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HB4490 HFLR Page 1
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 4490 By: Townley of the House
and
Weaver of the Senate
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
An Act relating to maternal care; creating the
Oklahoma Families Thriving Everywhere Now (OFTEN)
Revolving Fund; stating the purpose; providing for
codification; and providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-234.2 of Title 63, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving
fund for the State Department of Health to be designated the
"Oklahoma Families Thriving Everywhere Now (OFTEN) Revolving Fund".
The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year
limitations, and shall consist of all monies received by the State
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Department of Health from state-appropriated funds, federal funds,
donations, grants, and contributions from any public or private
source and designated for the purpose set forth in this act. All
monies accruing to the credit of said fund are hereby appropriated
and may be budgeted and expended by the State Department of Health
for the purpose provided in this act. Expenditures from said fund
shall be made upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer against
claims filed as prescribed by law with the Director of the Office of
Management and Enterprise Services for approval and payment.
The program shall include operation of a telecare pregnancy and
parenting support program and a maternal health component to provide
community outreach, consultations, and care coordination for women
experiencing under-supported, high-risk pregnancies, or both, and
for parents of young children. The program is designed to:
1. Encourage healthy childbirth;
2. Support childbirth and adoption as alternatives to abortion;
3. Promote stable family formation;
4. Assist in establishing successful parenting techniques;
5. Increase the economic self-sufficiency of families; and
6. Improve maternal and infant health outcomes and reduce
health disparities, including disparities among black and other
minority mothers who experience higher rates of preterm birth, low
birth weight, and maternal morbidity.
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B. Program services shall be delivered primarily through
electronic means, including telephone, secured video, text, and
other remote technologies, and coordinated with in-person pregnancy
resource centers, community-based organizations, health care
providers, and social service agencies physically located in the
State of Oklahoma.
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-234.3 of Title 63, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. To the extent appropriations are available, the State
Department of Health shall enter one or more contracts with eligible
public or private nonprofit organizations to facilitate operation of
the telecare support network and associated maternal health program.
B. Services may include, but are not limited to:
1. Outreach to at-risk populations eligible for the Program,
conducted exclusively through online and digital marketing
strategies, including websites, search engine marketing, social
media, text messaging, email, and other Internet-based outreach
methods;
2. Screening for maternal and infant risk factors, including
lack of insurance, age under twenty (20) or over thirty-five (35),
low educational attainment, prior adverse pregnancy outcomes,
chronic medical conditions, and behavioral health risk factors;
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3. Development of individualized care plans for program
participants;
4. Consultations, supports, social services case management,
referrals, and care coordination to address medical, behavioral
health, social, educational, economic, environmental, and parenting
needs throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period;
5. Education and support related to preventive medical care,
environmental risks, nutrition, smoking, alcohol and substance use
cessation, and other factors that contribute to safer pregnancies
and healthier infants;
6. Assistance in applying for and connecting to state and
federal benefits programs and local charitable resources;
7. Behavioral health supports, including referrals for
counseling or therapy to address perinatal mood and anxiety
disorders;
8. Coordination of appointments with in-person pregnancy
resource centers or similar agencies that provide counseling,
ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, prenatal and parenting education,
material support, and adoption information; and
9. Tracking and support to encourage attendance at prenatal
care, postpartum follow-up visits, and pediatric well-child visits.
C. Services supported by this program shall be non-medical in
nature and shall not include the direct provision of clinical
medical services or the prescription of medications. Nothing in
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this subsection prohibits program personnel from providing medically
accurate, pregnancy-related medical information or from encouraging
and facilitating timely prenatal, postpartum, and pediatric medical
care by licensed health professionals.
SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-234.4 of Title 63, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. In order to receive funding under this act, an entity shall:
1. Be a public or private nonprofit organization;
2. Have the capacity and provide assurances to deliver services
primarily through electronic means as described in Section 1 of this
act;
3. Acknowledge and certify that the entity:
a. does not perform, refer for, or assist with the
elective termination of a pregnancy, and
b. does not set appointments with or refer women or
parents to any entity that performs or recommends
elective termination of a pregnancy;
4. Allow and agree that:
a. the State Department of Health personnel may conduct
annual, and, at the Department's discretion,
additional, programmatic contract reviews, including
on-site or virtual monitoring for compliance, and
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b. the entity grants to the Office of the State Auditor
and Inspector, the Department, the federal government,
and any other authorized representatives the right to
audit, inspect, and review all books and records
pertaining to services rendered under their contract.
B. Eligibility for services is limited to Oklahoma residents
who, at the time of initial contact, are pregnant or the biological
parent of an unborn child.
C. Any program participant who voluntarily terminates a
pregnancy may be eligible to continue receiving non-medical support
and parenting-related services through the Program for a period not
to exceed six (6) months from the date of pregnancy termination, as
determined by Department rule.
SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-234.5 of Title 63, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. Contractors shall collect and report to the State Department
of Health de-identified data necessary to evaluate program
performance, including, to the extent feasible:
1. Participant demographic and risk characteristics;
2. Referrals to state and federal programs;
3. Service utilization and engagement, including behavioral
health and nutrition services;
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4. Maternal outcomes such as prenatal care initiation,
postpartum visit completion, and reported postpartum depression; and
5. Infant outcomes such as gestational age at birth, birth
weight, NICU utilization, and attendance at initial well-child
visits.
B. The Department shall, on or before December 31 of each year
in which funds are expended under this act, submit a report to the
Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate,
and the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives summarizing
program implementation, utilization, and outcomes, and offering
recommendations regarding continuation, expansion, or modification
of the program.
SECTION 5. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET, dated
03/05/2026 - DO PASS, As Amended and Coauthored.