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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
56	56
57	57	SENATE BILL 959 By: McIntosh
58	58
59	59
60	60
61	61
62	62
63	63	AS INTRODUCED
64	64
65	65	An Act relating to health care; defining terms;
66	66	granting certain protections to health care
67	67	institutions and health care payors; requir ing
68	68	certain disclosure; providing certain immunity from
69	69	civil actions; providing certain construction;
70	70	providing exception; conferring certain rights on
71	71	medical practitioners, health care institutions, and
72	72	health care payors; authorizing certain requiremen t
73	73	by health care institution; prohibiting certain
74	74	discrimination against medic al practitioners and
75	75	health care institutions; granting certain immunities
76	76	to medical practitioners and health care
77	77	institutions; granting additional protections;
78	78	prohibiting certain disciplinary actions by
79	79	professional licensing board or state agency;
80	80	requiring certain provision of complaint; providing
81	81	remedy for failure to notify; making certain
82	82	interference unlawful; providing remedies for
83	83	unlawful interference; directing promu lgation of
84	84	certain rules; providing certain construction;
85	85	providing for codifi cation; and providing an
86	86	effective date.
87	87
88	88
89	89
90	90
91	91	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
92	92	SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be c odified
93	93	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1 -728g of Title 63, unless there
94	94	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
95	95	As used in this act, unless the context requires otherwise:
96	96
97	97
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147	147	1. “Conscience” means the ethical, moral, or religious belief s
148	148	or principles held by a medical practitioner, health care
149	149	institution, or health care payor. With respect to institutional or
150	150	corporate persons, as opposed to individual persons, the term is
151	151	determined by reference to that entity ’s or body’s governing
152	152	documents including, but not limited to, published ethical, moral,
153	153	or religious guidelines or directives, mission statements,
154	154	constitutions, articles of incorporation, bylaws, policies, or
155	155	regulations;
156	156	2. a. “Discrimination” means an adverse action taken
157	157	against, or a threat of adverse action communicated
158	158	to, a medical practitioner, health care institution,
159	159	or health care payor as a result of the medical
160	160	practitioner, health care institution, or health care
161	161	payor’s refusal to participate in a health care
162	162	service on the basis of conscience including , but not
163	163	limited to, termination of employment; transfer from
164	164	current position; demotion from current position;
165	165	adverse administrative action; reassignment to a
166	166	different shift or job title; increased administrativ e
167	167	duties; denial of staff privileges; denial of board
168	168	certification; loss of c areer specialty; reduction of
169	169	wages, benefits, or privileges; refusal to award a
170	170	grant, contract, or other program; refusal to provide
171	171
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222	222	residency training opportunities; denial, d eprivation,
223	223	or disqualification of licensure; withholding or
224	224	disqualifying from financial aid and other assistance;
225	225	impediment of the creation or improvement of a health
226	226	care institution or health care payor; impediment of
227	227	the acquisition or merger of a he alth care institution
228	228	or health care payor; the threat of any of the
229	229	preceding actions; or any other penalty, disciplinary,
230	230	or retaliatory action, whether executed or threatened.
231	231	b. The term does not include the negotiation or purchase
232	232	of insurance by a no ngovernment entity;
233	233	3. “Health care institution ” means a public or private
234	234	hospital, outpatient center for primary care, medical center,
235	235	physician organization, professional association, outpatient center
236	236	for surgical services, private physician ’s office, pharmacy, long-
237	237	term care facility, medical school, nursing school, medical tr aining
238	238	facility, or any other entity or location in which health care
239	239	services are performed. The term includes , but is not limited to ,
240	240	organizations, corporations, partnerships , associations, agencies,
241	241	networks, sole proprietorships, or joint ventures;
242	242	4. “Health care payor” means an employer, health plan, health
243	243	maintenance organization, insurance company, management services
244	244	organization, or another entity that pays for or ar ranges for
245	245	payment for a health care service, in whole or in part;
246	246
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297	297	5. “Health care service” means medical research or medical care
298	298	provided to a patient or client at any time during the patient ’s or
299	299	client’s course of treatment including , but not limited to, initial
300	300	examination; testing; diagnosis; referral; dispensing or
301	301	administration of a drug, medication, or device; psychological
302	302	therapy or counseling; research; prognosis; therapy; record -making
303	303	procedures; notes related to treatment, set up, or perfor mance of a
304	304	surgery or procedure; or any other care or service performed or
305	305	provided by a medical practitioner;
306	306	6. “Medical practitioner ” means a person who is or may be asked
307	307	to participate in a health care service. The term includes , but is
308	308	not limited to, physicians; physician assistants; nurses including ,
309	309	but not limited to, Advanced Practice Registered Nurses; nurse
310	310	aides; allied health professionals; medical assistants; hospital
311	311	employees; employees of an outpatient center for primary care,
312	312	outpatient center for surgical services, or long -term care facility;
313	313	pharmacists; pharmacy technicians; pharmacy employees; medical
314	314	school faculty and students; nursing school faculty and students;
315	315	psychology and counseling faculty and students; medical researchers ;
316	316	laboratory technicians; counselors; social workers; or any other
317	317	person who facilitates or participates in a health care service;
318	318	7. “Participate in a health care service ” means to provide,
319	319	perform, assist with, facilitate, refer for, counsel for, advis e
320	320
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371	371	with regard to, admit for the purposes of providing, or take part in
372	372	any way in providing a health care service; and
373	373	8. “Person” means one or more individuals, partnerships,
374	374	associations, or corporations.
