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OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Cody Maynard, R-Durant, on Monday passed the Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. House Bill 1203 would allow Oklahoma’s state savings accounts and pension funds to invest in digital assets like Bitcoin. "This is a groundbreaking initiative to position Oklahoma as a national leader in embracing sound money principles and cutting-edge fiscal policy," Maynard said. "It's aligned with President Trump’s vision for digital assets and financial stability." HB1203 would authorize the state treasurer to invest up to 5% of the funds in the state General Revenue Stabilization Fund and Constitutional Reserve Fund in bitcoin or any other digital asset with a market cap of over $500 billion and stable coins. Any state retirement pension also may invest in the same manner if the legislation is enacted. Maynard said the investments would be managed prudently to meet the needs of fund managers. They would generate reliable returns for citizens and safeguard purchasing power against inflationary pressures. He said Bitcoin has proven to be stable over the last 10 years, producing an average annual return of about 49%. “Bitcoin represents freedom from bureaucrats printing away our purchasing power,” Maynard said. “As a decentralized form of money, Bitcoin cannot be manipulated or created by government entities. It is the ultimate store of value for those who believe in financial freedom and sound money principles.” The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act would ensure Oklahoma is prepared for a future where digital assets play a pivotal role in the global economy, Maynard said. By allowing state funds to responsibly invest in Bitcoin, the legislation would provide a hedge against inflation and reinforce Oklahoma’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and forward-thinking governance. “This bill is about protecting the hard-earned money of Oklahoma’s citizens,” Maynard continued. “By diversifying our state’s savings and pension funds into digital assets, we are not only securing a stronger financial future for our state but also demonstrating Oklahoma’s leadership in adopting innovative fiscal policies.” The Strategic Bitcoin Reserve Act underscores Maynard’s belief in leveraging technology to empower individuals and governments alike. With Bitcoin’s finite supply and decentralized nature, he said it represents a unique opportunity to strengthen Oklahoma’s financial foundation and ensure sustainable growth for generations to come. Maynard pointed out that without the passage of this legislation, fund managers could currently invest in Bitcoin or in riskier digital currencies without any cap, so this legislation puts prudent guardrails around the state's investment of taxpayer dollars. HB1203 now moves to the Senate where it is authored by Sen. Avery Frix, R-Muskogee.  

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives has passed a measure prohibiting the manufacture and sale of cultivated meat products in the state. House Bill 2829 , authored by Rep. Ty Burns, R-Pawnee, would make it unlawful to manufacture, sell, hold or offer for sale any cultivated meat product in Oklahoma. Violators would be guilty of a misdemeanor upon conviction and food sellers could face suspension or revocation of their licenses. The measure allows the Oklahoma State Department of Health to adopt rules for enforcement and provides an exemption for research conducted by governmental entities or institutions of higher education.  "Oklahoma has a proud agricultural heritage and this bill is about protecting our ranchers, farmers and consumers from an unregulated and potentially misleading industry," Burns said. "Real meat comes from real animals and we want to ensure that Oklahoma's food supply remains transparent and safe for our citizens."  Cultivated meat, also known as lab-grown meat, is produced from cultured animal cells rather than traditional livestock. Supporters of HB2829 argue that banning its sale in Oklahoma will protect the integrity of the state's meat industry and prevent consumer confusion.  HB2829 passed the House 72-18 and now moves to the Senate for consideration.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Chad Caldwell, R-Enid, on Monday passed legislation in the House that would restrict social media accounts for youth under 16 and require parental consent for minors 16 and 17 years of age. If House Bill 1275 were enacted, social media companies would have to verify age and could not allow youths under 16 to be an account holder on their platform. Companies and platforms that violate the regulation would be subject to a $2,500 fine per violation plus court costs, attorney fees, and damages. The bill would also authorize the state attorney general to take legal action. Additionally, commercial entities are prohibited from collecting or sharing a minor's personal or location information. "We are trying to put some guardrails on social media access for our kids," Caldwell said. "The research is abundantly clear about the incredible harm these types of products have on our young people, including a 150 percent increase in hospitalizations for self-harm and suicide attempts, as well as mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression. "The state has a compelling interest to protect the youth of Oklahoma. This is much like we've done when it comes to restricting other addictive substances, such as tobacco or alcohol, or guarding access to things like pornography, gaming, and tattoos. We want to combat the ills already done and to delay access to this content until a youth reaches an age where they can make a more informed and educated decision, understanding the risks of social media use." Caldwell stressed that nothing in the legislation would limit or censor content on social media platforms. HB1275 now moves to the Senate where it is authored by Ally Seifried, R-Claremore. 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Cody Maynard, R-Durant, on Monday passed a bill in the House that would allow the establishment of transactional gold and silver depository in Oklahoma. House Bill 1197 would allow the state treasurer to either establish a depository in the state or contract with a third-party vendor to give citizens the option of buying and depositing gold or silver and to use a transaction card to spend their assets. "This would give our citizens an additional option for saving and transacting in a way that protects against inflation and economic uncertainty," Maynard said. "This measure would establish Oklahoma as the first state to allow a person to use their gold or silver as a spendable asset." Maynard explained that about $800 billion in gold exists in the United States that currently is not usable by the average citizen. This legislation unlocks the resource, giving citizens purchasing power and could allow local banks to tie into the transactional aspect of the process. He said software already exists to allow the types of calculating necessary to determine the current price of gold or silver and convert it to U.S. dollars. He said gold and silver have been recognized as a type of money for more than 5,000 years. The U.S. Constitution leaves the matter of gold and silver being used as legal tender to the states, and this allows the state to exercise this right on behalf of the citizens who wish to use it in this way. HB1197 now moves to the Senate where it is authored by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant. 

