OPA LEGISLATIVE STRATEGIES
Why do Oklahomans not have access to the care they seek and deserve? Why do psychologists continue to encounter barriers when treating/seeing patients/Oklahomans? Oklahoma ranks 3rd in the nation for mental illness and 2nd in the nation for substance abuse disorders. Help us help OKLAHOMANS with behavioral health needs. Our people need us now more than ever!
Oklahoma Psychological Association 405-664-0270 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Wednesday, July 31, 2024 Governor Signs HB 1345 Psychology Reciprocity Bill into Law [Oklahoma City, OK] - Wednesday, July 31, 2024] - In a significant step towards enhancing the practice of psychology across state lines while providing access to qualified mental health professionals. Governor Kevin Stitt (R) OK signed HB 1345, the Psychology Reciprocity Bill, into law earlier this year. This bill, which received overwhelming bipartisan support in the state legislature, aims to streamline the process for licensed psychologists to practice in Oklahoma by allowing for reciprocity with other states. The new law will enable licensed psychologists from out-of-state to provide psychological services in Oklahoma eliminating barriers and fast track for licensure in our state. This facilitates professional mobility through mutual recognition of the licensing standards necessary to achieve licensure in neighboring states. Governor Kevin Stitt praised the bill as a positive step towards improving access to mental health services in the state. "By signing HB 1345 into law, we are breaking down barriers for licensed psychologists from other states to practice in Oklahoma ultimately benefiting our residents who rely on these vital services," said Governor Stitt. “This bill goes a long way toward helping with our nation’s mental health crisis”. The Psychology Reciprocity Bill, sponsored by Representative Chris Banning (R) District 24 and Senator Joe Newhouse (R) District 25, has been in the works for over two years and has undergone rigorous review and input from stakeholders in the psychology and mental health community. With this new law in place, Oklahoma is taking a proactive stance in promoting the well-being of its residents and ensuring that licensed psychologists can be more accessible to the citizens of our state. As a joint effort with the Oklahoma State Board of Examiners of Licensure (OSBEP), Texas has already signed a formal agreement with Oklahoma to begin utilizing this opportunity, given that many on the border of Texas need the ability to see a provider closer than Oklahoma City or Tulsa. For more information about HB 1345 and its implications for the practice of psychology in Oklahoma, please contact Danna Fowble, Executive Director for the Oklahoma Psychological Association at 405-664-0270, okpsychassociation@gmail.com or Teanna Rose, Executive Director, OSBEP at 405-522-1333, Teanne.rose@psychology.ok.gov. **END**
Pictured left to right: Rep. & Dr. Randy Randleman; Rep. Chris Banning; Danna Fowble; Dr. Joe James; Governor Kevin Stitt; Teanne Rose; Dr. Curtis Grundy; Susan Paddack; Senator Joe Newhouse, Wife Megan Newhouse and Son George Newhouse; Executive Assistant David Conley. |
Contact: Danna Fowble, Executive Director
2024 Oklahoma Psychological Association Legislative Strategies 2024 OPA LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES 2023-2024 Legislative Strategies OPA’s legislative strategies for the 59th Legislative Session are described below with white papers providing further details.
Priority 1 – Cross the Finish line. OPA has two bills that have passed the House of Representatives. We now need to get them through the current Senate committee, pass by a full Senate vote, and signed into law by the Governor. 1) House Bill 2163 (Roe) – Bill that would encourage private health insurance companies to reimburse psychologists for services provided by postdoctoral psychology residents and predoctoral psychology interns under the direct supervision of a licensed psychologist (a common practice in nearly all other medical health fields). The Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner’s office is supportive of this effort.
2) House Bill 1345 (Banning/Waldron) – Requested by Oklahoma State Board of Examiners of Psychology (OSBEP) and carried by OPA. This bill focuses on licensure reciprocity with the State of Texas. Passing this bill will increase the work force in both Oklahoma and Texas, improve opportunities for psychologists living near the borders of Oklahoma and Texas, and open the door for additional reciprocity agreements with other neighboring states. OPA has made great progress in moving these 2 bills through the legislative process. However, we now face the challenge of getting them through the Senate committee and moving on to a vote on the Senate floor. We believe both bills will pass and be signed by the Governor once the full Senate gets a chance to vote on them. Priority 2 – Prescription Privileges for Psychologists. OPA now has a bill, HB 2997 (Randleman) which is a refined version of language from SB 403 (Pemberton) filed in 2023 which did not advance during the first 59th legislative session. As predicted, we are meeting several challenges with this pursuit, but it will not stop us from moving forward. Several of our sister states have been able to clear this hurdle and now have prescribing privileges for Licensed Psychologists.
Our current focus is on:
Priority 3 – Health Information Exchange (HIE) 1) Pursue the removal of any mandates from the current HIE law or repeal of the law, all together. 2) Educate all legislators, in both the Oklahoma House and Senate, on the real dangers of the HIE mandates to the public and the impact of mental health services in the state. 3) Assist OPA membership in understanding and working issues surrounding the HIE law and ongoing changes being made by the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA). 4) Continue to monitor and address HIE concerns at both the policy/rules and legislative level, gather information from membership on current interactions (exemptions), and make sure our membership understands our goal is the removal of all HIE mandates in the State of Oklahoma. (As stated in #1 of this section.) |
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