HB1690 HFLR Page 1 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION STATE OF OKLAHOMA 1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021) HOUSE BILL 1690 By: Newton and Phillips of the House and Jech of the Senate AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to public health; amending 63 O.S. 2011, Section 1-713.1, which relates to Federally Qualified Health Centers; removing the requirement that the board of directors be considered a public body and subject to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act; removing penalties and reporting require ments for failure to comply with the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act; amending 25 O.S. 2011, Section 304, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 3, O.S.L. 2020 (25 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 304), which relates to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act; modifying definition of public body; and providing an effective date . BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 63 O.S. 2011, Section 1 -713.1, is amended to read as follows: Section 1-713.1 A. The Legis lature finds that: HB1690 HFLR Page 2 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1. As providers of health care to medically underserved populations, Federally Qualified Health Centers are extremely beneficial to the citizens of Oklahoma; 2. The primary source of funding for Federally Qualified Health Centers is through grants of funds by the Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act as amended by the Health Centers Consolidation Act of 1996; 3. The receipt of federal grants is dependent upon compliance with federal statutes, regulations and policies regarding the mission, programs, governance, management and financial responsibilities of such entities; and 4. In addition to federal grant monies, Federally Qualified Health Centers in Oklahoma receive additional monies t hrough the appropriation of state funds. B. In an effort to maintain the presence of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Oklahoma and minimize the possibility of jeopardizing federal funding for such entities, all Federally Qualified Health Centers in O klahoma that receive grants under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act shall: 1. Remain in compliance at all times with the federal statutes, regulations and polices policies governing their existence at 42 U.S.C. 254b, 42 CFR 51c.303, 51c.304 and 51c.305, and BPHC Policy Information Notice 98 -23; and HB1690 HFLR Page 3 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2. Adhere to bylaws adopted in compliance with the federal statutes, regulations and polices policies including, but not limited to, provisions regarding the composition, functions and responsibilities of boards of directors of Federally Qualified Health Centers. C. Further, the board of directors of a Federally Qualified Health Center shall be considered a public body for purposes of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act and shall be subject to the provisio ns of that act, including criminal penalties provided therein for violations of that act. D. Any Federally Qualified Health Center in Oklahoma that fails to comply with federal statutes, regulations and policies governing its existence shall be ineligible for state reimbursement for uncompensated care. Further, the entity shall be ineligible to receive such state reimbursement if the board of directors fails to remove, for cause, any board member convicted of a misdemeanor for violating the provisions of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act, or any board member against whom a civil judgment is rendered relating to that member's service on the board. E. D. The State Department of Health shall investigate reported violations of this act and, notwithstanding any ot her provision, shall enforce this act by not contracting to reimburse the uncompensated care costs of any Federally Qualified Health Center found to be in violation of the provisions of this act. The HB1690 HFLR Page 4 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Department shall further report any violations of feder al statutes, regulations and policies related to this act to the Bureau of Primary Health Care or other appropriate federal funding agency , and shall report violations of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act to the district attorney in the jurisdiction where the entity is located. F. E. In order to ensure that Federally Qualified Health Centers in Oklahoma remain eligible to receive state reimbursement for uncompensated care under the provisions of this act, the State Board of Health shall adopt rules, as it deem s necessary and appropriate, requiring board members of such entities to receive board member training and establishing certification for entities to provide such training. SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 25 O.S. 2011, Section 304, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 3, O.S.L. 2020 (25 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 304), is amended to read as follows: Section 304. As used in the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act: 1. "Public body" means the governing bodies of all municipalities located within this st ate, boards of county commissioners of the counties in this state, boards of public and higher education in this state and all boards, bureaus, commissions, agencies, trusteeships, authorities, councils, committees, public trusts or any entity created by a public trust, including any committee or subcommittee composed of any of the members of a public trust or other legal entity receiving funds from the Rural Economic HB1690 HFLR Page 5 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Action Plan Fund as authorized by Section 2007 of Title 62 of the Oklahoma Statutes, task forces or study groups in this state supported in whole or in part by public funds or entrusted with the expending of public funds, or administering public property, and shall include all committees or subcommittees of any public body. Public body shall not include the state judiciary, the Council on Judicial Complaints when conducting, discussing, or deliberating any matter relating to a complaint received or filed with the Council, the Legislature, or administrative staffs of public bodies, including, but not limited to, faculty meetings and athletic staff meetings of institutions of higher education when those staffs are not meeting with the public body, or entry -year assistance committees. Furthermore, public body shall not include the multidisciplinary teams provided for in Section 1 -9-102 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes and subsection C of Section 1 -502.2 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes or any school board meeting for the sole purpose of considering recommendations of a multidisciplinary te am and deciding the placement of any child who is the subject of the recommendations. Furthermore, public body shall not include meetings conducted by stewards designated by the Oklahoma Horse Racing Commission pursuant to Section 203.4 of Title 3A of the Oklahoma Statutes when the stewards are officiating at races or otherwise enforcing rules of the Commission . Furthermore, HB1690 HFLR Page 6 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 public body shall not include the board of directors of a Federally Qualified Health Center ; 2. "Meeting" means the conduct of busi ness of a public body by a majority of its members being personally together or, as authorized by Section 307.1 of this title, together pursuant to a videoconference. Meeting shall not include informal gatherings of a majority of the members of the public body when no business of the public body is discussed; 3. "Regularly scheduled meeting " means a meeting at which the regular business of the public body is conducted; 4. "Special meeting" means any meeting of a public body other than a regularly schedul ed meeting or emergency meeting; 5. "Emergency meeting" means any meeting called for the purpose of dealing with an emergency. For purposes of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act, an emergency is defined as a situation involving injury to persons or injury and damage to public or personal property or immediate financial loss when the time requirements for public notice of a special meeting would make such procedure impractical and increase the likelihood of injury or damage or immediate financial loss; 6. "Continued or reconvened meeting " means a meeting which is assembled for the purpose of finishing business appearing on an agenda of a previous meeting. For the purposes of the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act, only matters on the agenda of the previous meeting at HB1690 HFLR Page 7 BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 which the announcement of the continuance is made may be discussed at a continued or reconvened meeting; 7. "Videoconference" means a conference among members of a public body remote from one another who are linked by interactive telecommunication devices or technology and/or technology permitting both visual and auditory communication between and among members of the public body and/or between and among members of the public body and members of the public. During any videoconference, both the visual and auditory communications functions shall attempt to be utilized; and 8. "Teleconference" means a conference among members of a public body remote from one another who are linked by telecommunication devices and/or technology permitting auditory communication between and among members of the public body and/or between and among members of the public body and members of the public. SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021. COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC HEALTH, da ted 02/24/2021 - DO PASS, As Coauthored.