Voting rights, health insurance regulations among laws that took effect Jan. 1

OKLAHOMA CITY — Among seven bills passed during the last legislative session that went into effect Jan. 1 is legislation clarifying the right to vote for people with felony convictions.

House Bill 1629, authored by then-Rep. Regina Goodwin, D-Tulsa, ensures the restoration of voting rights for people with felony convictions who have had their sentences discharged, a commutation of their sentence or have received a pardon.

Previously, Oklahoma statute only allowed for people with felony convictions to register to vote after fully serving their court-mandated sentence.

After the bill was passed through the Senate in April, Goodwin said: "Over three years, we have worked hard with the Department of Corrections, the Secretary of the State Election Board, and in a bipartisan fashion. The restoration of voting rights of formerly incarcerated persons receiving a pardon or having a sentence discharged just makes sense."

Worker's comp for first responders

Senate Bill 1457 expands the coverage of worker's compensation for first responders to include mental health issues, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder due to exposure to traumatic events on the job.

After the measure passed through the Senate, then Senate President Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, said: "First responders go to work every day into potentially unimaginable circumstances. They have a difficult job and are tasked with protecting and serving their communities. They witness and are subjected to sometimes horrific scenes and need the protection and support to get their mental health back in order."

Health insurance transparency

The Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act, or House Bill 3190, requires health insurance companies to employ licensed medical professionals to make determinations that deny care, modernize authorization systems, publish prior authorization requirements online and honor prior authorizations for at least 45 days.

After the bill was passed, Rep. Carl Newton, R-Cherokee, said: "I'm very pleased we were able to get this act passed and signed into law. This will be great for Oklahoman patients seeking care as it will allow their doctors more time to spend with them and less time on administrative functions. The act also ensures medical professionals are the ones determining what qualifies for prior authorization."

Corinne's Law

Senate Bill 1334 requires health insurance companies to cover fertility preservation services for people who have cancer and are going through treatments that could impact their fertility.

Other bills that went into effect Jan. 1: Senate Bill 1429, which creates a revolving fund to support maintenance of commercial waterways; House Bill 2872, which caps the amount "out-of-network" ambulances can be reimbursed by health care companies; and Senate Bill 1401, which amends language around income tax credits for businesses.