23/98

• SB 1033 (Monson/Roberts) - TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT. This is a shell bill relating to contributions to the Teachers’ Retirement System (OTRS). The committee substitute appropriates $50 million from the constitutional reserve fund to the Teachers’ Retirement System (OTRS) to reduce the unfunded actuarial accrued liability of the system; reapportions 2 percent of the natural gas tax currently going to the General Revenue Fund to OTRS; increases from 5 percent to five-sevenths the gross production tax revenue that is required to be apportioned by the Oklahoma Tax Commission; decreases from 21 percent to two-sevenths the amount received from the remaining revenue that is deposited in the General Revenue Fund for direct appropriation by the Legislature; requires that, of the two-sevenths deposited in the General Fund, 33 1/3 percent be apportioned to OTRS for FY’99, 66 2/3 percent for FY’00 and 100 percent for FY’01. (68 §§ 1004, 1004a)

BILL PASSED - SENATE (45-0) 03/02/98

TITLE STRICKEN 04/01/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 04/01/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE 04/01/98

(87 AYE / 8 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 5 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

ENGROSSED - HOUSE 04/01/98

• SB 1037 (Monson/Roberts) - TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT. Relates to benefit increases for certain public retirement systems; Section 6 states that a system for providing a fiscally sound method to provide a periodic cost-of-living increase in benefits for retired members and beneficiaries of Teachers’ Retirement is a matter of high priority and an issue requiring careful analysis. (70 § 17-116.2C)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/18/98)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (37-0) 03/03/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/24/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/24/98

• SB 1050 (Dunlap/Askins) – PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION. Increases from $13,500 to $25,000 the value of a contract requiring a bond or irrevocable letter of credit; modifies language relating to requirements for public building construction to include construction management services; modifies notice and filing requirements. (61 §§ 1, 62, 102, 107)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/18/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (34-13) 03/09/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/23/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/23/98

TITLE STRICKEN 04/02/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 04/02/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (93-6) 04/02/98

ENGROSSED - HOUSE 04/02/98

• SB 1059 (Monson/Seikel) – HEALTH INSURANCE/MENTAL ILLNESS. Requires group health insurance and health benefit plans to include coverage for treatment of adults, adolescents and children with severe mental illness; requires that such benefits be equal to benefits for treatment of and subject to the same preauthorization and utilization review mechanisms and other terms and conditions as all other physical diseases and disorders; provides an exception for policies that provide coverage for a specified disease or other limited benefit coverage and for groups with 50 or fewer employees. (36 § 6060.10)

FLOOR AMENDMENT 03/03/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE (29-12) 03/03/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/26/98

• SB 1088 (Monson/Askins) – HEALTH INSURANCE. Deletes provisions relating to the Health Care Authority duties relating to health care benefits for state and education employees. (74 § 1365)

FLOOR SUBSTITUTE 03/11/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (47-0) 03/11/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/25/98

• SB 1089 (Monson/Askins) – HEALTH INSURANCE/BIDDING CRITERIA. Provides that the Health Care Authority may not modify but may only approve or disapprove the selection of benefits made by the Oklahoma State Employees Benefits Council pursuant to the Oklahoma State Employees Benefits Act; requires the council to purchase health care benefits for participants, develop health care plans for participants and develop a standard basic health care benefits package or packages to be offered by health care providers for participants; requires the council to retain as confidential information the initial bid offers, as well as any subsequent bid offers, made by health plans prior to final contract awards as part of the best and final offer negotiations process for the benefit plan; prohibits the council from establishing any biding criteria relating to excessive benefit pricing; requires HMOs offering a plan to participants, beginning Sept. 1, 1998, and each year thereafter, to submit to the council information regarding utilization data and loss ratios on the state plan business; requires that the council retain as confidential any proprietary information submitted by HMOs; requires the council to promulgate rules that establish the type, form and means by which information collected on utilization data and loss ratios will be communicated to participating employers and participants; requires the council and the Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board to begin preparation and distribution of information communicating and explaining the plans available for the FY’99 plan year to participating employers and participants; prohibits such information from including any reference to frozen or limited enrollment in any plan; requires the board to design and make available for enrollment during the next enrollment period a health benefit plan for the FY’99 plan year, in addition to the health benefit plan currently offered by the board; requires that the new plan offer the same range of services and scope of benefits contained in the plan that was offered during the 1998 plan year and the premium rates for the new plan be the same as for the 1998 plan year; requires that the plan contain the same plan design elements as the 1998 plan year but permits the price, ratio or level of each element to be adjusted by the board as necessary to meet the required premium levels; provides that the plan design elements specified in the section include in-network and out-of-network prices, co-insurance, deductibles, out-of-pocket maximums and co-pays; authorizes eligible participants for fiscal 1999 to choose as their health care provider any HMO available in their area that submitted a bid to the council during the period; provides for review of expenditure and revenue data to determine whether rates need to be lowered to an actuarially sound level on or before March 1, 1998; expresses legislative intent to appropriate $35.7 million from the Constitutional Reserve Fund for the purpose of subsidizing health insurance plan premium rates.

