Bill
SB 1162
Allocates $5.15 million to fund sickle cell outreach, mental health/substance misuse financial monitoring, and data-driven grants to health centers to boost primary care in underse
SB 1162 (2026) – Oklahoma
Overview
- Purpose: An emergency-ensured appropriation bill to fund specific health-related activities through the State Department of Health (SDOH), with targeted disbursement rules and reporting requirements. The act also aligns funds from prior appropriations to support health access initiatives and fiscal monitoring.
- Effective date: July 1, 2026. Declared an emergency, making the act effective immediately upon passage and approval.
Key Provisions
1) General appropriation for SDOH
- Authorizes an appropriation of $150,000 (from General Revenue, to the extent not otherwise appropriated) for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027.
- Purpose: To carry out the provisions of Enrolled House Bill No. 3644 of the 2nd Session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature (referenced but not fully detailed in the bill text).
2) Sickle cell outreach
- From funds appropriated to SDOH under Enrolled Senate Bill No. 1177, $150,000 shall be used to maintain sickle cell outreach programs.
3) Financial monitoring for the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
- From funds appropriated under Enrolled SB 1177, $1,000,000 shall be used to contract with or employ a financial expert to monitor and report to the Legislature on the financial well-being of the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services budget.
4) Disbursement to health centers to increase access
- From funds appropriated under Enrolled SB 1177, $3,000,000 shall be disbursed to health centers authorized under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act and incorporated in Oklahoma.
- Purpose: Increase access to primary health care, including medical, dental, and/or mental health and substance abuse treatment services, particularly in or near Medically Underserved Areas or Populations (MUA/MUP).
- Data-driven disbursement: Any disbursement must be supported by data reflecting proportions of patient volume and access for the uninsured.
- Disbursement method: To be developed by the SDOH; the State Commissioner of Health is authorized to promulgate the method into rules.
5) Administrative details
- Section 5 sets the effective date as July 1, 2026.
- Section 6 designates emergency status, ensuring immediate effectiveness upon passage and signing.
Who is Affected
- State Department of Health (SDOH) and its budgeting decisions.
- Sickle cell outreach programs (via $150k funding).
- Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services budget (via $1,000,000 monitoring from a financial expert).
- Primary care access in Oklahoma (via $3,000,000 in disbursements to PHS Act health centers targeting MUAs/MUPs).
- Uninsured populations (indirectly, through data-supported allocation and focus on access).
Procedural and Timeline Aspects
- The act appropriates for the 2027 fiscal year (through June 30, 2027) and references existing appropriations in SB 1177 and HB 3644 for its purposes.
- The disbursement method for the $3 million to health centers is to be developed by the SDOH, with rules to be promulgated by the State Commissioner of Health.
- The emergency declaration means the bill becomes effective immediately upon approval, rather than waiting for a standard 90-day period after session adjournment.
Notes
- The bill is a committee-substitute version of SB 1162, incorporating amendments approved by the Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget.
- The measure ties funding to specific health initiatives and requires data-backed disbursement to ensure targeted aid to underserved areas and populations.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
Sign in to ask a question.
