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28	28	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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30	30	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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32	32	HOUSE BILL 2802 By: Marti
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38	38	AS INTRODUCED
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40	40	An Act relating to professions and occupations;
41	41	amending 59 O.S. 2021, Section 4000.1, as last
42	42	amended by Section 9, Chapter 227, O.S.L. 2 024 (59
43	43	O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 4000.1), which relates to
44	44	denying or disqualifying professional licenses or
45	45	certifications; adding terms; and providing an
46	46	effective date.
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52	52	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
53	53	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 4000.1, as
54	54	last amended by Section 9, Chapter 227, O.S.L. 2024 (59 O.S. Supp.
55	55	2024, Section 4000.1), is amended to read as follows:
56	56	Section 4000.1. A. As used in this section:
57	57	1. "Substantially relate " means the nature of the criminal
58	58	conduct for which the person was convicted has a direct bearing on
59	59	the fitness or ability to perform one or more of the duties or
60	60	responsibilities necessarily related to the occupation; and
61	61	2. "Pose a reasonable threat " means the nature of the criminal
62	62	conduct for which the person was convicted inv olved an act or threat
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89	89	of harm against another and has a bearing on the fitness or ability
90	90	to serve the public or work with others in the occupation.
91	91	B. Notwithstanding any othe r provision of law, a conviction,
92	92	plea of guilty or nolo contendere, or pending criminal charge of a
93	93	crime may be grounds for the denial of an applicant for a state
94	94	license or state certification to practice an occupation only if the
95	95	underlying offense sub stantially relates to the duties and
96	96	responsibilities of the occupation and po ses a reasonable threat to
97	97	public safety, health, or welfare. When making a determination
98	98	pursuant to this subsection, a licensing or certification authority
99	99	shall consider:
100	100	1. The nature and seriousness of the offense;
101	101	2. The amount of time that has passed since the offense;
102	102	3. The age of the person at the time the offense was committed;
103	103	4. Evidence relevant to the circumstances of the offense
104	104	including any aggravating or mi tigating circumstances of social
105	105	conditions surrounding the commission of the offense;
106	106	5. The nature of the specific duties and responsibilities for
107	107	which the license or certification is required; and
108	108	6. Any evidence of rehabilitation submitted by the ap plicant
109	109	including, but not limited to, evidence related to the person 's
110	110	compliance with any conditions of community supervision, parole, or
111	111	mandatory supervision, the conduct and work activity of the person,
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138	138	programming, or treatment undertaken by the pers on, and testimonials
139	139	or personal reference statements.
140	140	C. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a licensing or
141	141	certification authority shall not deny a state license or state
142	142	certification to practice an occupation due to:
143	143	1. An arrest that was not followed by a valid plea of guilty or
144	144	nolo contendere unless charges are currently pending;
145	145	2. A conviction that has been sealed, or expunged;
146	146	3. A conviction or plea of guilty or nolo contendere for which
147	147	more than five (5) years have elapsed since the date of conviction,
148	148	plea, or release from incarceration, whichever is later, so long as
149	149	the person has not been convicted of a new crime. This paragraph
150	150	shall not apply to any conviction or plea of guilty or nolo
151	151	contendere for:
152	152	a. an offense enumerated in Section 571 of Title 57 of
153	153	the Oklahoma Statutes,
154	154	b. a felony involving domestic assault, domestic assault
155	155	and battery, or domestic abuse as defined in Section
156	156	644 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes,
157	157	c. an offense that would require registration as a sex
158	158	offender pursuant to the Sex Offenders Registration
159	159	Act, or
160	160	d. any equivalent law enumerated in this paragraph from
161	161	another jurisdiction; or
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188	188	4. A finding that an applicant lacks good character or fails to
189	189	meet any other similarly vague standard where a criminal conviction
190	190	is the basis for the finding.
191	191	D. Before a state licensing or state certification authority
192	192	makes a final determination that a criminal conviction, plea of
193	193	guilty or nolo contendere, or pending criminal charge may disqualify
194	194	an applicant for licensure, that authority shall provide written
195	195	notice of:
196	196	1. The specific offense that is the basis for the intended
197	197	denial;
198	198	2. The reasons the offense was determined to substantially
199	199	relate to the duties and responsibilities of the occupation a nd
200	200	posed a reasonable threat to public safety, health, or welfare,
201	201	including findings for each of the factors in subsection B of this
202	202	section that the licensing or certification authority deemed
203	203	relevant to the determination; and
204	204	3. The right to submit ad ditional evidence relevant to each of
205	205	the factors listed in subsection B of th is section within thirty
206	206	(30) days, which the licensing or certification authority shall
207	207	consider before issuing a final determination.
208	208	E. A final determination that a criminal conviction, plea of
209	209	guilty or nolo contendere, or pending criminal charge may prevent a
210	210	person from receiving a license shall be in writing and include
211	211	notice of the right to appeal the determination pursuant to the
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238	238	Administrative Procedures Act, or a more specific statutory
239	239	authority, and notice of the earliest date the applicant m ay reapply
240	240	for a license.
