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SB 1161

Oklahoma Health Care Authority; general appropriations; modifying certain date; providing for duties and compensation of administrators and employees. Effective date. Emergency.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Trey Caldwell

Gives OHCA flexible authority to manage funds, transfer between disbursement funds, and speed cash flow through early tax transfers and unanticipated federal funds exemptions.

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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 1161

Summary of SB 1161 (Oklahoma, 2026)

Overview

  • Bill: SB 1161
  • Session: 2026
  • Jurisdiction: Oklahoma
  • Primary focus: Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) operations, budget management, and personnel-related provisions within general appropriations for the Health Care Enhancement Fund (and related funds). Includes authorization for transfers, handling unanticipated federal funds, and cash-flow mechanisms. Declares emergency and effective date of July 1, 2026.

Main Purpose and Intent

  • To modify and clarify appropriation and budget authorities for the Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) and to provide operational flexibility in managing funds and cash flow.
  • To permit certain transfers between disbursement funds to support program expenditures and to streamline receipt/expenditure management of federal funds.
  • To authorize payment of professional expenses for OHCA administrators and employees and to establish authority for setting duties and compensation not otherwise prescribed by law.
  • To authorize early tax-collection transfers to General Revenue for OHCA cash-flow needs.
  • To declare an emergency via the act’s effective date.

Key Provisions and Changes

  1. ** appropriation for OHCA (Section 1)**

    • Allocates $99,494,450 (approximate) from the Health Care Enhancement Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027 (with reference to the prior year as June 30, 2025 in the text, likely reflecting a legislative drafting convention).
    • This funding is “to perform the duties imposed upon the Authority by law.”

  2. Duties and compensation of OHCA staff (Section 2)

    • Authority to set the duties and compensation of OHCA employees (not otherwise prescribed by law) by the Administrator of OHCA.
    • OHCA is authorized to pay:
      • Professional expenses for the Administrator (dues, licenses, memberships, continuing education within the state).
      • Professional expenses for any full-time employee (dues, licenses, memberships, continuing medical education, and medical malpractice insurance) when these professionals are actively performing their duties.

  3. Transfers and cash management (Section 3)

    • Allows OHCA to transfer appropriations, apportionments, fees, fines, and other revenues among Funds 200, 245, 340, and 425 to meet program expenditure needs.
    • Transfers require the Administrator’s direction and the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services’ (OMES) approval.
    • Cumulative transfers cannot exceed the cumulative equal monthly allotments of General Revenue Fund and Health Care Enhancement Fund appropriations.
    • Provisions to allow inter-year transfers: funds for FY ending 2027 may be transferred to meet encumbrances for FY ending 2026, and vice versa, with equivalent transfers in the opposite direction to satisfy encumbrances.
    • All transfer requests must be in writing to the OMES Director.
    • OHCA must maintain records of inter-year transfers.

  4. Unanticipated federal funds (Section 4)

    • OHCA Administrator may request exemption of receipt and expenditure of unanticipated federal funds awarded after July 1, 2026 from expenditure and budgetary limitations.

  5. Early transfer of tax collections (Section 5)

    • OHCA Administrator may request, via OMES Director, early transfer by the Oklahoma Tax Commission of tax collections to the General Revenue Fund to speed up allocation to OHCA disbursing funds and alleviate cash-flow problems.

  6. Effective date and emergency (Sections 6–7)

    • Effective date: July 1, 2026.
    • Emergency declaration: Act is effective immediately for public peace, health, or safety.

Who Is Affected

  • Ohio Health Care Authority (OHCA): Primary implementer of the provisions; gains enhanced authority over staff duties/compensation, transfer of funds between specified disbursement funds, management of unanticipated federal funds, and access to early tax-transfer mechanisms.
  • State Budget/Accounting Agencies: Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) and the Oklahoma Tax Commission (OTC) are involved in transfer approvals and early tax transfers.
  • Health Care Enhancement Fund participants: Indirectly affected via appropriation changes and cash management provisions.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

  • Effective date: July 1, 2026.
  • Emergency status: Declared, making the act effective upon passage and approval.
  • Transfers: Inter-fund and inter-year transfers require written requests to OMES; cumulative transfer limits tied to monthly General Revenue Fund and Health Care Enhancement Fund allotments.
  • Unanticipated federal funds: Requests for exemption from standard budgetary constraints can be made by the OHCA Administrator.
  • Early tax transfers: OHCA can initiate early transfers of tax collections to address cash flow needs, subject to OMES administration.

Notable Details

  • Specific dollar amount referenced: $99,494,450 (subject to necessary funding needs for OHCA duties).
  • The bill consolidates and codifies flexible budget/cash-management tools to better align OHCA spending with program needs and federal funding timing.

If you’d like, I can provide a side-by-side comparison with existing law or extract a plain-language summary of each section.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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