VETO PREVAILED - SENATE 02/26/98

• SB 1104 (Mickle/Benson) – CAMPUS SAFETY. Relates to "stalking" and "harassment"; authorizes the chief administrative officer of an institution of learning to direct any person to leave the institution who is not a student, officer or employee thereof, who enters the institution without any purpose reasonably connected with any activity conducted at the institution, if the officer determines in good faith that the person substantially interferes with or poses a reasonably foreseeable threat to activities and purposes of the institution, proper maintenance of the institution or the safety of persons lawfully present; authorizes peace officers to seize any weapon when the officer has probable cause to believe it has been used to commit the crime of stalking or harassment, provided an arrest is made, if possible, at the same time; authorizes peace officers to take into custody a person the officer has reasonable cause to believe may have violated such an order or been served such an order. (21 § 1376)

BILL PASSED - SENATE (44-0) 03/11/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/26/98

• SB 1137 (Littlefield/Beutler) - ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OKLAHOMA HISTORY. Requires the Oklahoma Historical Society to establish and administer an Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History which would include entries on different institutions, organizations, historic sites, and geographical features that have affected the development of Oklahoma. (53 § 1.4a)

BILL PASSED - SENATE (44-0) 03/04/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/26/98

• SB 1167 (Wilkerson/Longmacher) – TAX CREDIT/TUITION/EDUCATION IRAS. Provides an income tax credit for tuition and fees for teachers; limits such tax to $25 per credit hour; provides a 5-percent income tax credit for eligible educational individual retirement accounts. (68 §§ 2357, 2357.33)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (41-3) 02/24/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/25/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/30/98

• SB 1170 (Muegge/Leist) – POULTRY FEEDING OPERATIONS/OSU COOP EXTENSION. Creates the "Oklahoma Registered Poultry Feeding Operations Act." Section 5 requires operators of registered poultry feeding operations and all litter handlers to attend education training on poultry waste management as provided by Oklahoma State University (OSU) through the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service (OCES). (2 § 10-9.6)

BILL PASSED - SENATE 03/03/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/19/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 03/19/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (94-5) 03/19/98

HOUSE AMENDMENTS - REJECTED 03/30/98

IN COMMITTEE - CONFERENCE 03/31/98

• SB 1174 (Dickerson/Askins) – PURCHASING. Requires the state purchasing director to delegate to the using agencies procurement actions from statewide contracts, authoring the using agency to determine the product, service or solution; requires the purchasing director to undertake a pilot project to allow selected state agencies to use state purchase cards for purchases less than $25,000; increases from $2,500 to $25,000 the acquisition or contract amounts exempt from competitive bidding procedures. (74 §§ 85.2, 85.5, 85.7, 85.41, 85.33, 85.39, 85.43)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (39-5) 02/23/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/16/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/16/98

• SB 1175 (Muegge/Leist) – ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS/OSU COOP EXTENSION. Modifies the Oklahoma Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) Act; Section 6 requires managing owners and managing operators of a proposed CAFO to provide certification of satisfactory completion of formal education or training in the areas of waste management and odor control; requires that appropriate curricula and course content be developed under the supervision of the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service.

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (45-1) 03/10/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/19/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 03/19/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (93-6) 03/19/98

HOUSE AMENDMENTS - REJECTED 03/30/98

• SB 1183 (Wilkerson/Langmacher) – SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES. Provides that if fewer than fifty of any type of special license plate are issued prior to July 1, 2003, or, for any type of special license plate authorized after July 1, 1998, within five years after first being offered, the Tax Commission shall discontinue issuance of that type of special license plate; recodifies provisions authorizing special license plates, including those for university or college supporters, Heart of the Heartland scholarships, and for Oklahoma City bombing victims and survivors. (47 § 1136)

BILL PASSED - SENATE (43-1) 02/23/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/18/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/18/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/19/98

• SB 1185 (Long/Toure) – WORKERS’ COMPENSATION. Prohibits discriminatory or retaliatory actions against an employee who has filed a workers’ compensation claim or taken certain related action; provides that an employee’s decision regarding enrollment in an employer’s workplace medical plan shall be made on an election form; outlines content of form.(85 § 5)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/17/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE (46-1) 03/04/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

• SB 1192 (Morgan/Wells) – OPTOMETRY. Adds low-vision rehabilitation, certain types of laser surgery and cosmetic lid surgery to the definition of the practice of optometry; requires certification by the State Board of Examiners in Optometry. (59 § 581)

• SB 1198 (Monson/Askins) – HEALTH INSURANCE/LEAVE. Allows state employees to exchange excessive sick and annual leave for benefits offered by the Employees Benefits Council. The committee substitute authorizes the State Employees Benefits Council to retain as confidential information in bid offers made by health plans prior to final contract awards as a part of the best and final offer negotiation process for the benefit plan. (74 § 1365)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/09/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (47-0) 03/09/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/23/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/23/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/24/98

• SB 1210 (Robinson/Bastin) – INSURANCE. Defines "mandated health benefit"; requires the state insurance commissioner, health commissioner and administrators of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority and State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board to submit a report on the social and financial impact of any such benefit in any bill affecting an insurance policy to the governor, House speaker and Senate president pro tempore. (63 § 5023)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 03/11/98

(42 AYE / 4 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 2 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS 03/26/98

• SB 1236 (Muegge/Wells) – VETERINARY COLLEGE. Relates to criminal investigation by the State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners; modifies the definition of "School of Veterinary Medicine" to mean "any veterinary college or division of a university or college that offers the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine or its equivalent, which conforms to the standards required for accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association and which is recognized and approved by the Board." (59 § 698.2)

BILL PASSED - SENATE (46-0) 03/02/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE 04/01/98

(96 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 5 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

