The Oversight Committee for Health and Human Services advanced a series of bills on issues including juvenile detention fees, donations of historic military weapons, Medicaid coverage for neonatal nutrition and genomic testing, and hospital sepsis protocols during a meeting that ran through multiple measures and votes.

Representative Tammy West introduced House Bill 14 80, which would extend a fee-waiver process for youth to mirror an existing adult statute and clarify that a child, parent or guardian cannot be held responsible for duplicate detention costs. "This bill will not affect restitution or fines," Representative Tammy West said, and she told members the change responds to counties that have been charging families for daily detention fees that the Office of Juvenile Affairs already pays. The committee voted 9 yays, 0 nays to report the bill as passed out of the committee.

The committee also passed House Bill 11 85, a request bill from the Disabled American Veterans LaFleur County chapter that would prohibit law-enforcement destruction of weapons judged to have historical military value and authorize donation of such weapons to local units of veterans organizations. Representative Rick West said the bill was prompted by honor guards having trouble sourcing parts for weapons used in funeral salutes. The committee approved the bill 10 yays, 0 nays.

Representative Lawson presented a set of bills that drew more extended discussion. House Bill 15 74 would give the Office of Juvenile Systems Oversight at the Commission on Children and Youth authority to inspect privately operated children’s institutions and to subpoena records for facilities caring for children in state custody. "No matter where children are in the state, if they're in the state's custody, we have an obligation to make sure that they're getting the care and the dignity and the respect that they deserve," Lawson said. Members asked whether institutions not receiving state or federal funds would be covered; Lawson said he assumed facilities caring for children in state custody are receiving state or federal funds and said he was open to expanding the bill if an exception exists. The committee approved the measure, 11 yays, 0 nays.

Lawson also sponsored two Medicaid coverage bills that the committee advanced. House Bill 15 76 would direct Medicaid to pay for rapid whole-genome sequencing for children in intensive or high-acuity care; the bill allows use of sequencing results for research only with patient or parental opt-in and allows opt-out and removal of stored data. The bill passed 10 yays, 0 nays.

House Bill 15 77 would direct Medicaid to pay for necessary donated human milk–derived products (fortifiers) for low-birth-weight infants. Lawson described the products as fortifiers that can be added to a mother’s own milk and said they are intended for premature infants who sometimes cannot produce sufficient milk immediately after birth. He presented an initial fiscal estimate of roughly 56 children at an average cost of $135 per day for 60 days, a total of $453,600. Committee members raised concerns about possible effects on local milk banks; Lawson said he had consulted the Oklahoma Milk Bank and was willing to amend the bill if it would harm those operations. The committee advanced the bill, 10 yays, 0 nays.

Other measures approved included a PCS to House Bill 14 16 to ensure parity in coverage for certain non-opioid pain medications under Medicaid and the state insurance program (9 yays, 0 nays), House Bill 13 77 to allow businesses to offer veterans discounts on alcoholic beverages (9 yays, 2 nays), a PCS to House Bill 13 81 (date change from Dec. 31 to Feb. 28) (11 yays, 0 nays), House Bill 16 86 requiring hospitals to develop sepsis protocols (11 yays, 0 nays), House Bill 2,223 to move the Massage Therapy Act from the Board of Cosmetology to the Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision (10 yays, 1 nay), and House Bill 18 10 banning a prior-authorization requirement for the Medicaid population enacted last year (11 yays, 0 nays).

Several measures prompted line-item questions about scope and implementation: members asked how the juvenile oversight inspection authority would apply to private institutions not receiving state funds, whether staffing and budget capacity exist to carry out new inspections, whether milk-bank operations could be affected by Medicaid coverage of donated milk derivatives, and whether hospital sepsis protocols would use standardized definitions across facilities. Presenters generally said they expected funding questions to be addressed through the regular budget process and that technical details could be amended in follow-up deliberations.

Votes at a glance

- HB 14 80 — Extend youth fee-waiver process; prohibit duplicate detention charges; does not affect restitution/fines. Committee vote: 9 yays, 0 nays. Reported as passed out of committee.

- HB 11 85 — Prohibit destruction of weapons of historical military value; authorize donation to veterans organizations. Committee vote: 10 yays, 0 nays. Reported as passed.

- HB 15 74 — Give Office of Juvenile Systems Oversight authority to inspect privately operated children’s institutions that care for children in state custody (includes subpoena authority). Committee vote: 11 yays, 0 nays. Reported as passed.

- HB 15 76 — Require Medicaid payment for rapid whole-genome sequencing for certain critically ill children; research use only with opt-in; opt-out allowed. Committee vote: 10 yays, 0 nays. Reported as passed.

- HB 15 77 — Direct Medicaid to pay for donated human milk–derived fortifiers for low-birth-weight infants; initial fiscal estimate ~$453,600 (56 children × $135/day × 60 days). Committee vote: 10 yays, 0 nays. Reported as passed.

- HB 14 16 (PCS) — Parity for certain non-opioid medications under Medicaid/state insurance; removed mandate language. Committee vote: 9 yays, 0 nays. Reported as passed.

- HB 13 77 — Allow businesses to offer veterans’ discounts on alcoholic beverages if they choose. Committee vote: 9 yays, 2 nays. Reported as passed.

- HB 13 81 (PCS) — Administrative date change (Dec. 31 → Feb. 28). Committee vote: 11 yays, 0 nays. Reported as passed.

- HB 16 86 — Require hospitals to develop sepsis protocols for acutely ill patients meeting clinical criteria. Committee vote: 11 yays, 0 nays. Reported as passed.

- HB 2,223 — Move Massage Therapy Act oversight from Board of Cosmetology to Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision. Committee vote: 10 yays, 1 nay. Reported as passed.

- HB 18 10 — Repeal/ban of prior-authorization requirement for Medicaid population enacted last year. Committee vote: 11 yays, 0 nays. Reported as passed.

What’s next

Committee members said follow-up budget and technical conversations are expected, including potential amendments to clarify coverage language, protect the operations of local milk banks, and outline staffing for juvenile oversight inspections. The committee recessed and scheduled further business for the afternoon session.

Ending

The meeting ended after the committee reported the listed bills as passed out of the Oversight Committee for Health and Human Services; members indicated additional hearings and budget work on implementation details would follow.