375	375	SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
376	376	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1 -728h of Title 63, unless there
377	377	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
378	378	A. A health care institution or health care payor may not be
379	379	required to participate in or pay for a health care service that
380	380	violates the health care institution ’s or health care payor’s
381	381	conscience, including by permitting the use of its facilities.
382	382	B. Except as provided in subsection D of this section, refusal
383	383	to participate in or pay for a health c are service under this
384	384	section may not give rise to liability of the health care
385	385	institution or health care payor for damages allegedly arising from
386	386	the refusal or be the basis for any discrimination, discipline, or
387	387	other recriminatory action against the h ealth care institution,
388	388	health care payor, or any personnel, agent, or governi ng board.
389	389	C. Nothing in this section may be construed to relieve a health
390	390	care institution of the requirement to provide emergency medical
391	391	treatment to all patients set forth in the federal Emergency Medical
392	392	Treatment and Labor Act, 42 U.S.C., Section 1395dd.
393	393
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444	444	D. The immunity provisions of this section do not apply to a
445	445	health care institution or health care payor owned or operated by
446	446	this state or a political subdivision of the state.
447	447	E. Notwithstanding any other provision of this act to the
448	448	contrary, a religious medical practitioner, health care institution,
449	449	or health care payor that holds itself out to the public as
450	450	religious, states in its governing documents that it has a re ligious
451	451	purpose or mission, or has internal operating policies or procedures
452	452	that implement its religious beliefs, shall have the right to make
453	453	employment, staffing, contracting, and admitting privilege decisions
454	454	consistent with its religious beliefs.
455	455	SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
456	456	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1 -728i of Title 63, unless there
457	457	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
458	458	A. A medical practitioner has the right not to partici pate in a
459	459	health care service that violates the medical practitioner ’s
460	460	conscience. A health care institution may not be held liable for
461	461	the exercise of conscience not to participate in a health care
462	462	service by a medical practitioner employed, contracted, or granted
463	463	admitting privileges by the health care institution.
464	464	B. A health care institution may require the exercise of
465	465	conscience as a basis for not participating in a health care service
466	466	to be made in writing and signed by the medical practitioner
467	467
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518	518	objecting. A writing made under this subsection may refer only
519	519	generally to the grounds of conscience.
520	520	C. A medical practitioner ’s refusal to participate in a health
521	521	care service based on an exercise of conscience may not be a
522	522	consideration with respect to s taff privileges of a health care
523	523	institution or basis for discrimination, disc ipline, or other
524	524	recriminatory action against the medical practitioner.
525	525	D. A medical practitioner may not be held liable for damages
526	526	allegedly arising from the exercise of consc ience not to participate
527	527	in a health care service.
528	528	SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
529	529	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1 -728j of Title 63, unless there
530	530	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
531	531	The exercise of conscience not to participate in a health care
532	532	service by a medical practitioner, health care institution, or
533	533	health care payor may not be grounds for loss of any privileges or
534	534	immunities or for the loss of any public benefits.