• SB 1246 (Weedn/Weaver) – TRAVEL/CREDIT CARDS. Authorizes state agencies to enter into contracts and agreements for the payment of conference registration expenses; authorizes payment of such expenses directly to the contracting agency or business establishment. The amendment makes all state employees subject to the Travel Reimbursement Act; provides that any provision of the statutes that provides for the payment or reimbursement for the travel expenses, costs or fees of state officers and employees or other persons authorized by law to receive reimbursement for travel expenses, or is inconsistent with the provisions of the act, shall be deemed to provide for reimbursement in accordance with the act, unless a contrary intent is explicitly expressed by law; prohibits the travel expenses of any political subdivision or other state entity not subject to the act from exceeding the travel reimbursement rates; removes certain exclusions from provisions of the act; authorizes the director of the Department of Central Services to exempt any single activity or position from compliance if the director determines that such compliance is not economically feasible or if the health and safety of an individual warrants the noncompliance; prohibits any exemption from exceeding one year; requires the legislature and all agencies to submit biannual travel expenditure reports; requires a review of the reports; requires the State Travel Division to establish a uniform credit card system to determine, process, account for, review and audit purchases for food, lodging, transportation, vehicles and other authorized travel expenses; requires that the system be used by all state employees for authorized travel expenses and for purchasing tickets for any authorized mode of transportation; requires that the system be implemented by Jan. 1, 1999, upon the awarding of a contract to a vendor or vendors selected by competitive bid; requires that the system provide that no liability shall inure to the state for fraud, fraudulent practices or lost or stolen cards; makes frequent flyer credits earned by state employees while on official state business the property of the state; authorizes redemption of the credits only for future official travel or as directed by the State Travel Division; specifies requirements for invoices for purchase of commercial airline tickets; repeals sections relating to certain motor vehicles and airplanes. (74 §500.2)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (46-0) 03/02/98

FLOOR AMENDMENT 04/01/98

TITLE STRICKEN 04/01/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE 04/01/98

(95 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 6 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

HOUSE AMENDMENTS - REJECTED 04/02/98

CONFERENCE REQUESTED 04/02/98

• SB 1250 (Easley/Settle) – DUAL OFFICE HOLDING. This is a shell bill pertaining to dual-office holding. (51 § 6)

BILL PASSED - SENATE (45-0) 03/04/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/17/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (91-10) 03/30/98

HOUSE AMENDMENTS - REJECTED 04/01/98

CONFERENCE REQUESTED 04/01/98

• SB 1270 (Gustafson/Pettigrew) – STATE PROPERTY/REDLANDS. Transfers the authority to use certain property in Canadian County from the Wildlife Conservation Commission to Redlands Community College to be used for agricultural and equine educational purposes; transfers adjacent property to the Oklahoma Historical Society. (74 § 129.8)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/17/98

FLOOR SUBSTITUTE 03/11/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (45-0) 03/11/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS 03/25/98

• SB 1310 (Fisher/Askins) – CPA REQUIREMENTS. Requires certified public accountant (CPA) applicants, beginning July 1, 2003, to have at least 150 semester hours of college education including a baccalaureate or higher degree conferred by a college or university acceptable to the Accountancy Board from an accredited four-year college or university in the state or any other accredited four-year college or university recognized by the board; requires that a minimum 76 semester hours be earned at the upper-division level; requires that such education requirement be completed prior to submitting an application to the board; requires that the total educational program include an accounting concentration with at least 36 semester hours in accounting courses above principles of accounting or introductory accounting, with at least one course in auditing; requires that the remaining accounting courses be selected from financial accounting, accounting theory, cost/managerial accounting, federal income tax, governmental or not-for-profit accounting, accounting information systems, accounting history and other accounting electives; requires that at least nine semester hours be from among the subjects of economics, statistics, business law, finance, business management, marketing, business communication, management information systems or computer science at the upper-division level; requires that any remaining semester hours be elective at the upper-division level or above. (59 § 15.8)

BILL PASSED - SENATE (33-11) 02/19/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE 03/31/98

(79 AYE / 20 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 2 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/11/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (44-0) 03/11/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/25/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (93-4) 04/02/98

ENGROSSED - HOUSE 04/02/98

• SB 1350 (Brown/Toure) – FAMILY SAVINGS INITIATIVE. Creates the "Family Savings Initiative Act" for the purpose of establishing individual development accounts to help individuals and families with limited means to acquire the means for economic well-being; requires the Commerce Department to enter into contracts with at least four fiduciary organizations in order to allow every qualified state resident access to one fiduciary organization for the purpose of opening an individual development account; provides requirements for proposals; specifies purposes for which such accounts may be used; provides that accounts may be used for postsecondary educational expenses paid directly to an eligible educational institution. (68 § 2357.33)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/11/9

BILL PASSED - SENATE (36-11) 03/11/988

TITLE RESTORED 03/25/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

• SB 1351 (Roberts/Begley) – BETTER SCHOOLS INCENTIVE/TECHNOLOGY. Authorizes the State Board of Education, contingent upon availability of funds approved for the Better Schools Incentive Grant Program, to award one or more competitive grants to public school districts; specifies eligibility requirements; requires that funding be expended for instruction-related personnel, equipment, transportation, materials and telecommunications; provides that funding for grants for telecommunications shall not exceed 50 percent of all grants awarded; prohibits the use of such funds for construction of buildings; provides reporting requirements; requires the board to contract for technical assistance for evaluation of the effectiveness of the program, for a maximum 3 percent of the total appropriation for the program; requires that the technical assistance provider be an Oklahoma entity officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to assess and facilitate dissemination of validated educational programs in the state. (70 § 1210.602)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/18/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (44-0) 02/25/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/26/98

• SB 1355 (Kerr/Bonny) – Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST). Transfers powers and duties for the inventors assistance program from the Department of Commerce to the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST); requires transfer of funds in the Inventors and Entrepreneurs Program Fund to the credit of the OCAST Research Support Revolving Fund; modifies the requirements of the program. (74 § 5064.4)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/04/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (48-0) 03/04/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - COM SUB DO PASS 03/24/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE 04/01/98

SIGNED & TRANSMITTED TO ORIGINATING HOUSE 04/02/98

HOUSE AMENDMENTS - READ 04/02/98

• SB 1372 (Cain/Laura Boyd) – FACULTY TERMINATION. States that the governing board of each State System higher education institution, higher education center, or constituent agency shall ensure that any full-time faculty member whose employment status is terminated through an employment decision, whether by dismissal or nonrenewal of contract, receives in writing all reasons for the employment decision within seven working days of the decision if such reasons are requested by the faculty member; requires the governing board to establish an appeal process; allows the appeals to be based on substantive or procedural issues. The amendment inserts "permanently budgeted" after "full-time". (70 § 3205.2)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (34-14) 03/10/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/25/98