The Oklahoma House of Representatives has passed legislation aiming to increase transparency and oversight of federal funds received by state agencies. House Bill 1221 , also known as the State Accounts for Federal Expenditures (SAFE) Act, would create accounts to be used by agencies for federal funds received under competitive grant awards, direct monetary payments to the agency not associated with an established federal program the agency operates, and block grants. The bill would mandate that any state agency receiving federal funds through these mechanisms must place those funds into separate SAFE accounts, which would be subject to rigorous reporting to the legislative and executive branches. Rep. Kevin West, R-Moore, authored the SAFE Act, which would subject expenditures from these federal accounts to legislative approval through a concurrent resolution. If the Legislature disapproves any proposed expenditure, the agency would be required to notify the federal government and withdraw its application for the corresponding funding. "The SAFE Act ensures federal funds are spent in alignment with Oklahoma's priorities through a transparent process," West said. "This gives elected lawmakers a stronger voice on how our state agencies are spending federal funds and ensures Oklahoma taxpayers can trust how their state government is spending these dollars. I appreciate the strong support for this bill in the House and hope to see it move quickly in the Senate." HB1221 outlines specific exemptions, including temporary funding increases in existing federal programs already managed by state agencies, federal unemployment dollars managed by the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC), and certain competitive grants received by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) for the 8-year Construction Work Plan or grants from the Federal Railroad Administration. Additionally, agencies would be required to present their grant-seeking activities and federal funding reports during legislative hearings or budget performance reviews.  "We know the Trump administration has promised and is already delivering on sending more federal dollars down to the states where we can best determine how to use those funds to best benefit Oklahomans. This legislation ensures federal funds being redirected to the state have full legislative review and control to ensure state agencies are aligning expenditures with legislative intent," said House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. "We are excited about the opportunities flexibility with these federal funds will bring to our state and this legislation will maintain accountability at the state level for those funds." Having passed the House 78-18, the SAFE Act now moves to the Senate for consideration, where it is authored by Sen. Avery Frix, R-Muskogee.

