Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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3 SENATE BILL 222 By: Murdock
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to hospitals; creating the Maternity
7 Care Pilot Program; directing the State Department of
8 Health to select grant awardee for specified purpose;
8 listing qualification criteria; directing development
9 of application process and scoring criteria; limiting
9 use of grant funds; authorizing promulgation of
10 rules; providing for codification; providing an
10 effective date; and declaring an emergency.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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15 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3241.21 of Title 63, unless
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16 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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17 A. There is hereby created the Maternity Care Pilot Program,
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18 which shall be administered by the State Department of Health.
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19 Through the pilot program, the Department shall select one hospital
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20 to receive a one-time grant of Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00)
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21 to support the addition of labor and delivery services at the
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22 hospital.
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23 B. The hospital selected by the Department shall:
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24 1. Be licensed by the Department;
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Req. No. 518 Page 1
1 2. Be designated as a critical access hospital by the Centers
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2 for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS);
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3 3. Be organized as a charitable hospital that is exempt from
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4 taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of
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5 1986, as amended;
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6 4. Be owned by a municipality, county, or municipal or county
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7 public trust;
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8 5. Have been profitable for the two (2) consecutive years
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9 immediately prior to application for the pilot program;
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10 6. Not currently offer labor and delivery services;
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11 7. Have space available to house a labor and delivery unit; and
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12 8. Have at least one Certified Nurse-Midwife (CNM) on staff.
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13 C. The Department shall develop an application process and
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14 scoring criteria for evaluating applicants based on the
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15 qualifications specified in subsection B of this section. The
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16 Department shall review applicants and shall select the highest-
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17 scoring hospital for the pilot program grant award.
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18 D. The hospital awarded the pilot program grant under this
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19 section may only use grant funds for:
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20 1. Staffing costs for an obstetrics team including salary and
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21 benefits;
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22 2. Acquisition of essential equipment and supplies including,
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23 but not limited to, medical instruments; and
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Req. No. 518 Page 2
1 3. Educational classes related to maternal and infant health
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2 including, but not limited to, childbirth education, breastfeeding
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3 education, newborn care, and postpartum care.
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4 Grant funds shall not be used for construction or renovation
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5 costs.
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6 E. The State Commissioner of Health may promulgate rules as
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7 necessary to implement this section.
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8 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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9 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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10 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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11 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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12 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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14 60-1-518 DC 12/30/2024 4:50:31 PM
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Req. No. 518 Page 3Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.