• SB 1405 (Fisher/Wells) – TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER. Provides that in accordance with SJR 29, boards of regents on behalf of State System institutions may have an ownership interest in a business enterprise commercializing a technology or other intellectual property, when such technology or other intellectual property is the result of research conducted by such institutions or involving the authorized use of facilities, equipment or services of the institutions, subject to certain conditions; provides that the effective date is upon certification of election returns favoring approval of the constitutional amendment proposed in SJR 29. (70 § 3231)

BILL PASSED - SENATE (44-0) 02/24/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - COM SUB DO PASS 03/23/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE 03/30/98

HOUSE AMENDMENTS - REJECTED 03/31/98

CONFERENCE REQUESTED 04/01/98

• SB 1406 (Morgan/Ostrander) – DIPLOMA WITH DISTINCTION. Permits district boards of education to develop and issue a certificate with distinction to high school students who graduate after successfully completing four units each in English, math, social studies and science, two additional units in technology, humanities or the arts, two units of foreign language and achieve a satisfactory score on all 11^th grade criterion-referenced tests; prohibits colleges and universities from using a certificate of distinction in their admission standards. The amendment adds language allowing advanced placement classes in certain subject areas to be substituted on a course-by-course basis to satisfy the academic units required for a certificate of distinction; allows applicable vocational classes offered by comprehensive high school vo-tech programs to qualify for technology and math credits. (70 § 11-103.2c)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (39-5) 02/25/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - COM SUB DO PASS 03/25/98

FLOOR AMENDMENT 04/01/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - HOUSE 04/01/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE 04/01/98

SIGNED & TRANSMITTED TO ORIGINATING HOUSE 04/02/98

HOUSE AMENDMENTS - READ 04/02/98

• SB 1424 (Williams/Betty Boyd) – ALTERNATIVE TEACHER CERTIFICATION. Relates to Alternative Placement teaching certificates; repeals a section relating to exceptional-child-course requirements; modifies examination and subject matter requirements for alternative teaching certification; requires development of a teacher portfolio documenting the competency level of the applicant in the full competencies for licensure and certification and approved by the Teacher Competency Review Panel; increases from 90 clock hours to 180 clock hours the time adjunct teachers may teach per semester. (70 §§ 6-122.3)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/11/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (38-9) 03/11/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/25/98

• SB 1426 (Ford/Betty Boyd) – OU/OSU TULSA. Creates a unified single campus of the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University to be known as OU/OSU Tulsa; provides that OU and OSU shall offer upper-division and graduate courses for the campus and contract with Northeastern State University and Langston University to offer courses and programs; authorizes contracting with other institutions; creates Rogers State College in Claremore; dissolves existing Board of Regents of Rogers University; transfers assets and obligations to the A&M Board of Regents, or the OU Board of Regents, and to the Rogers State College Board of Regents, respectively; establishes a Tulsa Higher Education Oversight Board to develop academic programs and services; creates the Board of Regents of Rogers State College; requires OU and OSU to establish a research and graduate education center in Tulsa; provides for the bill to become effective after certain provisions are met; repeals sections relating to Rogers University. (70 §§ 466l/4665).

TITLE STRICKEN 02/16/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (34-13) 03/10/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/25/98

LAID OVER - HOUSE 04/01/98

THIRD READING - HOUSE 04/01/98

• SB 1427 (Wilcoxson/Betty Boyd) – ADVANCED PLACEMENT. Requires school districts, contingent on available funding, to implement advanced placement courses in English, math, social studies and science subject to a phasing-in schedule. (70 § 1210.701)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/16/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (41-5) 03/10/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/25/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/25/98

• SB 1430 (Henry/Blackburn) – COLLEGE SAVINGS PLAN. Creates the "Oklahoma College Savings Plan Act;" creates a seven-member board of trustees to administer the program; requires the board to determine financial institutions to act as depositories and managers of Oklahoma college savings plan accounts; makes the state treasurer the program manager; allows an account to be opened by any person who desires to save to pay for qualified higher education expenses; provides for withdrawals; requires reports to the legislature and the governor by February 1 of each year summarizing the board’s findings and recommendations concerning the program; provides that interest from an account shall be exempt from taxable income until the tax year in which such interest is withdrawn. (70 §§ 3970.1/3970.12)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/10/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (46-0) 03/10/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/25/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/30/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/30/98

• SB 1432 (Horner/Staggs) - OKLAHOMA HIGHER LEARNING ACCESS PROGRAM (OHLAP). Subject to the availability of funds, authorizes the State Regents to establish and maintain an Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP) for Teacher Preparation as an incentive program to encourage the preparation of teachers, including minority teachers, in critical shortage areas for the public schools at one or more of the Oklahoma public or private higher education institutions; provides for scholarships and states qualifications; requires a teaching commitment from scholarship recipients. (70 § 698.3)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (47-0) 03/02/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/23/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/25/98

• SJR 16 (Monson/Laura Boyd) – VIOLENCE PREVENTION. Re-creates the Oklahoma Council on Violence Prevention until Jan. 1, 2003. The Chancellor of Higher Education is included in the membership of the Council.

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 02/23/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (45-0) 02/23/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/23/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (87-0) 04/02/98

ENGROSSED - HOUSE 04/02/98

• SJR 19 (Henry/Weaver) – PAYROLL/EMPLOYEE REPORTS. Directs the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission and the Oklahoma Tax Commission to study requirements imposed on employers to report payroll and other employee information to federal and state agencies and to make recommendations for consolidating these reporting requirements.

