OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The new year means new laws, January 1, seven new bills will become law across Oklahoma.
When the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Day, Oklahomans will see changes in state law, including expanded voting rights, new healthcare protections, and additional benefits for first responders.
Here's a breakdown of each law that will go into effect:
House Bill 1629 clarifies that individuals convicted of a felony are eligible to register to vote under the following conditions:
"There wasn't a single vote on either side of the aisle against this bill, so I think at least maybe that means we now have an appetite for beginning to do real changes in the criminal justice system moving forward," said Mark Faulk, People's Council for Justice Reform.
Faulk believes this is just the first step to justice reform; he believes we still need to address incarceration rates and invest in preventative resources like mental health.
House Bill 2872 creates the Out-of-Network Ambulance Service Provider Act, which establishes rules and procedures for paying for ambulance care when the provider operates outside of its network.
House Bill 3190 establishes the Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act. This act requires insurance companies to post online requirements for prior authorization of medical treatments and use licensed medical professionals to decide whether to deny care.
Senate Bill 1334, known as Corinne's Law, ensures patients who are facing loss of fertility due to a cancer diagnosis have the ability to preserve their fertility before undergoing treatment.
"I learned that most patients have about ten to 14 days to kind of decide how they want to move forward, so it's really beyond the emotions of the diagnosis. You have a lot of logistical decisions to make and so I think that's why this bill is really important because it is requiring the fertility preservation because you're losing fertility due to your cancer treatment.," said Senator Ally Seifried (R) Claremore.
Senate Bill 1401 amends some language in Section 1, Chapter 340 of Oklahoma Statutes regarding income tax credits.
Senate Bill 1429 changes the revolving fund previously for the Oklahoma Department of Treasury’s McClellan-Kerr Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) to the Oklahoma Ports Infrastructure Revolving Fund (OPIRF). Any dollars collected by the Department of Transportation can be allocated toward MKARNS or to the state waterway ports.
Senate Bill 1457 brings some relief for those serving on our frontlines. Law enforcement, firefighters, and EMTs will no longer need a physical injury to qualify for workers' compensation for a mental injury or illness.
"The things that we see and deal with on a daily basis have a profound effect," said Mark Nelson, president, OKC Fraternal Order of Police.
Nelson says this law is something first responders have needed and deserve.
"It allows our members to get treatment generally consolidated into like a counseling or some type of medicine and hopefully get them back on the job, able to continue their career," said Nelson.
The seven new laws go into effect January 1.
