After the first major deadline of the 2022 Oklahoma legislative session, most of the key mental health opportunities identified by Healthy Minds remain active. Fewer than 1,500 of the more than 4,700 bills under consideration this session advanced beyond last Thursday's deadline for bills to be approved by a committee in their chamber of origin.

Two bills initiated by Healthy Minds passed unanimously in their respective committees. HB 4106 by Rep. Mark Vancuren (R-Owasso) and Sen. Dewayne Pemberton (R-Muskogee) ensures every school in Oklahoma has a protocol for responding to students in suicidal and mental health crises. SB 1413 by Sen. John Michael Montgomery (R-Lawton) and Rep. Chris Sneed (R-Fort Gibson) aligns state reporting requirements for mental health insurance coverage to federal standards.

Other key bills still active include SB 1548, which strengthens drug courts as an evidence-based diversion tool; SB 1613, which bolsters mental wellness programs for law enforcement officers; and HB 3741, which expands suicide prevention training for physicians.

You can stay up to date on all of this year's mental health bills using Healthy Minds' legislative tracking lists.