Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1808 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 01/17/2024

                             
 
 
Req. No. 3133 	Page 1  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 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024) 
 
SENATE BILL 1808 	By: Dossett 
 
 
 
 
 
AS INTRODUCED 
 
An Act relating to childbirth; amending 63 O.S. 2021, 
Section 1-740.16, which relates to definitions used 
in the Choosing Childbirth Ac t; modifying 
definitions; amending 63 O.S. 2021, Section 1 -740.17, 
which relates to grants to private organizations for 
services; modifying grant-making authority of the 
State Department of Health; describing methods of 
making grants and approving grant am ounts; extending 
time period of certain services; adding and updating 
statutory references; amending 63 O.S. 2021, Section 
1-740.18, which relates to grant complian ce and 
monitoring; conforming language; updating statutory 
language; providing an effective date; and declaring 
an emergency. 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     63 O.S. 2021 , Section 1-740.16, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 1-740.16. As used in the Choosing Ch ildbirth Act: 
1.  “Abortion” means the use or prescription of any instrument, 
medicine, drug or any other substance or device to intentionally: 
a. kill the unborn child of a woman known to be pregnant, 
or   
 
 
Req. No. 3133 	Page 2  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 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
b. terminate the pregnancy of a woman known to be 
pregnant, with an intention other than: 
(1) after viability of the unborn child, to produce a 
live birth and preserve the life and health of 
the child born alive , or 
(2) to remove a dead unborn child; 
2.  “Unborn child” means an individual organism of the s pecies 
Homo sapiens from fertilization until birth; and 
3.  “Grant-supervising entity” means a private entity which 
approves all grants made under the Choosing Childbirth Act that are 
not directly made to private organizations by the State Department 
of Health for reimbursement of services provided under the Choosing 
Childbirth Act and which: 
a. is organized as a not-for-profit corporation in 
Oklahoma and as a 501(c)3 501(c)(3) entity under the 
federal Internal Revenue Code, and 
b. does not encourage or cou nsel any woman to have an 
abortion not necessary to prevent her death, to 
provide her such an abortion or to refer her for such 
an abortion, and does not acce pt funds or services 
knowingly from any entity which performs abortions or 
receives money for abor tions. 
SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY    63 O.S. 2021, Section 1-740.17, is 
amended to read as follows:   
 
 
Req. No. 3133 	Page 3  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 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
Section 1-740.17. A.  The State Department of Health shall make 
grants, as directed in subsection B of this section , from funds 
appropriated by the Legislature specifically for this purpose, to a 
grant-supervising entity for the purpose of reimbursing for the 
Choosing Childbirth Act. 
B.  The purpose of the gr ants shall be to reimburse private 
organizations in Oklahoma this state for the reasonable expenses of 
programs providing the following services: described in subsection C 
of this section.  The Department shall make grants either: 
1.  Directly to the private organizations; 
2.  To one or more grant-supervising entities , who shall 
reimburse the private organizations ; or 
3.  Both directly to the private organizations and to one or 
more grant-supervising entities , who shall reimburse the private 
organizations. 
C.  Reimbursable services provided under the Choosing Childbirth 
Act shall include: 
1.  Providing information on, referral to and a ssistance in 
securing the services of relevant existing programs or agencies that 
assist women in Oklahoma this state to carry their children to term, 
and/or providing services that as sist women to carry their children 
to term including, but not limited to, agencies and programs that 
will provide medical attention for the pregnant woman for the 
duration of her pregnancy, nutritional support s ervices, housing   
 
 
Req. No. 3133 	Page 4  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 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
assistance, adoption services, education and employment assistance, 
and parenting education and support services ; 
2.  Providing women in Oklahoma this state, in person and 
through community outreac h, information and/or services that 
encourage and assist them to carry their children to term; and 
3. Providing services including, but not limited to, healthcare 
services to mothers and in fants up to three (3) years postpartum for 
the purpose of reducing the rates of maternal mortality and infant 
mortality in this state by three percent (3%) within five (5) years 
of the effective date of this act not later than July 1, 2026; 
provided, however, no funds shall be provided to an organi zation 
that provides, or whose affiliates provide, abort ion services. 
B. D.  To be eligible for a service grant, an organization 
shall: 
1.  Be registered with the Oklahoma Secretary of State as a not-
for-profit corporation located in Oklahoma; 
2.  Have the grant amount approved by a: 
a. the grant-supervising entity, if the grant was 
provided to the private organization by a grant-
supervising entity, or 
b. the Department, if the grant was provided directly to 
the private organization by the Department ; 
3. For services described in paragraphs 1 and 2 of subsection A 
C of this section, provide each pregnant w oman counseled with   
 
 
Req. No. 3133 	Page 5  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 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
accurate information on the develop mental characteristics of unborn 
children including offering the printed information described i n 
Section 1-738.3 of Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes this title; 
4.  Assure that the grant’s sole purposes are to assist and 
encourage women to carry their children to term and to maximize 
their potentials thereafter as provided in paragraphs 1 and 2 of 
subsection C of this section or to reduce the rat es of maternal 
mortality and infant mortality in this state as provided in 
paragraph 3 of subsection A C of this section; and 
5.  Assure that none of th e funds provided pursuant to the 
Choosing Childbirth Act, nor any other funds or services provided by 
the organization, are used to encourage or counsel a woman to have 
an abortion not necessary to prevent her death, to provide her such 
an abortion or to refer her for such an abortion. 
SECTION 3.     AMENDATORY     63 O.S. 2021, Section 1 -740.18, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 1-740.18. The State Department of Health shall make 
grants to a grant-supervising entity under the Choosi ng Childbirth 
Act from funds appropriated by the Legislature speci fically for this 
purpose.  The State Department of Health shall annually monitor and 
review the any grant-supervising entity participating in the 
Choosing Childbirth Act and any private organization directly 
receiving a service grant from the Department to assure ensure that 
the grant-supervising entity or private organization carefully   
 
 
Req. No. 3133 	Page 6  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 
2 
3 
4 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
  
adheres to the purposes and requirements of the Choosing Childbirth 
Act, and it.  The Department shall cease funding a grant-supervising 
entity or private organization that fails to do so adhere to such 
purposes and requirements if the Department proves specific findings 
of noncompliance, subject t o judicial review. 
SECTION 4.  This act shall become effective July 1, 202 4. 
SECTION 5.  It being immediately necessary for the preservation 
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereb y 
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall tak e effect and 
be in full force from and after its passage and approval. 
 
59-2-3133 DC 1/17/2024 3:42:42 PM