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE (47-0) 02/23/9

TITLE RESTORED 03/24/98

HOUSE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/24/98

GENERAL ORDER - HOUSE 03/25/98

• SJR 25 (Fisher/Wells) – TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER. This is a proposed constitutional amendment providing that use of public facilities at State System institutions in connection with a project involving the research or development of a technology or other intellectual property, the results of which have potential economic value for a private enterprise involved in the project with the institution, shall be considered to be a public purpose for purposes of collection of tax revenues.

TITLE STRICKEN 02/19/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE (37-0) 03/12/98

TITLE RESTORED 04/01/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE 04/01/98

SIGNED & TRANSMITTED TO ORIGINATING HOUSE 04/02/98

HOUSE AMENDMENTS - READ 04/02/98

• SCR 40 (Taylor/Benson) – GEORGE NIGH. Praises the career of George Nigh as President of the University of Central Oklahoma.

ADOPTED - SENATE 02/04/98

HOUSE INTRODUCTION AND FIRST READING 02/05/98

• SCR 49 (Morgan/Wells) – A&M COLLEGES/REVENUE BONDS. Authorizes the Board of Regents for the Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical Colleges to issue $48 million in revenue bonds for renovating and refurbishing existing athletic facilities and constructing certain new athletic facilities on the OSU campus in Stillwater and to refund certain existing OSU Athletic Department System obligations.

• SR 49 (Herbert) – H. B. ATKINSON. Praises the career of H. B. Atkinson, who was a co-founder of Midwest City and Rose State College.

• HB 1017 (Askins/Monson) – WORKPLACE/EMPLOYEE PROTECTION. Creates the "Workplace and Employee Protection Act"; states that the act is intended to provide optional remedies against workplace violence to supplement existing remedies and shall not obligate or create a duty on an employer to seek such optional remedies; authorizes an employing entity, on behalf of itself or its employees, agents, contractors or business invitees receiving threats of physical harm, harassment or stalking, to seek relief by filing a petition for a protective order. The committee substitute deletes language authorizing an employer to seek a protective order for itself. (22 §§ 70/70.10)

TITLE STRICKEN (96-1) 02/25/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE 02/25/98

SENATE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/24/98

GENERAL ORDER - SENATE 03/26/98

• HB 1162 (Leist/Shurden) – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. Requires the State Department of Agriculture to develop and expand new markets and identify the needs of government entities (including institutions and universities) for Oklahoma-made and Oklahoma-grown agricultural products. (2 § 2-11c, 74 § 85.5)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (99-0) 03/11/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 04/01/98

ENGROSSED - SENATE 04/01/98

• HB 1822 (Askins/Rozell) – PURCHASING. Provides that a "sole source contract" means for state agencies that are not subject to the central purchasing provisions "a contract for a particular acquisition which, by the contract specifications needed by an agency, restricts the contract to one bidder or to one brand name"; Section 8 of the bill provides that certain contracts and acquisitions by State System institutions, the State Regents, and University Centers shall not be included within the purview of the Central Purchasing, but exempt from Purchasing Division processing [Note: The relationship between Section 8 of the bill and the exemptions in 74 § 85.3 is uncertain]; requires agencies to submit a copy of adopted internal purchasing rules or procedures to the State Auditor and Inspector at the time they are adopted by the adopting authority; requires each chief administrative officer of an agency to submit within 10 days after a legislative session commences a report listing all contracts equal to or greater than $2,500 but not in excess of $25,000; deletes section defining "sole source contract." The floor amendment adds a section prohibiting state agencies from engaging in contracts for temporary personnel services with private companies; provides certain exceptions. (74 §§ 85.2, 85.12, 85.39, 85.43, 89)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (85-13) 03/04/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/18/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/18/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE 03/31/98

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 04/01/98

• HB 2219 (Askins/Harrison) – MINORITY TEACHER RECRUITMENT/TEACHER PREPARATION. Extends the sunset date to 2004 for several entities including the Minority Teacher Recruitment Advisory Committee; removes the Teacher Preparation Commission, the State Data Processing and Telecommunications Advisory Committee and the Interdisciplinary Council on the Prevention of Juvenile Sex Offenses from the list. (74 § 3905)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/25/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (97-0) 02/25/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/17/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/17/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE 03/30/98

(47 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 1 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 03/31/98

• HB 2228 (Askins/Harrison) – DATA PROCESSING/TELECOMMUNICATIONS. Modifies section relating to the State Data Processing and Telecommunications Advisory Committee; deletes the chair of the State Data Processing and Telecommunications Advisory Committee from officials to whom state agencies must submit proposals for computer equipment acquisitions for review; deletes language requiring the Office of State Finance to seek the advice of the committee in developing, operating and maintaining the Oklahoma Government Telecommunications Network; repeals a section relating to the State Data Processing and Telecommunications Advisory Committee. (62 § 41.5e)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (100-0) 02/17/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS 03/17/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 03/30/98

• HB 2229 (Askins/Harrison) – MINORITY TEACHER RECRUITMENT. Recreates the Minority Teacher Recruitment Advisory Committee, which has oversight for implementation of the Minority Teacher Recruitment Center, until July 1, 2004. (70 § 6-130)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (94-7) 02/18/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE 03/30/98

(37 AYE / 10 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 1 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (101-0) 02/18/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 03/30/98

(47 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 1 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (98-0) 02/25/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/24/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/24/98

GENERAL ORDER - SENATE 03/24/98

• HB 2279 (Stanley) – MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPISTS. Revises definitions relating to licensed professional counselors; modifies exceptions to confidentiality requirements; revises definitions relating to marital and family therapists; deletes language relating to temporary permits; deletes language relating to educational requirements for licensed marital and family therapists. (59 §§ 1925.1, 1925.2)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (97-0) 03/03/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/16/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/16/98

GENERAL ORDER - SENATE 03/18/98

• HB 2280 (Voskuhl/Cain) – HEALTH INSURANCE. Prohibits managed care plans from placing certain conditions upon coverage of emergency services; provides that a determination as to whether an emergency medical condition exists shall be made by medical personnel; requires notification of an enrollee’s primary care physician; provides for calculation of reimbursement of services provided to a plan enrollee by a non-contract provider. The committee substitute creates a 14-member Advisory Task Force on SoonerCare.

