OKLAHOMA STATE SENATE / From the desk of Sen. Jessica Garvin
The governor signed my first piece of legislation to make it to his desk this session, and I expect he will sign more of my bills into law in the coming weeks. Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk is quickly filling up with bills as the Senate and House have hit our fourth major deadline of this session. April 25 was the deadline for bills to get a floor hearing in the opposite chamber.
This is one of the busiest times of the session because both chambers are voting on a steady stream of bills, many of which are advancing to the governor’s desk.
Last week, the governor signed House Bill 3737, which I worked on with Rep. Eddy Dempsey. This bill directs the Oklahoma State Department of Education to develop and post on its website information on how to recognize the signs of Type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, this measure requires districts to provide that information to parents when their child enrolls in school and again when a child starts sixth grade. Giving parents the tools to recognize the warning signs of diabetes can help children get medical treatment faster. This bill ensures school districts provide parents with the information they need to make the best decisions for their children. I’m grateful I was asked to serve as the principal Senate author on this piece of legislation, and I’m grateful for Stitt’s swift action on the bill. This new law will take effect in July, and school districts will begin distributing this information in the fall.
The Senate Appropriations Committee resumed meeting recently after the House unveiled its proposed budget for the new fiscal year. This means budget negotiations between the two chambers are getting serious as appropriations leaders discuss the differences between the House and Senate spending plans. It also means committee members finally voted on dozens of House bills that had stalled as the Senate awaited details on the House’s budget proposal.
House Bill 3190 was among the measures that passed out of the committee, and it is likely to be voted on by the full Senate. I’m cosponsoring this bill that will make the prior authorization process more transparent. Sometimes doctors must seek prior authorization from a patient’s health insurance company before prescribing a certain medication or scheduling a procedure to ensure the medication or surgery will be covered by insurance. The Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act would require health insurance companies to create a set of standards for processing prior authorization requests and ensure those details are publicly available online.
If you have any questions or concerns on legislative matters, please contact me at the Capitol by emailing me at Jessica.Garvin@oksenate. gov, calling me at 405-521-5522 or writing to Senator Jessica Garvin, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.
