TULSA, Okla. — With a new year comes new laws for Oklahoma that go into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
These laws range from voter rights to healthcare access for everyone in the state.
House Bill 1629
The new law allows eligibility to some convicted felons to vote. Felons must fall under one of these requirements to be eligible:
- Served their sentence time to the full calendar date or served their reduced sentence to the full length.
- Have no other outstanding felonies after being released for the same period they were sentenced.
Click here to read the law in full.
2 News spoke with State Representative John Waldron who says Oklahoma is in the bottom five in the nation for voter participation and many felons don’t know their rights outside of incarceration.
“Oklahoma is in the bottom five states regarding voter participation. It’s a healthier democracy if more people participate,” Rep. Waldron said.
The representative went on to say that Oklahoma leads the nation in mass incarceration.
“I would imagine that there are tens of thousands of people in Oklahoma who could vote but aren’t voting because of past felonies.”
House Bill 3190
This law lets medical professionals determine treatment for their patients rather than insurance companies.
It would also shorten the time for insurance companies to approve prior authorization for healthcare providers so they can give the proper treatment to their patients.
“It was designed to. It might take our healthcare providers a few extra steps to ensure people have prior authorization for the procedures they need. But we don’t want people to go without necessary healthcare because our system is cumbersome,” Rep. Waldron said.
Click here to read the law in full.
Other laws that go into effect Jan. 1, 2025:
House Bill 2872- Out-of-Network Ambulance Service Provider Act.
Senate Bill 1334- Corinne’s Law, gives newly diagnosed breast cancer patients the right to preserve their fertility covered by insurance.
Senate Bill 1401-Amends language in Section 1 Chapter 340 in Oklahoma Statues regarding tax credits.
Senate Bill 1429- Continued funding for the Department of Transportation will support port and waterway infrastructure.
Senate Bill 1457- An amended state law that now says Oklahoma first responders do not need to be physically injured to qualify for workers’ compensation for a mental illness or injury.
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