241	241	F. A person with a criminal history record may request a
242	242	determination of whether his or her criminal history record may
243	243	disqualify him or her from obt aining the desired license or
244	244	certification in the occupation from a state licensing or state
245	245	certification authority at any time, including before obtaining any
246	246	required education or training for such occupation. The request
247	247	shall be in writing and shall include either a copy of the person 's
248	248	criminal history record with explanatio n of each conviction
249	249	mentioned in the criminal history record or a statement describing
250	250	each criminal conviction including the date of each conviction, the
251	251	court of jurisdiction and the sentence imposed. The person may
252	252	include a statement with his or her request describing additional
253	253	information for consideration by the licensing or certification
254	254	authority including, but not limited to, information relevant to any
255	255	of the factors for consideration described in subsection B of this
256	256	section.
257	257	G. Upon receipt of a written request for consideration of a
258	258	criminal history record for an occupation as provided in subsection
259	259	F of this section, the licensing or certification authority shall
260	260	evaluate the request and make a determination based upon the
261	261	information provided in such request whether the stated conviction
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288	288	is a disqualifying offense for the occupation. A notice of the
289	289	determination shall be issued to the petitioner within sixty (60 )
290	290	days from the date such request was received by the licensing or
291	291	certification authority; except, however, a licensing or
292	292	certification authority regulating fifty thousand or more members in
293	293	its occupation shall be allowed ninety (90) days to make its in itial
294	294	determination and issue notice to the requestor.
295	295	H. A determination made pursuant to subsection F of this
296	296	subsection that a person may not be disqualified for licensure or
297	297	certification due to criminal history shall be binding upon a
298	298	licensing or certification authority unless, at the time a full
299	299	application for a license is submitted, the applicant has
300	300	subsequently pled guilty or nolo contendere to a crime, has pending
301	301	criminal charges, or has previously undisclosed criminal
302	302	convictions.
303	303	I. The notice of a determination made pursuant to subsection F
304	304	of this section shall be in writing and mailed to the requestor at
305	305	the address provided in his or her request, and shall contain the
306	306	following statements:
307	307	1. Whether the person is eligible for licensure or
308	308	certification in the occupation at the current time based upon the
309	309	information submitted by the requestor;
310	310	2. Whether there is a disqualifying offense that would
311	311	disqualify the person from engaging in the occupation at the current
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338	338	time and a statement identifying such offense in the criminal
339	339	history record or information submitted for consideration;
340	340	3. Any actions the person may take to remedy a
341	341	disqualification, if any;
342	342	4. The earliest date the person may submit another request for
343	343	consideration, if any; and
344	344	5. A statement that the determination may be rescinded if, at
345	345	the time a full application for a license is submitted, the
346	346	applicant has subsequently pled guilty or nolo contendere to a
347	347	crime, has pending criminal charges, or has previously undis closed
348	348	criminal convictions.
349	349	J. A state entity charged with oversight of an occupational
350	350	license or certification may promulgate forms for requests for
351	351	determinations for the occupation as authorized in subsection F of
352	352	this section. Each state licensing or certification authority may
353	353	charge a fee not to exceed Ninety -five Dollars ($95.00) for each
354	354	initial determination of eligibility it makes for the occupation
355	355	based upon the information provided by the requestor.
356	356	K. Each state licensing or state certifi cation authority shall
357	357	include in its application for a license or certification and
358	358	publish on its public website the following information:
359	359	1. Whether the criminal offenses of applicants may be used as a
360	360	basis for denial;
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387	387	2. If criminal history may be used as a basis for denial as
388	388	listed in subsection B of this section, which of fenses the licensing
389	389	or certification authority shall consider; and
390	390	3. Notice of the right to request a determination pursuant to
391	391	subsection F of this section.
392	392	L. Each state licensing or state certification authority
393	393	authorized to consider the criminal conviction of an applicant shall
394	394	annually provide to the Legislature, and publish on its public
395	395	website, the following:
396	396	1. The number of license applications received;
397	397	2. The number of applications that resulted in a license being
398	398	granted;
399	399	3. The number of applications that resulted in a license being
400	400	denied;
401	401	4. The number of applications that were denied due to criminal
402	402	history;
403	403	5. A list of criminal offenses reported by indi viduals who were
404	404	granted a license;
405	405	6. A list of criminal offenses reported by individuals who were
406	406	denied a license due to criminal history along with the time elapsed
407	407	since the commission of the offense; and
408	408	7. The number of petitions received by the l icensing or
409	409	certification authority pursuant to subsection F of this section.
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436	436	M. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to
437	437	apply to the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training, the
438	438	Bail Bonds Division of the Insurance Department, the State Board of
439	439	Education, the boards of examiners which are established in Title 20
440	440	of the Oklahoma Statutes, the State Board of Medical Licensure and
441	441	Supervision, the State Board of Pharmacy, or individuals applying to
442	442	these authorities for licensure or certification.
443	443	SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
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445	445	60-1-11294 TKR 12/13/24

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2802 Compare Versions