We have now passed the deadline for bills to be heard in committees in the opposite chamber. Legislators crammed much of their work into two weeks instead of the usual four because they trimmed a week off of committee work this year because of spring break and then disagreements about education bills stalled committee meetings in the first week.

This meant they ran out of time and several measures are now dormant for the year due to a lack of committee hearing. The House slightly extended the deadline and will allow an appropriations meeting early this week for a few bills.

Here’s a rundown of what turned out to be one of the busiest weeks of session so far:

• SB458 – the APRN/nurse midwife bill passed through committee but the title and enacting clause are off the title, slowing it down further, and increasing the likelihood of it going into conference committee. The OAFP is not supportive of the bill in its current format.
• SB931 – the measure that would have expanded duties of pharmacists was not heard in the House Public Health Committee after heavy opposition. It is now dormant for this year but could return next session.
• HB1709 – which would have increased the number of SoonerCare patients an APRN can see to 2,500 was not heard in committee. This measure seemed unnecessary as the Oklahoma Health Care Authority can set that number through rulemaking and it seemed elevated.
• HB1013 – passed committee despite concerns that it might be unnecessary. The measure creates a patients bill of rights. The title and enacting clause are stricken.
• Two measures related to safety passed committee this week. HB2154 extends certain protections against assault and battery against health care professionals to all health care facility personnel. HB2172 adds medical care provider to the list of persons it is a crime to threaten, intimidate or harass by use of an electronic communication device by knowingly publishing, posting or making available personally identifiable information.
• SB597 – which expands the types of physicians can serve on the medical board, passed committee. For example, it allows retired physicians, those who were educated at foreign medical schools but are licensed in the state and medical school faculty to serve.
• HB2181 – which dealt with the movement of a person who may have a communicable disease and with school attendance when a student has head lice, was not heard in committee.
• SB368 – which states that laws pertaining to abortion will not prohibit the provision of contraceptive care, passed committee.
• HB2424 – which allows pharmacies to dispense and sell a wider variety of opioid antagonists to counteract overdoses, passed committee.

Floor action will start more heavily now with the deadline for floor hearings being April 27. Then we will move into acceptance or rejection of amendments from opposite houses and the budget process before finishing out session by the last Friday in May.