OKLAHOMA CITY – Gov. Kevin Stitt signed two bills authored by Rep. Kyle Hilbert (R-Depew) and Sen. James Leewright (R-Bristow) in a ceremony at the State Capitol last week.
House Bill 1262 and Senate Bill 728 had both been previously signed into law by Stitt earlier this year, but the ceremony allowed constituents who requested the bills to attend the signing and meet the Governor.
HB1262 was requested by a constituent who resides in Hilbert’s district and attended the signing on July 30. The bill grants a sales tax exemption for medical devices used in the home and prescribed by a medical practitioner.
It passed both chambers unanimously. The bill was initially signed by Stitt on May 28 and went into effect July 1.
“Granting tax exemptions for these medical devices, many of which are necessary for health reasons, makes it more affordable for our aging citizens and others who need this equipment to improve their quality of life and help maintain their independence,” Hilbert said. “We worked hard this session to pass House Bill 1262 with overwhelming bipartisan support, and I’m proud to have served as the author of this bill.”
“As we work to improve medical outcomes and rankings for our state, there are common sense approaches we can take to improve access to care,” Leewright said. “This is an important step in improving accessibility and affordability for medically necessary devices for citizens throughout Oklahoma.”
The second bill signed by Stitt in last week’s ceremony was Senate Bill 728, which was authored by Leewright in the Senate and Hilbert in the House. The bill address an unintended consequence of State Question 792 following its passage in 2016.
Upon its signing in April, SB728 created a golf complex beverage license to allow golf courses and marinas to sell beer or wine at the clubhouse for the purchaser to consume while on the golf course or elsewhere.
“Modernizing Oklahoma’s liquor laws was something Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly supported,” Leewright said. “Golf courses and marinas are an important part of our state’s tourism industry, and I’m pleased we were able to get Senate Bill 728 approved on behalf of those businesses and their patrons.”
“Senate Bill 728 remedies an unintended consequence of State Question 792’s passage in 2016,” Hilbert said. “This correction allows more freedom for these businesses and more options for consumers. I’m grateful Governor Stitt signed Senate Bill 728 and I’m pleased with how it has been implemented so far.”
