Oklahoma 2023 2023 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2662 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/19/2023

                     
 
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STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) 
 
HOUSE BILL 2662 	By: Steagall 
 
 
 
 
 
AS INTRODUCED 
 
An Act relating to veterans; amending 72 O.S. 2021, 
Section 221, as amended by Section 10, Chapter 83, 
O.S.L. 2022 (72 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 221), which 
relates to State Veterans Homes at Sulphur and 
Ardmore; authorizing Oklahoma Veterans Com mission to 
renovate the home at Sulphur to provide specialized 
care; permitting Oklahoma Department of Veterans 
Affairs to obtain certain designations to provide 
advanced services and care; prohibiting admission for 
person dishonorably discharged from mili tary service; 
and providing an effective date . 
 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     72 O.S. 2021, Section 221, as 
amended by Section 10, Chapter 83, O.S.L. 2022 (72 O.S. Supp. 2022, 
Section 221), is amended to read as follows: 
Section 221. A. There is hereby established at Sulphur, 
Oklahoma, on the site of the former Oklahoma State Veterans 
Hospital, and the State Veterans Home of Su lphur.  The Oklahoma 
Veterans Commission is authorized to renov ate and repurpose the 
State Veterans Home of Sulphur to specialize in services supporting 
the long-term care needs of veterans who require both nursing home   
 
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care and specialized cognitive care.  The Oklahoma Department of 
Veterans Affairs is authorized to obtain such licensure, 
certification, accredi tation, partnerships, contract services, 
infrastructure, or staffing as is beneficial or necessary to provide 
advanced services to veterans requiring specialized cognitive care. 
B.  There is hereby established at Ardmore, Oklahoma, on the 
site of the Oklahoma State Veterans Home Facilities, and at Norman, 
Oklahoma, on the site of the Veterans Ward of the Griffin Memorial 
Hospital, further described as follows: 
Starting at the Southeast corner of the N ortheast Quarter (NE 
1/4) of Section twenty -nine (29), Township nine (9) North, Range two 
(2) West, of the Indian Meridian; thence North seventeen hundred 
(1700) feet to a point on the East boundary of Section twenty-nine 
(29), Township nine (9) North, Ran ge two (2) West; thence West six 
hundred (600) feet; t hence South eight hundred fifty (850) feet; 
thence West three hundred twenty-five (325) feet; thence South four 
hundred (400) feet; thence in a Southwest direction five hundred 
forty (540) feet to a poi nt on the South boundary of the Northeast 
Quarter (NE 1/4) of Section twenty-nine (29), Township nine (9) 
North, Range two (2) West of the Indian Meridian; thence East a 
distance of one thousand two hundred twenty-three (1,223) feet to 
the point of beginni ng; 
facilities to be known as the State Veterans Homes (for the purpose 
of securing special treatment or hospit alization the adjoining   
 
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facilities of Griffin Memorial Hospital shall be considered an 
integral part of the State Veterans Homes at Norman, and may be 
utilized to care for eligible veterans), whi ch shall be available 
for care of war veterans discharged other than under dishonorable 
conditions.  Further provided such centers in accordance with 
Section 229.1 of this title, the State Veterans Home of Ar dmore. 
C. The State Veterans Homes establish ed in this section shall 
be under the administration and control of the Oklahoma Veterans 
Commission. No person discharged from military service with a 
dishonorable discharge shall be admitted to the State Veterans Homes 
established in this section. 
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. 
 
59-1-6151 EK 12/08/22