Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3
4	4	Req. No. 329 Page 1 1
5	5	2
6	6	3
7	7	4
8	8	5
9	9	6
10	10	7
11	11	8
12	12	9
13	13	10
14	14	11
15	15	12
16	16	13
17	17	14
18	18	15
19	19	16
20	20	17
21	21	18
22	22	19
23	23	20
24	24	21
25	25	22
26	26	23
27	27	24
28	28	1
29	29	2
30	30	3
31	31	4
32	32	5
33	33	6
34	34	7
35	35	8
36	36	9
37	37	10
38	38	11
39	39	12
40	40	13
41	41	14
42	42	15
43	43	16
44	44	17
45	45	18
46	46	19
47	47	20
48	48	21
49	49	22
50	50	23
51	51	24
52	52
53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
56	56
57	57	SENATE BILL 937 By: Howard
58	58
59	59
60	60
61	61
62	62
63	63	AS INTRODUCED
64	64
65	65	An Act relating to health care; creating the Uniform
66	66	Health Care Decisions Act of 2025; providing short
67	67	title; specifying conditions for capacity for certain
68	68	purpose; stipulating extent of certain right;
69	69	providing for certain presumptions of capacity;
70	70	providing for rebuttal of certain capacity;
71	71	prohibiting certain individuals from making specified
72	72	findings; authorizing creation of certain h ealth care
73	73	instruction; requiring certain documentation;
74	74	providing for revocat ion of health care instruction
75	75	under certain condition; authorizing creation of
76	76	certain power of attorney; providing for
77	77	disqualification of agency under certain conditions;
78	78	specifying effect of health care decision;
79	79	stipulating requirements for adult witness; defining
80	80	presence of witness; allowing certain power of
81	81	attorney to include health care instruction;
82	82	providing for codification; and providing an
83	83	effective date.
84	84
85	85
86	86
87	87
88	88
89	89	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
90	90	SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
91	91	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3105A.1 of Title 63, unless
92	92	there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as fol lows:
93	93	This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Uniform Health
94	94	Care Decisions Act of 2025 ”.
95	95
96	96
97	97	Req. No. 329 Page 2 1
98	98	2
99	99	3
100	100	4
101	101	5
102	102	6
103	103	7
104	104	8
105	105	9
106	106	10
107	107	11
108	108	12
109	109	13
110	110	14
111	111	15
112	112	16
113	113	17
114	114	18
115	115	19
116	116	20
117	117	21
118	118	22
119	119	23
120	120	24
121	121	1
122	122	2
123	123	3
124	124	4
125	125	5
126	126	6
127	127	7
128	128	8
129	129	9
130	130	10
131	131	11
132	132	12
133	133	13
134	134	14
135	135	15
136	136	16
137	137	17
138	138	18
139	139	19
140	140	20
141	141	21
142	142	22
143	143	23
144	144	24
145	145
146	146	SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
147	147	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3105A.2 of Title 63, unless
148	148	there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
149	149	A. An individual has capacit y for the purpose of this act if
150	150	the individual:
151	151	1. Is willing and able to communicate a decision independently
152	152	or with appropriate services, technological assistance, supported
153	153	decision-making, or other reasonable accommodation; and
154	154	2. In making or revoking:
155	155	a. a health care decision, understands the nature and
156	156	consequences of the decision, including the primary
157	157	risks and benefits of the decision,
158	158	b. a health care instruction, understands the nature and
159	159	consequences of the instruction, including the prim ary
160	160	risks and benefits of the choices expressed in the
161	161	instruction, and
162	162	c. an appointment of an agent under a health care power
163	163	of attorney or identification of a default surroga te,
164	164	recognizes the identity of the individual being
165	165	appointed or identified and understands the general
166	166	nature of the relationship of the individual making
167	167	the appointment or identification with the individual
168	168	being appointed or identified.
169	169
170	170
171	171	Req. No. 329 Page 3 1
172	172	2
173	173	3
174	174	4
175	175	5
176	176	6
177	177	7
178	178	8
179	179	9
180	180	10
181	181	11
182	182	12
183	183	13
184	184	14
185	185	15
186	186	16
187	187	17
188	188	18
189	189	19
190	190	20
191	191	21
192	192	22
193	193	23
194	194	24
195	195	1
196	196	2
197	197	3
198	198	4
199	199	5
200	200	6
201	201	7
202	202	8
203	203	9
204	204	10
205	205	11
206	206	12
207	207	13
208	208	14
209	209	15
210	210	16
211	211	17
212	212	18
213	213	19
214	214	20
215	215	21
216	216	22
217	217	23
218	218	24
219	219
220	220	B. The right of an individual who has capacity to make a
221	221	decision about the individual ’s health care is not affected by
222	222	whether the individual creates or revokes an advance health care
223	223	directive.
224	224	SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codi fied
225	225	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3105A.3 of Title 63, unless
226	226	there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
227	227	A. An individual is presumed to have capacity to make or revoke
228	228	a health care decision, health care instruction, and power of
229	229	attorney for health care unless:
230	230	1. A court has found the individual lacks capacity to do so; or
231	231	2. The presumption is rebutted under subsection B of this
232	232	section.