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (93-2) 02/26/98

SENATE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/26/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 03/31/98

SENATE AMENDMENTS - REJECTED 04/02/98

CONFERENCE REQUESTED 04/02/98

• HB 2287 (Roberts/Monson) – RETIREMENT. Enacts the "Defined Benefit Plan Amendments Act of 1998."

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (90-8) 02/25/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/24/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 04/02/98

ENGROSSED - SENATE 04/02/98

• HB 2288 (Roberts/Monson) – RETIREMENT. Enacts the "Benefit Enhancement Account for Retirees (BEAR) Act."

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (95-0) 03/02/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/18/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/18/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 03/30/98

(46 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 2 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 03/31/98

• HB 2290 (Roberts/Monson) – LIFE INSURANCE. Provides that the basic life insurance amount under the life insurance plan of state and education employees group insurance shall be $50,000. The committee substitute provides an exemption from the Records Management Act for confidential health, life, disability and dental claims and related files of the State and Education Employees Group Insurance Program; requires that benefit plan contracts with the State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board, HMOs and other third-party insurance vendors provide for a risk adjustment factor for adverse selection. (74 § 1307)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/03/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (97-0) 03/03/98

SENATE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/25/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 04/01/98

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 04/02/98

• HB 2293 (Leist/Muegge) – POULTRY WASTE APPLICATORS/OSU. Section 10 authorizes the Board of Agriculture to set rules for the Oklahoma Poultry Waste Applicators Licensing Act; requires license applicants to attend educational courses on poultry waste management and odor control; requires appropriate curricula and course content to be developed by or under the supervision of OSU through the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service (OCES). (2 § 10-105)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/24/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (98-0) 02/24/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/26/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/26/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE 04/01/98

(45 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 3 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

ENGROSSED - SENATE 04/01/98

• HB 2313 (Eddins/Cain) – HEALTH INSURANCE/DENTAL CARE. Requires health benefit plans that provide hospitalization benefit plans to provide coverage for anesthesia expenses, hospital and ambulatory surgical center expenses and physician expenses associated with any medically necessary dental procedure when provided to a covered person who is severely disabled or a minor under age nine who has a medical or emotional condition that requires hospitalization or general anesthesia for dental care; allows such plans to require prior authorization for either inpatient or outpatient hospitalization for dental care in the same manner that prior authorization is required for hospitalization for other covered diseases or medical conditions; permits such plans to be subject to the same annual deductibles, co-payments or coinsurance limits as established for all other covered benefits under the plan. (36 § 6060.6)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (83-13) 02/24/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE (32-11) 03/25/98

SENATE AMENDMENTS ADOPTED - HOUSE 04/01/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE 04/01/98

SIGNED & TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR 04/02/98

• HB 2326 (Dunegan/Mickle) – ANNUITY CONTRACTS. Provides that any employee for whom an annuity contract, shares of a regulated investment company or face amount investment annuity certificate has been purchased by an employer may maintain the existing annuity, custodial amount or face amount investment annuity certificate with the original vendor notwithstanding the selection of a different vendor by the employer for similar purchases occurring after the initial purchase of those assets. (70 § 6-101.1)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (96-2) 02/25/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/23/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/23/98

TITLE RESTORED 04/01/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 04/01/98

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 04/02/98

• HB 2361 (Ross/Horner) – TULSA STATE UNIVERSITY CONSORTIUM/ROGERS STATE COLLEGE. Creates the Tulsa State University Consortium to draw upon the educational resources of existing colleges and universities to provide upper division and graduate courses and programs as needed; prohibits the consortium from awarding its own degrees; establishes the Board of Trustees of Tulsa State University Consortium; authorizes the trustees to contract with any accredited college or university for courses and programs of study approved by the regents, including Langston University, the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University and Northeastern State University; creates Rogers State College in Claremore, as a four-year institution; dissolves the Board of Regents of Rogers University, transferring assets to the Board of Trustees of Tulsa State University Consortium and to the Board of Regents of Rogers State College; states Legislative intent that the functions and programs of the Consortium be conducted so as to cooperate with Langston University in its operation of the Langston Urban Center Program and not to offer any programs that would duplicate those offered by the Langston Urban Center Programs; repeals certain statutes relating to Rogers University. (70 §§ 4661/4670)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (68-28) 02/25/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/23/98

SENATE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/23/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 03/31/98

(37 AYE / 7 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 4 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 04/01/98

• HB 2363 (Ross/Hendrick) – JOB TRAINING. Provides for a "Redevelopment Zone Incentive Act;" requires a business entity in order to qualify for certification to make available to employees a job training program; authorizes the entity to offer a job training program in conjunction with a vo-tech school or a State System institution.

