From the desk: HB 3737 Recognizing signs of Type 1 Diabetes

The governor signed my first piece of legislation to make it to his desk this session, and I expect

he will sign more of my bills into law in the coming weeks. Gov. Kevin Stitt’s desk is quickly

filling up with bills as the Senate and House rapidly approach our fourth major deadline of this

session.

April 25 is the deadline for bills to get a floor hearing in the opposite chamber. This is

one of the busiest times of the session because both chambers are voting on a steady stream of

bills, many of which are advancing to the governor’s desk.

Last week, the governor signed House Bill 3737, which I worked on with Rep. Eddy Dempsey.

This bill directs the Oklahoma State Department of Education to develop and post on its website

information on how to recognize the signs of Type 1 diabetes.

Furthermore, this measure requires districts to provide that information to parents when their

child enrolls in school and again when a child starts sixth grade. Giving parents the tools to

recognize the warning signs of diabetes can help children get medical treatment faster. This bill

ensures school districts provide parents with the information they need to make the best

decisions for their children.

I’m grateful I was asked to serve as the principal Senate author on this piece of legislation,

and I’m grateful for Stitt’s swift action on the bill. This new law will

take effect in July, and school districts will begin distributing this information in the fall.

The Senate Appropriations Committee resumed meeting last week after the House unveiled its

proposed budget for the new fiscal year.

This means budget negotiations between the two

chambers are about to get serious as appropriations leaders discuss the differences between the

House and Senate spending plans. It also means committee members finally voted on dozens of

House bills that had stalled as the Senate awaited details on the House’s budget proposal. House

Bill 3190 was among the measures that passed out of the committee, and it is likely to be voted

on by the full Senate this week.

I’m cosponsoring this bill that will make the prior authorization process more transparent.

Sometimes doctors must seek prior authorization from a patient’s health insurance company

before prescribing a certain medication or scheduling a procedure to ensure the medication or

surgery will be covered by insurance.

The Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act would require health insurance

companies to create a set of standards for processing prior authorization requests

and ensure those details are publicly available online.

To stay informed about what’s happening in the Senate, visit www.oksenate.gov, along with my

Facebook page @SenatorJessicaGarvin. You can also follow the main Senate Facebook

@oksenate or the Senate GOP page @OKSenateGOP.

If you have any questions or concerns on legislative matters, contact me at the Capitol by

emailing me at Jessica.Garvin@oksenate.gov, calling me at (405) 521-5522 or writing to Senator

Jessica Garvin, State Capitol, 2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.