233	233	B. Subject to the provisions of this act, a presumption under
234	234	subsection A of this sec tion may be rebutted by a finding that the
235	235	individual lacks capacity:
236	236	1. Subject to subsection C of this section, made on the basis
237	237	of a contemporaneous examination by any of the following:
238	238	a. a physician,
239	239	b. a psychologist licensed or otherwise authorize d to
240	240	practice in this state,
241	241	c. an individual with training and expertise in t he
242	242	finding of lack of capacity who is licensed or
243	243	otherwise authorized to practice in this state as:
244	244
245	245
246	246	Req. No. 329 Page 4 1
247	247	2
248	248	3
249	249	4
250	250	5
251	251	6
252	252	7
253	253	8
254	254	9
255	255	10
256	256	11
257	257	12
258	258	13
259	259	14
260	260	15
261	261	16
262	262	17
263	263	18
264	264	19
265	265	20
266	266	21
267	267	22
268	268	23
269	269	24
270	270	1
271	271	2
272	272	3
273	273	4
274	274	5
275	275	6
276	276	7
277	277	8
278	278	9
279	279	10
280	280	11
281	281	12
282	282	13
283	283	14
284	284	15
285	285	16
286	286	17
287	287	18
288	288	19
289	289	20
290	290	21
291	291	22
292	292	23
293	293	24
294	294
295	295	(1) a physician assistant ,
296	296	(2) an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, or
297	297	(3) a social worker, or
298	298	d. a responsible health care professional not described
299	299	in subparagraph a, b, or c of this paragraph if:
300	300	(1) the individual about whom the finding is to be
301	301	made is experiencing a health condition requiring
302	302	a decision regarding health care treatment to be
303	303	made promptly to avoid loss of life or serious
304	304	harm to the health of the individual, and
305	305	(2) an individual listed in subparagraph a, b, or c
306	306	of this paragraph is not reasonably available;
307	307	2. Made in accordance with accepted standards of the profession
308	308	and the scope of practice of the individual making the finding and
309	309	to a reasonable degree of certainty; and
310	310	3. Documented in a record signed by the individual making the
311	311	finding that includes an opinion of the cause, nature, extent, and
312	312	probable duration of the lack of capacity.
313	313	C. The finding under subsection B of this section may not be
314	314	made by:
315	315	1. A family member of the individual presumed to have capacity;
316	316	2. The cohabitant of the individual or a descendant of the
317	317	cohabitant; or
318	318
319	319
320	320	Req. No. 329 Page 5 1
321	321	2
322	322	3
323	323	4
324	324	5
325	325	6
326	326	7
327	327	8
328	328	9
329	329	10
330	330	11
331	331	12
332	332	13
333	333	14
334	334	15
335	335	16
336	336	17
337	337	18
338	338	19
339	339	20
340	340	21
341	341	22
342	342	23
343	343	24
344	344	1
345	345	2
346	346	3
347	347	4
348	348	5
349	349	6
350	350	7
351	351	8
352	352	9
353	353	10
354	354	11
355	355	12
356	356	13
357	357	14
358	358	15
359	359	16
360	360	17
361	361	18
362	362	19
363	363	20
364	364	21
365	365	22
366	366	23
367	367	24
368	368
369	369	3. The individual’s surrogate, a family member of the
370	370	surrogate, or a descendant of the surrogate.
371	371	D. If the finding under subsection B of this section was based
372	372	on a condition the individual no longer has , or a responsible health
373	373	care professional subsequen tly has good cause to believe the
374	374	individual has capacity, the individual is p resumed to have capacity
375	375	unless a court finds the individual lacks capacity or the
376	376	presumption is rebutted under subsection B of this section.
377	377	SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
378	378	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3105A.4 of Title 63, unless
379	379	there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
380	380	A. An individual may create a health care instruction that
381	381	expresses the individual ’s preferences for future health care,
382	382	including preferences regarding:
383	383	1. Health care professionals or health care institutions;
384	384	2. How a health care decision will be made and communicated;
385	385	3. Persons that should or should not be consulted regarding a
386	386	health care decision;
387	387	4. A person to serve as guardian for the individual if one is
388	388	appointed; and
389	389	5. An individual to serve as a default surrogate.