TITLE STRICKEN 02/25/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (95-4) 02/25/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/24/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/24/98

GENERAL ORDER - SENATE 03/30/98

• HB 2399 (Roach/Ford) – ROGERS UNIVERSITY. This is a shell bill relating to Rogers University. The floor amendment creates Tulsa State University as a regional university; provides for a seven-member board of regents. (70 § 4653)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/25/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (76-20) 02/25/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/23/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/23/98

FLOOR AMENDMENT 03/31/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE 03/31/98

(44 AYE / 3 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 1 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 04/01/98

• HB 2405 (Toure/Morgan) – LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS. Relates to the State Architectural Act; modifies definitions; re-creates the Board of Governors of the Licensed Architects and Landscape Architects until July 1, 2004; modifies membership to require that the two licensed landscape architects be actively engaged in the practice of landscape architecture or teaching professors of landscape architecture; requires that the professional members be appointed by the Governor from a list of nominees submitted by their respective state professional societies; requires a person applying to the Board for initial registration to submit satisfactory evidence that the persons holds an accredited professional degree in architecture or has completed equivalent education. (59 §§ 46.4, 46.8)

FLOOR AMENDMENT 03/04/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE 03/04/98

(95 AYE / 2 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 4 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/16/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/16/98

LAID OVER - SENATE 03/25/98

• HB 2423 (Leonard Sullivan/Hendrick) – CIVIL DISCOVERY. Imposes requirements regarding disclosure of certain information during civil cases; provides for effect of engaging in act of concealment. (12 § 3230)

FLOOR AMENDMENT 03/04/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (97-0) 03/04/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS 03/25/98

• HB 2430 (Askins/Hobson) – CREDIT CARD AGREEMENTS. Section 7 authorizes state agencies to enter into agreements with the state treasurer to participate in credit card processing agreements and to pay the credit card vendor directly for any fees owed on transactions associated with that agency. (62 § 71)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (101-0) 02/18/9

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - SENATE 03/30/98

• HB 2500 (Roberts/Monson) – TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT. Provides a $5,000 income tax exemption for the death benefit for beneficiaries of various retirement systems including the Teachers’ Retirement System (OTRS). (68 § 2358)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/03/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (97-1) 03/03/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/18/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/18/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 03/30/98

(46 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 2 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 03/31/98

• HB 2531 (Mitchell/Leftwich) – HEALTH INSURANCE. The floor substitute is a shell bill clarifying language relating to the membership of the State Employees Benefits Council.

FLOOR SUBSTITUTE 03/11/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/11/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (97-3) 03/11/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/24/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

• HB 2532 (Mitchell/Dunlap) – PRIVATIZATION OF STATE FUNCTIONS. Enacts the "Oklahoma Privatization of State Functions Act;" requires state agencies to allow their employees to submit proposals for improving agency operations, efficiency or organization of the agency before contracting to privatize a function, program, service, unit or division; requires notification to employees, the Governor’s office and the director of state finance of intent to privatize; provides for solicitation of bids; prohibits contracting with persons who have been convicted of certain crimes. (74 §§ 595.1/595.7)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/10/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (99-1) 03/10/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/18/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 04/02/98

ENGROSSED - SENATE 04/02/98

• HB 2557 (Staggs/Horner) - Minority Teacher Recruitment. Re-creates the Minority Teacher Recruitment Advisory Committee until July 1, 2004; designates membership; modifies minority teacher recruitment responsibilities of the State Regents. The Senate amendment requires the presence of 10 advisory committee members or their designees to constitute a quorum. (70 §§ 6-129.1, 6-130)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (82-15) 03/03/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/16/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/16/98

FLOOR AMENDMENT 04/01/98

TITLE RESTORED 04/01/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 04/01/98

(33 AYE / 10 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 5 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

ENGROSSED - SENATE 04/01/98

• HB 2563 (Bastin/Herbert) – REAL ESTATE COURSES. Modifies instruction requirement for licensure of real estate licensees; requires a certified transcript from an institution of higher education, accredited by the State Regents or the corresponding accrediting agency of another state, certifying to the successful completion of certain real estate courses as a post-license requirement. (59 § 858-304)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (98-0) 02/25/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS 03/16/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE 03/31/98

(44 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 4 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

SIGNED & TRANSMITTED TO GOVERNOR 04/01/98

• HB 2566 (Laura Boyd/Monson) – LEAVE SHARING. Provides that a state employee donating sick leave may donate any amount of unused sick leave the employee has retained at the time of termination of the employee’s employment with the state. (74 § 840-2.23)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (100-1) 02/18/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/18/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

• HB 2568 (Laura Boyd/Monson) - TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT/GARNISHMENT. Provides that for purposes of the various state retirement systems, benefit payments shall not be subject to attachment or garnishment, with the exception of qualified domestic orders; outlines requirements for such orders. (70 § 17-109)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/17/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (100-0) 02/17/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/18/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE 03/30/98

(44 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 4 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

MOTION TO RECONSIDER - SENATE 03/30/98

TITLE RESTORED 03/31/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE 03/31/98

(46 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 2 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 04/01/98

• HB 2607 (Rice/Easley) – HOLIDAYS. Expands the list of days designated as state holidays to include the Monday before Christmas if Christmas is on a Tuesday or the Friday after Christmas if Christmas is on a Thursday; authorizes the governor, if the President declares as a holiday any day other than those listed as state holiday, to issue an executive order declaring such day a state holiday. (25 § 82.1)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (100-0) 02/25/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS 03/25/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE 03/31/98

• HB 2638 (Bonny/Mickle) – JOB TRAINING. Creates the Oklahoma Human Resources Investment Council to oversee job training programs; membership of the council includes the Chancellor. (74 § 9001)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/04/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (86-11) 03/04/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/23/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/23/98

GENERAL ORDER - SENATE 03/25/98

• HB 2651 (Turner/Wilkerson) – TECHNOLOGY. Defines technology as applied knowledge; provides that, when related to expenditure of public funds by educational and governmental entities the term will include, but not be limited to, information technology, telecommunications technology and implemental technology, and specifies examples of each. (70 § 1-107.1)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/09/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (81-17) 02/19/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 04/02/98

ENROLLED - HOUSE 04/02/98

• HB 2668 (Roberts/Monson) - TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT. This is a shell bill with a stricken title relating to OTRS. (70 § 17-120)

TITLE STRICKEN 02/24/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (61-34) 02/24/98

SENATE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/18/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 03/30/98

(47 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 1 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 04/01/98

• HB 2693 (Cox/Leftwich) – SOLE SOURCE CONTRACTS. Requires that sole-source contractors to state agencies meet the same qualifications as agency personnel who would otherwise have performed the contracted services, and provides that no agency expend funds for a sole-source contract for performance of services in excess of 90 days unless the agency can demonstrate to the state purchasing director that the services being performed under the contract are so unique that only the selected vendor is capable of executing the duties and responsibilities otherwise imposed upon the agency. (74 § 89)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (95-0) 03/02/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/19/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/18/98

GENERAL ORDER - SENATE 03/19/98

• HB 2695 (Roberts/Monson) - TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT/COST OF LIVING. Enacts the "Cost-of-Living Adjustment Feasibility Analysis Act" relating to OTRS.

