All Roll Calls
Yes: 121 • No: 13
OklahomaSB 1794Oklahoma 2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET
Mental health; creating the Oklahoma Behavioral Health Vacancy Registry Act; requiring establishment of certain behavioral health vacancy registry; mandating certain reporting. Effective date.
Sponsored By: Brenda Stanley (Republican)
Signed by Governor
Senate Committee
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Facilities must list beds and respond
Starting November 1, 2026, non-hospital behavioral health facilities must join the registry. They report licensed and staffed capacity, open beds or slots, who they serve, level of care, admission limits, and a 24-hour placement contact. They must update entries when availability changes and at Board-set intervals, and respond to placement requests within Board-set times. Confirmed reservations must be honored for the set window unless clinical facts change or the person no longer meets written criteria. Facilities must apply their criteria fairly and cannot refuse an eligible person when the registry shows capacity, except for documented clinical or safety reasons.
Oversight and privacy for the registry
The Department may audit registry entries and responses for accuracy and timeliness. It can require corrective action plans and use administrative remedies for noncompliance. The registry holds no personally identifiable health information and follows HIPAA and 42 CFR Part 2, when applicable. Registry data are confidential and not open to the public, except for aggregate, de-identified reports. The registry is not a clinical record and does not collect diagnosis, payer, or preauthorization details. These rules apply starting November 1, 2026.
Statewide registry to find open beds
Subject to funding, the Department sets up a secure, statewide registry. It shows near real-time bed and treatment capacity at covered behavioral health facilities. It speeds placements for emergency detention, protective custody, assessment, and court-ordered competency services. The registry includes a court-competency module and follows all state laws and any consent decrees. These features apply beginning November 1, 2026.
Rules, timeline, and build-out plan
The Board sets the operating rules for the registry. Rules cover reporting standards, update intervals, placement priorities and queues, access controls, denial documentation, reservation windows, forensic standards, and hospital technical rules. Subject to funding, within six months after November 1, 2026, the Department must issue an RFP to procure the registry, following state purchasing law. It must seek best value, may prefer acceptable no-cost options, and may use gifts or grants if the state keeps data control and security. State funds for software are not used unless no acceptable no-cost option exists; the act takes effect November 1, 2026.
Hospitals may opt in, no new duty
Starting November 1, 2026, hospitals and hospital psychiatric units may choose to opt in to the registry. They can report staffed capacity and consider placement requests. Opting in does not make a hospital a covered facility and does not create a duty to accept transfers. Evaluation, stabilization, admission, and transfer decisions still follow EMTALA and state law. Reasonable intake or patient-care delays do not count as a registry violation.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Brenda Stanley
Republican • Senate
Cosponsors
Ellyn Hefner
Democratic • House
Julia Kirt
Democratic • Senate
Ellyn Hefner
Democratic • House
Cynthia Roe
Republican • House
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 5/6/2026
Top_of_Page
Yes: 87 • No: 2
House vote • 4/15/2026
DO PASS
Yes: 12 • No: 0
House vote • 4/15/2026
DO PASS
Yes: 12 • No: 0
House vote • 4/1/2026
DO PASS
Yes: 5 • No: 0
House vote • 4/1/2026
DO PASS
Yes: 5 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/11/2026
THIRD READING
Yes: 0 • No: 6
Senate vote • 3/4/2026
Top_of_Page
Yes: 0 • No: 2
Senate vote • 3/4/2026
Top_of_Page
Yes: 0 • No: 1
Senate vote • 3/4/2026
Top_of_Page
Yes: 0 • No: 1
Senate vote • 2/16/2026
Top_of_Page
Yes: 0 • No: 1
Actions Timeline
Approved by Governor 05/12/2026
5/13/2026SenateSent to Governor
5/6/2026SenateSigned, returned to Senate
5/6/2026HouseEnrolled, to House
5/6/2026SenateReferred for enrollment
5/6/2026SenateSigned, returned to Senate
5/6/2026HouseThird Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 87 Nays: 2
5/6/2026HouseGeneral Order
5/6/2026HouseCoauthored by Representative(s) Hefner
4/16/2026HouseCR; Do Pass Health and Human Services Oversight Committee
4/16/2026HousePolicy recommendation to the Health and Human Services Oversight committee; Do Pass Public Health
4/1/2026HouseReferred to Public Health
3/30/2026HouseSecond Reading referred to Health and Human Services Oversight
3/30/2026HouseFirst Reading
3/12/2026HouseEngrossed to House
3/12/2026SenateReferred for engrossment
3/11/2026SenateMeasure passed: Ayes: 35 Nays: 6
3/11/2026SenateTitle restored
3/11/2026SenateGeneral Order, Amended
3/11/2026SenatePlaced on General Order
3/9/2026SenateCoauthored by Senator Kirt
3/5/2026SenateReported Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Appropriations committee; CR filed
3/4/2026SenateCoauthored by Representative Roe (principal House author)
3/2/2026SenateReferred to Appropriations
2/16/2026SenateTitle stricken
2/16/2026Senate
Bill Text
Enrolled (final version)
5/6/2026
Floor (House)
4/20/2026
House Committee Report
4/16/2026
House Policy Committee Report
4/1/2026
Engrossed
3/12/2026
Floor (Senate)
3/5/2026
Committee Substitute
3/4/2026
Senate Committee Report 2
3/4/2026
Senate Committee Report 1
2/16/2026
Introduced
1/14/2026
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