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1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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3 SENATE BILL 725 By: Boren
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to workforce development; amending 74
7 O.S. 2021, Section 5003.10d, as amended by Section 1,
8 Chapter 100, O.S.L. 2024 (74 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section
8 5003.10d), which relates to the Governor's Council
9 for Workforce and Economic Development; requiring the
9 Council to prepare certain report for distribution;
10 updating statutory references; updating statutory
10 language; and providing an effective date.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 74 O.S. 2021, Section 5003.10d, as
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15 amended by Section 1, Chapter 100, O.S.L. 2024 (74 O.S. Supp. 2024,
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16 Section 5003.10d), is amended to read as follows:
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17 Section 5003.10d. A. The Governor's Council for Workforce and
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18 Economic Development established under the authority of Executive
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19 Order 2005-27 is hereby recognized by the Legislature as the State's
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20 Workforce Investment Board. The Council succeeded and was
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21 established in lieu of the Oklahoma Workforce Investment Board.
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22 Appointed members of the Council serving under the authority of
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23 Executive Order 2005-27 when this act becomes effective on June 6,
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1 2006, shall continue to serve until their terms have expired and
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2 their successors have been duly appointed.
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3 Pursuant to the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
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4 Act, the purpose of the Council shall be to:
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5 1. Guide the development of a comprehensive and coordinated
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6 workforce development system for the state and monitor its
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7 operation; and
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8 2. Review and make recommendations that will align the
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9 workforce system, including education, with the economic development
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10 goals of the state for the purpose of creating workforce and
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11 economic development systems that are integrated and shall provide
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12 Oklahoma a competitive advantage in a global economy.
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13 B. Membership of the Council shall include representatives of
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14 private employers who reflect Oklahoma's projected and desired
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15 business and industry base and public officials from agencies which
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16 provide programs and services related to workforce, education and
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17 economic development. All Council members shall be in positions to
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18 influence policy and hiring decisions within their organizations.
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19 Initial appointments to the Council shall conform to the following
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20 described schedule:
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21 1. The membership of the Council shall comply with the federal
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22 requirements of the state investment board;
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23 2. A majority of the Council shall come from described private
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24 sector employers, including owners of businesses, chief executives
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1 or operating officers of businesses or other business executives or
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2 employees with optimum policymaking or hiring authority, and who
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3 represent businesses, including small businesses, that provide
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4 employment opportunities that, at a minimum, include high-quality,
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5 work-relevant training and development in in-demand industry sectors
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6 or occupations in this state;
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7 3. State officials shall include incumbents or designees of the
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8 following named offices, or their successors in office or function:
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9 a. Governor,
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10 b. two members of the Oklahoma Senate, appointed by the
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11 President Pro Tempore,
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12 c. two members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives,
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13 appointed by the Speaker, and
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14 d. Executive Director of the Oklahoma Employment Security
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15 Commission, and
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16 e. Commissioner of Labor;
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17 4. Additional members, at the discretion and pleasure of the
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18 Governor, may be appointed representing the needs or interests of
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19 the state economy or specific regional needs; and
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20 5. Ex-officio members, at the discretion and pleasure of the
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21 Governor, may be included to provide expertise and agency
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22 information to the Council. These appointments may include, but not
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23 be limited to:
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24 a. the Secretary of Education,
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1 b. the Secretary of Health and Human Services,
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2 c. the Secretary of Commerce,
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3 d. the Chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents for
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4 Higher Education,
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5 e. the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Career and
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6 Technology Education,
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7 f. the State Superintendent of Public Instruction,
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8 g. the Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation
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9 Services,
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10 h. the Director of the Oklahoma Department of
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11 Corrections,
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12 i. the Commissioner of the Oklahoma Department of Mental
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13 Health and Substance Abuse Services,
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14 j. the Director of the Oklahoma Health Care Authority,
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15 and
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16 k. the Oklahoma Native American Liaison.
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17 C. Private sector members shall be appointed by and serve at
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18 the pleasure of the Governor for a two-year term beginning October
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19 1, 2005, and may be reappointed. However, of the initial private
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20 sector members appointed, half shall be appointed for an initial
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21 term of one (1) year beginning October 1, 2005. Private members may
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22 be removed from office for failure to attend three consecutive
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23 Council meetings. The chair of the Council shall be from the
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1 private sector and shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure
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2 of the Governor.