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (92-5) 02/25/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/24/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 04/01/98

(44 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 4 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 04/02/98

• HB 2704 (Sadler/Leftwich) – FEES. Prohibits agencies from establishing or increasing fees, except when the legislature is in session, when specifically mandated by the legislature or when failure to do so would conflict with a court order. (74 § 3117)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (97-0) 03/09/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/25/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - SENATE 03/30/98

• HB 2740 (Hamilton/Rozell) – STATE AGENCY REFORM. This is a shell bill enacting the "State Agency Reform and Improvement Act."

TITLE STRICKEN 02/26/98

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (89-4) 02/26/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE 03/31/98

(47 AYE / 0 NAY / 0 ABSENT / 1 EXCUSED / 0 NOT VOTING)

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 04/01/98

• HB 2792 (Fields/Long) – UNEMPLOYMENT. Modifies the definition of "taxable wages" for purposes of the Oklahoma Employment Security Act of 1980; modifies the maximum benefit amount computation to provide for increases in the applicable percentage determined by the conditional factor; modifies conditions constituting good cause for voluntarily leaving work to include when a physician found that it was medically necessary for a claimant to stop working or change occupations due to diagnosis or treatment of medically verifiable illness or medical condition of the claimant or the minor child of the claimant and when the spouse of the claimant was transferred or obtained employment in another city or state and the family is required to move to that location and the job is more than 50 miles from the prior work location of the claimant; adds language defining what shall constitute misconduct for purposes of benefit disqualification; exempts from an employer’s benefit wage calculations any wages paid to an employee or former employee who was discharged from employment for unsatisfactory performance within 45 days from the first day a new employee began work; provides for a 50-percent reduction in employers’ contribution rates; requires that employers with a 5.5-percent-earned rate be reduced to 5.4 percent and those whose earned rate is 0.1 percent be reduced to 0 percent; makes such rate reductions ineffective if the amount of money in the unemployment trust fund falls below the level of the high cost multiple of 1.25; provides that monies credited to the account of this state in the Unemployment Trust Fund by the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury shall be used solely for administration of the Unemployment Compensation Program in this state. (40 § 1-223)

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (96-0) 03/12/98

SENATE COMMITTEE – COM SUB DO PASS 03/23/98

GENERAL ORDER - SENATE 03/25/98

• HB 2802 (Ostrander/Rabon) – REPORTS. Deletes the requirement that certain reports be filed with the governor, the Senate president pro tempore and the House speaker; modifies requirements for annual reports and recommendations to be submitted by certain public entities; Section 16 requires that when a governing body of a public agency declares an emergency and does not comply with the provisions of the Public Competitive Bidding Act the reasons for not complying must be entered into the minutes, a copy of which must be submitted to the State Construction Administrator of the Department of Central Services who shall compile an annual report detailing all emergencies declared and submit the report to the Governor and the Legislature; Section 23 deletes the requirement that each teacher education institution provide the Office of Accountability an annual report regarding participation in the Alternative Placement Program; Section 25 changes the State Regents’ biennial report to an annual report; Section 26 deletes the requirement that the OU Board of Regents file a property inventory report; Section 27 deletes the requirement that the Board of Regents for the A&M Colleges file a property inventory report with the Governor and the Secretary of State; Section 29 requires agencies, whether or not said agencies are subject to the Central Purchasing Act, to submit a list of certain contracts to the Department of Central Services within 10 days after the commencement of the legislative session; requires Central Services to compile a report and submit it to the Legislature; Section 31 deletes the requirement for a certain report concerning the use of recycled products; Section 32 deletes the requirement for a report outlining certain usage of postal services by state agencies; Section 37 requires every state agency including all higher education institutions to submit annually a list of its state publications to the Publications Clearinghouse.

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (98-0) 03/03/98

TITLE STRICKEN 03/25/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/25/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/25/98

GENERAL ORDER - SENATE 03/26/98

• HB 2822 (Benson/Helton) – HOLIDAYS. Designates the third Monday in November of each year as "Oklahoma Native American Day"; requests that teachers and students observe the day with appropriate activities. (25 § 90.11)

BILL PASSED - HOUSE (95-0) 03/02/98

BILL PASSED - SENATE 03/30/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (95-0) 03/02/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 03/31/98

• HB 2837 (Seikel/Cain) – CHILD CARE FACILITY. Provides that an owner or operator of a child care facility may inquire as to whether a person actively being considered for employment in a child care facility, as a CASA volunteer, or as a contractor with the Human Services Department or Office of Juvenile Affairs is listed on the registry of perpetrators of child sexual abuse. (10 § 7111.1)

TITLE STRICKEN 03/03/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - HOUSE (96-0) 03/03/98

ENACTING CLAUSE STRICKEN - SENATE 03/26/98

SENATE COMMITTEE - DO PASS AS AMENDED 03/26/98

FLOOR AMENDMENT 04/01/98

TITLE RESTORED 04/01/98

ENACTING CLAUSE RESTORED - SENATE 04/01/98

BILL AND EMERGENCY PASSED - SENATE 04/01/98

SENATE AMENDMENTS - PENDING 04/02/98

• HB 2855 (Steidley/Monson) – REDUCTION IN FORCE. Relates to purchase of re