As the Oklahoma Legislature enters its second month of work, there has been much progress made on the proposals the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA) supports.

We deeply thank all the lawmakers for their work on the many bills going through the committee process and those which have advanced for consideration by either the full House of Representatives or Senate. We encourage you to reach out to your lawmakers if you feel strongly about a topic. A few calls from “back home” truly can make a difference on whether a legislator votes for or against a bill.

Many ideas have already been shelved for the year because anticipated revenues are significantly less than lawmakers had last year. Combined with inflation, even some noble concepts simply will not make it through the process.

One such idea was in House Bill 2935 by Emily Gise, R-OKC. This would have created a sales tax exemption for the purchase of infant diapers. I have been told that the citizen behind this idea is looking for another bill to attach this as an amendment, so it is possible this concept might become a law, but the original bill will not move forward.

HB 1979 by Rep. Trish Ranson, D-Stillwater, would create an Early Childhood Task Force to assess improved efficiency for delivery of early childhood services by consolidating different divisions of youth-serving agencies into one new freestanding state department.

A similar bill, Senate Bill 1570 filed by Sen. Paul Rosino, R-OKC, would create a consolidated agency by September of this year which would house the Office of Juvenile Affairs, the Child Welfare Division of Oklahoma Human Services and other such divisions within agencies. Both bills have garnered much attention and remain alive.

Another bill, one which OICA has worked on for three sessions now, is moving forward in the form of Senate Bill 1708 by Sen. Darcy Jech, R-Kingfisher and Rep. Mark Tedford, R-Jenks. This legislation would create a rebuttable presumption in divorce cases that joint custody and equally shared parenting time is in the best interest of the child. Data clearly show that the loss of time with a parent impairs the well-being of children. Too often children are used as pawns during a divorce to punish a parent by continually forcing them into court for custody cases.

Senate Bill 1591 by Senator Rosino and Rep. Carl Newton, R-Cherokee, would limit THC amounts in certain medical marijuana products and prohibit packaging which could mistakenly look like candy. There has been a significantly elevated number of cases where children have been taken to emergency rooms due to ingesting these products, so there is hope this will help protect children from harm caused by not safely and properly storing such items by adults.

Senate Bill 1806 by Senate President Pro Tempore Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, would raise the age from 18 to 21 for extended services to Oklahomans transitioning from foster care into adulthood. Research shows that these youth, due to being in the system, have a much tougher time of coping with the adjustment of self-sustaining success once they reach adulthood. This bill would allow for three additional years to provide support for them to achieve successful independence.

Finally, we are pleased to report that House Bill 1484 by Rep. Ronny Johns, R-Ada, and Sen. Darrell Weaver, R-Moore, named “Rain’s Law,” has been signed by the governor. This law requires instruction in schools on fentanyl and how to prevent abuse. We at OICA have high hopes this new law will help reduce needless death and harm caused by this deadly illicit drug.

I will continue to update you in future columns about these and other bills. You can follow our policy report in our free weekly newsletter every Thursday by subscribing on our website at https://www. oica.org. Please join us for our Child Advocacy Day & Chili Cook-Off at the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 10.

The Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy was established in 1983 by a group of citizens seeking to create a strong advocacy network that would provide a voice for the needs of children and youth in Oklahoma, particularly those in the state’s care and those growing up amid poverty, violence, abuse and neglect, disparities or other situations that put their lives and future at risk. The OICA’s mission statement is: “Creating awareness, taking action and changing policy to improve the health, safety and well-being of Oklahoma’s children.”