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3 D. The Council shall meet at such times and places as it deems
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4 appropriate. Members shall serve without compensation. Council
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5 members employed by a state agency shall be reimbursed travel
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6 expenses related to their service on the Council as authorized by
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7 state law by their respective state agency. Legislative members of
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8 the Council shall be reimbursed by their respective houses for
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9 necessary travel expenses incurred in the performance of their
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10 duties as authorized by state law. Remaining Council members shall
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11 also be reimbursed travel expenses related to their service on the
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12 Council by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission as authorized
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13 by state law. No member of the Council shall profit, directly or
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14 indirectly, from any transaction with the Council.
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15 E. The duties and responsibilities of the Council in the
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16 development, monitoring and aligning of the workforce system with
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17 economic development shall include, but not be limited to:
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18 1. Performing the duties required of the state governance board
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19 by the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act;
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20 2. Identifying the human resource investment needs of Oklahoma
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21 business and industry, together with those of the citizens of the
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22 state, so that each might respond to and meet the needs of the
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23 others and thus together build a robust, diversified economy;
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1 3. Reviewing and evaluating workforce development programs
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2 within the state, formulate recommendations to increase their
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3 efficiency and effectiveness, eliminate duplication, and align with
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4 economic goals. Recommendations shall be communicated to the
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5 Governor, Legislature, state and federal government agencies and
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6 appropriate individuals and entities within the private sector;
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7 4. Increasing academic capability and technical skills within
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8 the state workforce and foster lifelong learning among Oklahoma's
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9 citizens;
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10 5. Strengthening collaboration among institutions which provide
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11 education and training services, government agencies which
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12 coordinate employment and other human resource investment
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13 activities, and Oklahoma business and industry to create a seamless
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14 system to nurture healthy economic development; and
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15 6. Enhancing rural economic development capability and
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16 capacity, giving particular attention to regional collaboration and
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17 partnering; and
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18 7. Obtaining detailed reports from state agencies and
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19 stakeholders that have utilized tax incentives for advancement of
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20 workforce development. These reports shall be analyzed and compiled
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21 for a comprehensive report to be electronically distributed to the
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22 Governor and the Legislature and shall include the following:
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23 a. the number of Oklahomans hired by Oklahoma businesses
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24 and industries utilizing workforce development
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1 incentive programs and tax incentives provided by the
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2 state, and
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3 b. the full-time, part-time, and temporary status of the
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4 jobs provided by the entities benefiting from the
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5 incentives.
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6 F. Activities of the Council shall be coordinated by the
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7 Secretary of Workforce Development.
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8 G. The State Workforce Partners originally established under
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9 the authority of Executive Order 2005-27 as the Workforce Solutions
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10 Staff Team is hereby recognized by the Legislature. This
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11 interagency team shall be comprised of executive level staff from
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12 workforce, education and economic development agencies of the state
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13 for the purpose of providing staff support to the Council and to
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14 create efficiencies, eliminate duplication, and eliminate barriers
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15 to jointly providing a service delivery system. Other members may
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16 be included on this team as the Governor may deem necessary to
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17 accomplish this goal.
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18 H. The Council shall be supported by funds available to state
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19 agencies pursuant to state and federal laws and regulations. Each
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20 member of the Council whose agency qualifies pursuant to state and
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21 federal law to receive and use such funds shall assist by providing
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22 support and funding of the Council in carrying out the
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23 responsibilities of the Council.
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1 I. The Council shall form a subcommittee on health workforce
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2 whose purpose shall be to inform, coordinate, and facilitate
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3 statewide efforts to ensure that a well-trained, adequately
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4 distributed, and flexible health workforce is available to meet the
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5 needs of an efficient and effective health care system in Oklahoma.
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6 Duties of the Health Workforce Subcommittee shall include, but not
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7 be limited to, the following:
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8 1. Conducting data analysis and preparing reports on health
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9 workforce supply and demand;
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10 2. Research and analysis of state health professional education
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11 and training capacity;
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12 3. Recommend recruitment and retention strategies for areas
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13 determined by the Oklahoma Primary Care Office or the Oklahoma
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14 Office of Rural Health to be areas of high need; and
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15 4. Assessment of health workforce policy, evaluation of impact
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16 on Oklahoma's health system and health outcomes, and developing
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17 health workforce policy recommendations.
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18 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
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20 60-1-1085 MR 1/19/2025 5:42:04 AM
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Req. No. 1085 Page 8Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.