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Read. Follow. Verify.Oklahoma enacts the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act of 2026 to update rules for medical directives, agents, and default surrogates
Last action · May 12, 2026: Approved by Governor 05/11/2026
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What This Bill Does
Oklahoma establishes the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act of 2026, setting new rules for creating s, appointing health care agents, determining patient , and authorizing s starting July 1, 2027.
Residents gain standardized rules for who makes medical decisions on their behalf if they lose , including specific procedures for advance mental health directives and default family surrogates.
- Advance health care directives allow individuals to state their preferences for medical treatment and designate agents to make health care decisions if they become incapacitated. context
- The Uniform Law Commission periodically drafts model legislation, such as the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act, to promote consistency across state laws. context
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Patients
Patients gain standardized procedures to create advance directives, designate health care agents, and outline specific treatment, nutrition, and mental health preferences.
Health Care Professionals
Health care professionals must follow statutory protocols for documenting capacity findings, honoring surrogate decisions, and managing conscience-based refusals.
Default Surrogates
Family members and other eligible individuals acting as default surrogates must meet statutory eligibility criteria and fiduciary duties when making medical decisions for incapacitated patients.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an advance health care directive under the new law?
Who can act as a default surrogate if a patient lacks capacity and has no appointed agent?
When does the Uniform Health Care Decisions Act of 2026 take effect?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Current status: Signed into law.
Procedural history
28 actions- May 12, 2026HouseEnrolledApproved by Governor 05/11/2026
- May 6, 2026HouseSent to Governor
- May 6, 2026SenateEnrolled measure signed, returned to House
- May 6, 2026HouseEnrolled, signed, to Senate
- May 6, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred for enrollment
- May 6, 2026HouseFloorFourth Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 77 Nays: 3
Show 22 earlier actions
- May 6, 2026HouseFloorSA's read, adopted
- May 5, 2026HouseSA's received
- May 5, 2026SenateEngrossed to House
- May 5, 2026SenateCommitteeReferred for engrossment
- May 5, 2026SenateFloorMeasure passed: Ayes: 47 Nays: 0
- May 5, 2026SenateGeneral Order, Amended
- Apr 13, 2026SenatePlaced on General Order
- Apr 8, 2026SenateFloorReported Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Health and Human Services committee; CR filed
- Apr 1, 2025SenateCommitteeSecond Reading referred to Health and Human Services
- Mar 27, 2025SenateIntroducedFirst Reading
- Mar 27, 2025HouseEngrossed, signed, to Senate
- Mar 26, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred for engrossment
- Mar 26, 2025HouseFloorThird Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 87 Nays: 6
- Mar 26, 2025HouseAmended by floor substitute
- Mar 26, 2025HouseGeneral Order
- Feb 27, 2025HouseAuthored by Senator Rosino (principal Senate author)
- Feb 27, 2025HouseFloorCR; Do Pass Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee
- Feb 6, 2025HouseFloorPolicy recommendation to the Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight committee; Do Pass Civil Judiciary
- Feb 4, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Civil Judiciary
- Feb 4, 2025HouseCommitteeSecond Reading referred to Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight
- Feb 3, 2025HouseAuthored by Representative Roe
- Feb 3, 2025HouseIntroducedFirst Reading
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Comprehensive Overhaul of Medical Directives
The act entirely replaces both the Oklahoma Advance Directive Act and the Oklahoma Health Care Agent Act with a unified statute based on the Uniform Law Commission recommendations.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.oklegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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