390	390	B. A health care professional to whom an individual
391	391	communicates or provides an instruction under subsect ion A of this
392	392	section shall document the instruction and the date of the
393	393
394	394
395	395	Req. No. 329 Page 6 1
396	396	2
397	397	3
398	398	4
399	399	5
400	400	6
401	401	7
402	402	8
403	403	9
404	404	10
405	405	11
406	406	12
407	407	13
408	408	14
409	409	15
410	410	16
411	411	17
412	412	18
413	413	19
414	414	20
415	415	21
416	416	22
417	417	23
418	418	24
419	419	1
420	420	2
421	421	3
422	422	4
423	423	5
424	424	6
425	425	7
426	426	8
427	427	9
428	428	10
429	429	11
430	430	12
431	431	13
432	432	14
433	433	15
434	434	16
435	435	17
436	436	18
437	437	19
438	438	20
439	439	21
440	440	22
441	441	23
442	442	24
443	443
444	444	instruction in the individual ’s medical record or communicate the
445	445	instruction and date of the instruction to an administrator with
446	446	responsibility for medical records of the health care institution
447	447	providing health care to the individual, who shall document the
448	448	instruction and the date of the instruction in the individual ’s
449	449	medical record.
450	450	C. A health care instruction made by an individual that
451	451	conflicts with an earlier health care instruction made by the
452	452	individual, including an instruction documented in a medi cal order,
453	453	revokes the earlier instruction to the extent of the conflict.
454	454	D. A health care instruction may be in the same record as a
455	455	power of attorney for health care.
456	456	SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
457	457	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3105A.5 of Title 63, unless
458	458	there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
459	459	A. An individual may create a power of attorney for healt h care
460	460	to appoint an agent to make health care decisions for the
461	461	individual.
462	462	B. An individual is disqualified from acting as agent for an
463	463	individual who lacks capacity to make health care decisions if:
464	464	1. A court finds that the potential agent poses a da nger to the
465	465	individual’s well-being, even if the court does not issue a
466	466	restraining order against the potential agent; or
467	467
468	468
469	469	Req. No. 329 Page 7 1
470	470	2
471	471	3
472	472	4
473	473	5
474	474	6
475	475	7
476	476	8
477	477	9
478	478	10
479	479	11
480	480	12
481	481	13
482	482	14
483	483	15
484	484	16
485	485	17
486	486	18
487	487	19
488	488	20
489	489	21
490	490	22
491	491	23
492	492	24
493	493	1
494	494	2
495	495	3
496	496	4
497	497	5
498	498	6
499	499	7
500	500	8
501	501	9
502	502	10
503	503	11
504	504	12
505	505	13
506	506	14
507	507	15
508	508	16
509	509	17
510	510	18
511	511	19
512	512	20
513	513	21
514	514	22
515	515	23
516	516	24
517	517
518	518	2. The potential agent is an owner, operator, employee, or
519	519	contractor of a nursing home or other residential care facility in
520	520	which the individual resides or is receiving care, unless the owner,
521	521	operator, employee, or contractor is a family member of the
522	522	individual, the cohabitant of the individual, or a descendant of the
523	523	cohabitant.
524	524	C. A health care decision made by an agent is effect ive without
525	525	judicial approval.
526	526	D. A power of attorney for health care must be in a record,
527	527	signed by the individual creating the power, and signed by an adult
528	528	witness who:
529	529	1. Reasonably believes the act of the individual to create the
530	530	power of attorney is voluntary and knowing;
531	531	2. Is not:
532	532	a. the agent appointed by the individual,
533	533	b. the agent’s spouse, domestic partner, or cohabitant,
534	534	or
535	535	c. if the individual resides or is receiving care in a
536	536	nursing home or other residential care facility, the
537	537	owner, operator, employee, or contractor of the
538	538	nursing home or other residential care facility; and
539	539	3. Is present when the individual signs the power of attorney
540	540	or when the individual represents that the power of attorney
541	541	reflects the individual ’s wishes.
542	542
543	543
544	544	Req. No. 329 Page 8 1
545	545	2
546	546	3
547	547	4
548	548	5
549	549	6
550	550	7
551	551	8
552	552	9
553	553	10
554	554	11
555	555	12
556	556	13
557	557	14
558	558	15
559	559	16
560	560	17
561	561	18
562	562	19
563	563	20
564	564	21
565	565	22
566	566	23
567	567	24
568	568	1
569	569	2
570	570	3
571	571	4
572	572	5
573	573	6
574	574	7
575	575	8
576	576	9
577	577	10
578	578	11
579	579	12
580	580	13
581	581	14
582	582	15
583	583	16
584	584	17
585	585	18
586	586	19
587	587	20
588	588	21
589	589	22
590	590	23
591	591	24
592	592
593	593	E. A witness under subsection D of this section is considered
594	594	present if the witness and the individual are:
595	595	1. Physically present in the same location;
596	596	2. Using electronic means that allow for real -time audio and
597	597	visual transmission and communication in real time to the same
598	598	extent as if the witness and the individual were physically present
599	599	in the same location; or
600	600	3. Able to speak to and hear each other in real time through
601	601	audio connection if:
602	602	a. the identity of the individual is personally known to
603	603	the witness, or
604	604	b. the witness is able to authenticate the identity of
605	605	the individual by receiving accurate answers from the
606	606	individual that enable the authentication.
607	607	F. A power of attorney for health care may include a health
608	608	care instruction.
609	609	SECTION 6. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
610	610
611	611	60-1-329 DC 1/16/2025 12:07:12 PM

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB937 Compare Versions