OKLAHOMA CITY – A measure designed to strengthen protections for children in qualified residential treatment programs has successfully passed the House with unanimous support. House Bill 2207 , authored by Rep. Mike Lay, R-Jenks, allows qualified residential treatment programs to petition for protective orders on behalf of children in their care against third parties who pose a physical or emotional threat. The legislation ensures courts expedite the review of these petitions to provide timely intervention for vulnerable children. “This bill is about giving children in residential care the protection they deserve,” said Rep. Mike Lay. “By allowing these facilities to take swift legal action against those who pose a threat, we are reinforcing our commitment to their safety and well-being.” The bill amends 10A O.S. 2021, Section 1-1-105, by defining “third party” as it relates to children and outlining the legal process for residential programs to seek protective orders. Facilities must provide evidence of harassment, abuse, neglect, exploitation or other harmful behaviors when filing a petition. HB2207, with a 92-0 vote, now moves to the Senate for consideration.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, today commented on two bills he filed this year that would abolish the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (ODMHSAS), placing it under the Department of Corrections (DOC), and that would rename the latter to the Department of Corruption. "Recently, I was harshly criticized for filing these bills," Humphrey said. "Please allow me to explain why I would use extreme measures to expose the unscrupulous actions of certain state agencies." Humphrey, the vice chair of the House Public Safety Committee and a member of the Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee, said he filed House Bill 1343 because he believes the ODMHSAS has failed to provide adequate mental health facilities across the state. "This has resulted in thousands of inmates in our jails and prisons who have mental health issues," he said. "Oklahoma jails are not equipped with mental health facilities or staff adequately trained to deal with those with such disabilities. Thus, our jails have been inundated with lawsuits. Because of these, our jails risk losing their insurance coverage. This means taxpayers could be on the hook for incredible increases in their taxes." The only relief for county jails, Humphrey said, is to move inmates to prisons. This has resulted in thousands of such inmates being received by DOC, which he said is equally ill-equipped to properly house or treat this number of mentally ill offenders. An inmate was killed at the Lawton Correctional and Rehabilitation Facility earlier this month. Humphrey says he has received tips the inmate was beheaded. He said the immediate reaction would be to blame the facility, but he suggested taking a closer look. "It is my understanding the Department of Corrections dumped countless mental health inmates in this center," Humphrey said. "Many inmates with untreated mental health disorders may turn violent, and the Lawton Correctional Facility is not equipped to manage this properly. I believe the Department of Corrections intentionally placed a shocking number of mental health inmates at this facility knowing it could create a catastrophe. "You don’t need a degree in corrections to know this would result in deadly consequences. This begs the question, why would the Department of Corrections assign a huge number of high-risk inmates to a facility they have openly criticized? Why would the Department of Corrections intentionally sabotage this private facility?"  Oklahoma contracts with the GEO Group, a private prison company, which runs the Lawton Facility and the Great Plains Correctional Facility in Hinton. Humphrey said it's his understanding the contracts provide housing for between 4,000 to 4,500 inmates between the two facilities. "In the past, the Oklahoma Department of Corrections was this private prison company's only option for leasing their facility," he said. "However, presently the federal government is looking for prison space to house illegal migrants. What does all this mean? It means the governor and DOC have placed Oklahoma in the most dreadful, wretched negotiation position ever." Humphrey said DOC has mentioned the possible purchase of the Lawton prison for approximately $314 million. The facility is 27 years old and has some structural issues. "To my knowledge the Department of Corrections has offered no bids for the cost of building a new facility and has failed to offer any alternatives to place thousands of high-risk inmates," he said. Instead, Humphrey believes that placing a large number of high-risk patients with mental health disorders at this facility, and then allowing the private prison contract to expire, is a strategy to force the purchase of the 27-year-old prison. This was part of the reason he filed House Bill 1310 . "But don’t overlook or ignore the contract with the second private facility located in Hinton," he said. "How many millions will this extremely insufficient facility cost?" Humphrey said the DOC has only a few months to offer solutions to this "colossal debacle" and "sadly it appears purchasing the prison is the only option." He wonders if that was the plan all along. 

A measure modifying the dates for certain elections has successfully passed the House floor and is now one step closer to becoming law. Rep. Mike Osburn, R-Edmond, introduced  House Bill 2106  to increase voter participation in all elections while ensuring Oklahomans have plenty of opportunities to cast their votes. Under the current system, there are 12 possible election dates in odd-numbered years and seven in even-numbered years. House Bill 2106 streamlines this process by establishing five election days annually, scheduled in February, April, June, August and November. "House Bill 2106 is a common sense bill that streamlines our election calendar, reducing voter fatigue and making it easier for Oklahomans to participate in the voting process," Osburn said. "Consolidating elections not only helps keep voters engaged but also ensures a more efficient use of taxpayer dollars and maintains Oklahoma's election security." The bill ensures that major election dates, such as those in November, remain unchanged while reducing the number of special election dates. It preserves exceptions for special elections called by the governor and establishes clear guidelines for when additional elections can be scheduled. While the new structure would affect the timing of some special elections, propositions and candidate races, all other elections, including the absentee and early voting processes, would remain unaffected. HB2106 passed the House floor 92-0 and now moves to the Senate.

A bill designed to better support individuals living with epilepsy has successfully passed the Oklahoma House of Representatives. House Bill 2013 , known as Dylan's Law, is named in honor of Dylan Whitten, who tragically passed away in 2017 at the age of 25 due to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). SUDEP is a fatal complication of epilepsy, referring to the sudden death of a person with epilepsy where no other cause is found. Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, authored Dylan's Law, which he is working on with Dylan's sister, Hannah Whitten. The bill would require the State Commissioner of Health to provide epilepsy education for medical professionals to help them identify patients at risk for SUDEP. The Chief Medical Examiner’s office would also train staff to recognize SUDEP. "Dylan's Law is a crucial step in providing people with epilepsy the support they need," said Pae. "By ensuring medical professionals are properly educated about the risks associated with epilepsy, including the dangers of SUDEP, we can significantly improve the way individuals with epilepsy are treated and help prevent future tragedies." If HB2013 is signed into law, the Division of Health Care Information would be required to create a program to raise awareness of SUDEP risks among people with epilepsy. Additionally, autopsies of individuals with epilepsy would include an investigation into whether SUDEP caused their death, with the findings reported on the death certificate and to the North American SUDEP Registry. Starting June 1, 2026, people with epilepsy could voluntarily add a symbol to their state-issued driver’s license or ID card to help law enforcement and emergency responders identify them. The symbol could also be added to the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Telecommunications System, and individuals could remove it at any time. HB2013 passed the House 59-30 and now moves to the Senate for further consideration.