New Laws

By Rep. Rick West

Now that the legislative session is over, it’s a good time to take a look at some of the legislation that will now become law.

Here are a few bills affecting teachers.

House Bill 2288 reduces a three-year waiting period to six months for teachers who retire before they can return to teaching in Oklahoma public schools, while also drawing on their earned retirement benefits. Until now, teachers were allowed to go into a job in the private sector or in a private school but had to wait 36 months before returning to a public school classroom. This will be good for students, as they will have experienced teachers in the classroom. It’s good for these retired educators, as they will be able to earn salary and retirement benefits. It also benefits our local schools, particularly those in rural areas, as they sometimes have a hard time finding a certified, veteran teacher to serve in the classroom. I had to take constitutional privilege and not vote on this bill because my wife is a retired teacher, but it’s one that was liked by the retired teachers in our House district (including my wife).

House Bill 4268 provides teachers who obtain National Board Certification with an annual $5,000 stipend for five years. National Board Certification is considered among the most respected professional certifications available in education. There is a decade of research that shows students perform better academically when taught by someone with this certification. Teachers who have been through the program like it because it was developed by teachers.

We also passed a few bills to help us better deal with the fentanyl crisis, particularly among our youth.

Senate Bill 633, also known as Leo’s Law, is designed to strengthen protections for children who are exposed to the dangers of fentanyl. It gives child welfare professionals and law enforcement needed tools to identify exposure quickly, intervene when necessary and protect children from environments where this deadly drug is present. The bill is named after  Leonardo “Leo” Towe, a three-year-old Oklahoma child who died from fentanyl poisoning. This legislation establishes the Child Welfare Fentanyl Testing Revolving Fund and appropriates over $1 million to support testing and child welfare response efforts.

House Bill 1484 creates Rain’s Law, requiring age-appropriate fentanyl abuse prevention and drug poisoning awareness education in schools for students in grades six through 12. The law is named to honor Cameron University student Rain Reece, who died at 19 after unknowingly taking a pill laced with fentanyl.

Additional bills deal with medical marijuana regulations.

House Bill 3143 extends the moratorium on new medical marijuana business licenses until Aug. 1, 2028. This just applies to those seeking a new license not those that have an existing license who are in good standing with the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority. This will help us catch up with this industry that is still operating too much like the wild west, allowing the black market to still flourish in our state.

House Bill 4454 requires edible medical marijuana products to clearly indicate the number of servings of THC in each package and the amount of THC in each individual serving to better educate and protect consumers. More importantly, the bill prohibits edible medical marijuana products from being made in the shape of humans, cartoons or animals, or in a form of commercially available candy. This is hoped to keep children from accidentally ingesting these often potent products.

Remember to listen to my Capitol update on the radio at 7:35 a.m. every Thursday on KPRV.

As always, if I can help you with anything, please call my Capitol office at (405) 557-7413 or email me at rick.west@okhouse.gov.

 

Rick West serves District 3 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives. His district includes part of LeFlore County.