535	535	SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
536	536	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1 -728k of Title 63, unless there
537	537	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
538	538	A. A medical practitioner or health care institution may not b e
539	539	discriminated against because the medical practitioner or health
540	540	care institution:
541	541
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592	592	1. Provides, causes to be provided, or intends to provide or
593	593	cause to be provided information relating to a suspected violation
594	594	of this act to the medical practitioner or health care institution ’s
595	595	employer, the Attorney General, the United States Department of
596	596	Health and Human Services, or any state or federal agency charged
597	597	with protecting health care rights of conscience; or
598	598	2. Testifies, assists, participates, or inten ds to testify,
599	599	assist, or participate in a proceeding concerning a violation o f
600	600	this act.
601	601	B. Except as provided in subsection C of this section, it is
602	602	unlawful to discriminate against a medical practitioner because the
603	603	medical practitioner discloses infor mation that the medical
604	604	practitioner reasonably believes evidences:
605	605	1. A violation of any law, rule, or regulation;
606	606	2. A violation of any standard of care or ethical guidelines
607	607	for the provision of any health care service; or
608	608	3. Gross mismanagement, a g ross waste of funds, an abuse of
609	609	authority, practices or methods of treatment that may put patient
610	610	health at risk, or a substantial and specific danger to public
611	611	health or safety.
612	612	C. Nothing in this section may be construed to exempt a person
613	613	from any applicable state or federal confidentiality and patient
614	614	privacy requirements including , but not limited to, the federal
615	615
616	616
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666	666	Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996, 42
667	667	U.S.C., Section 1320d et seq.
668	668	SECTION 6. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
669	669	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1 -728l of Title 63, unless there
670	670	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
671	671	A. A professional licensing board or other state agency that
672	672	grants licensure or certification may not reprimand, sanction, or
673	673	revoke or threaten to revoke a license, certificate, or registration
674	674	of a medical practitioner who is licensed or certified by the board
675	675	or agency for engaging in speech or expressive activity protected
676	676	under the First Amend ment to the United States Constitution, unless
677	677	the board or agency demonstrate s beyond a reasonable doubt that the
678	678	medical practitioner ’s speech was the direct cause of physical harm
679	679	to a person with whom the medical practitioner had a practitioner -
680	680	patient relationship within the t hree (3) years immediately
681	681	preceding the incident of physical harm.
682	682	B. 1. Within fourteen (14) calendar days of receiving a
683	683	complaint that may result in revocation of a medical practitioner ’s
684	684	license, certificate, or registratio n, the board or agency shall
685	685	provide the medical practitioner with a copy of t he complaint.
686	686	2. If the board or agency fails to provide the complaint within
687	687	fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt, the board or agency shall
688	688	pay the medical practitioner an a dministrative penalty of Five
689	689	Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each week of noncompliance.
690	690
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741	741	SECTION 7. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
742	742	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1 -728m of Title 63, unless there
743	743	is created a duplica tion in numbering, reads as follows:
744	744	A. It is unlawful to interfere or attemp t to interfere with the
745	745	right not to participate in a health care service or the
746	746	whistleblower and free speech rights and protections authorized by
747	747	this act, whether by duress, c oercion, or any other means.
748	748	B. A medical practitioner, health care institution, or health
749	749	care payor injured by unlawful interference is entitled to:
750	750	1. Injunctive relief, when appropriate, including but not
751	751	limited to reinstatement of a medical practit ioner to the medical
752	752	practitioner’s previous position, reinstatement of board
753	753	certification, and relicensure of a health care institution or
754	754	health care payor;
755	755	2. Monetary damages for injuries suffered; and
756	756	3. Reasonable costs and attorney fees.
757	757	SECTION 8. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
758	758	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1 -728n of Title 63, unless there
759	759	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
760	760	The Insurance Commissioner shall promulgate reasonable and
761	761	necessary rules concerning the implementation of this act relating
762	762	to those insurers under its jurisdiction.
763	763
764	764
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795	795	7
796	796	8
797	797	9
798	798	10
799	799	11
800	800	12
801	801	13
802	802	14
803	803	15
804	804	16
805	805	17
806	806	18
807	807	19
808	808	20
809	809	21
810	810	22
811	811	23
812	812	24
813	813
814	814	SECTION 9. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
815	815	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1 -728o of Title 63, unless there
816	816	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
817	817	This act is supplemental to and may not be construed as
818	818	modifying or limiting the rights and remedies provided in the
819	819	Freedom of Conscience Act, Section 1 -728a et seq. of Title 63 of the
820	820	Oklahoma Statutes.
821	821	SECTION 10. This act shall become effective November 1 , 2025.
822	822
823	823	60-1-873 DC 1/16/2025 1:06:43 PM

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB959 Compare Versions