1|ENGROSSED SENATE |
|BILL NO. 424 By: Gillespie and Nice of the |
2| Senate |
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3| and |
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4| Hefner of the House |
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6| |
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7| An Act relating to community health workers; creating |
| the Oklahoma Community Health Worker Act; providing |
8| short title; defining terms; directing establishment |
| of certificate; making certification voluntary; |
9| listing functions of community health worker; |
| requiring and prohibiting certain acts by community |
10| health worker; providing eligibility criteria; |
| directing promulgation of certain rules; providing |
11| for codification; and providing an effective date. |
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14|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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15| SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified |
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16|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2063a of Title 63, unless there |
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17|is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: |
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18| This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma |
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19|Community Health Worker Act". |
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20| SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified |
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21|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2063b of Title 63, unless there |
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22|is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: |
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23| As used in the Oklahoma Community Health Worker Act: |
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1| 1. "Certified community health worker" means a community health |
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2|worker to whom the State Department of Health has issued a |
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3|certificate to practice as a certified community health worker in |
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4|this state; |
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5| 2. "Community health worker" means a frontline health worker |
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6|who has a shared understanding of and is a trusted member of the |
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7|community being served; and |
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8| 3. "Department" means the State Department of Health. |
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9| SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified |
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10|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2063c of Title 63, unless there |
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11|is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: |
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12| A. The State Department of Health shall establish a certificate |
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13|for community health workers. This certification shall be |
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14|voluntary. |
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15| B. A certified community health worker may: |
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16| 1. Serve as a liaison between health and social services and |
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17|the community to facilitate access to services, to improve the |
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18|quality of service delivery, and to maximize the efficiency of |
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19|service delivery by coordinating available resources and leveraging |
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20|partnerships with private, nonprofit, or faith-based organizations; |
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21| 2. Assist individuals in attaining employment, education, |
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22|occupational training, or other means of supporting employment and |
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23|promoting self-sufficiency; |
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1| 3. Assist in identifying and communicating gaps in current |
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2|community and health care resources; and |
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3| 4. Build individual and community capacity by increasing health |
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4|knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as |
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5|outreach, community education, coaching, mentoring, social support, |
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6|and advocacy, including efforts within faith-based settings. |
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7| C. In carrying out the functions described in paragraph 1 of |
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8|subsection B of this section, community health workers shall |
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9|emphasize available resources of private, nonprofit, or faith-based |
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10|organizations, and shall not rely solely on public assistance |
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11|programs for delivery of services. |
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12| SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified |
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13|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2063d of Title 63, unless there |
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14|is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: |
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15| To be eligible for voluntary community health worker |
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16|certification, an individual shall: |
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17| 1. Be a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident; |
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18| 2. Be a resident of this state; |
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19| 3. Be at least eighteen (18) years of age; and |
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20| 4. Meet the minimum qualifications for certification |
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21|promulgated by the State Commissioner of Health under Section 5 of |
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22|this act. |
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1| SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified |
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2|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2063e of Title 63, unless there |
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3|is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: |
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4| The State Commissioner of Health shall promulgate rules |
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5|necessary to implement this act including, but not limited to, rules |
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6|that: |
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7| 1. Adopt a set of standards for the approval of certified |
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8|community health worker initial coursework or curriculum; |
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9| 2. Establish examination administration requirements for the |
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10|State Department of Health or one or more designees; |
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11| 3. Define minimum qualifications for applicants to be |
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12|certified; provided, however, the applicant shall be exempt from any |
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13|educational, training, or examination requirements if the applicant |
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14|has provided evidence to the State Department of Health of work |
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15|experience as a community health worker demonstrating a minimum of |
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16|one thousand (1,000) practical hours and a recommendation from a |
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17|supervising provider; |
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18| 4. Establish the criteria for granting, renewing, denying, |
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19|suspending, and revoking a certificate to uphold health standards |
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20|and safety; |
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21| 5. Prescribe fees for the certified community health worker |
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22|examination, initial certification, and certification renewal; and |
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1| 6. Implement oversight procedures to ensure compliance with the |
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2|provisions of this act, including a complaint and disciplinary |
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3|process for violations. |
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4| SECTION 6. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025. |
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5| Passed the Senate the 26th day of March, 2025. |
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| Presiding Officer of the Senate |
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9| Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, |
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10|2025. |
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| Presiding Officer of the House |
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