1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 SENATE BILL 1707 By: Gollihare
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to State Veterans Homes; establishing
7 State Veterans Home at Sallisaw; directing assumption
8 of certain operations; amending 72 O.S. 2021, Section
8 229, as amended by Section 16, Chapter 83, O.S.L.
9 2022 (72 O.S. Supp. 2023. Section 229), which relates
9 to State Veterans Home at Talihina; directing
10 transfer of operations upon certain date; removing
10 obsolete language; modifying statutory reference;
11 amending 72 O.S. 2021, Section 229.1, as amended by
11 Section 17, Chapter 83, O.S.L. 2022 (72 O.S. Supp.
12 2023, Section 229.1), which relates to authority to
12 plan, develop, and construct Oklahoma veterans
13 facilities; specifying facility to assume certain
13 operations; modifying requirements for location of
14 facilities; broadening allowed uses of certain
14 proceeds; providing for codification; and declaring
15 an emergency.
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18 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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19 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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20 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 229.2 of Title 72, unless there
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21 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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22 A. There is hereby established, in addition to the other State
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23 Veterans Homes established under this title, the State Veterans Home
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24 at Sallisaw, Oklahoma, on the site determined by the Oklahoma
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1 Veterans Commission under subsections C and D of Section 229.1 of
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2 Title 72 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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3 B. The State Veterans Home at Sallisaw shall assume operations
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4 of the State Veterans Home at Talihina, Oklahoma, established under
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5 Section 229 of Title 72 of the Oklahoma Statutes, upon the date
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6 determined by the Commission under such section.
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7 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 72 O.S. 2021, Section 229, as
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8 amended by Section 16, Chapter 83, O.S.L. 2022 (72 O.S. Supp. 2023,
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9 Section 229), is amended to read as follows:
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10 Section 229. A. Until operations are transferred pursuant to
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11 subsection B of this section, there is hereby established, in
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12 addition to the other State Veterans Homes established by Sections
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13 221 and 226 of this title, the State Veterans Home at Talihina,
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14 Oklahoma, on the site of the Oklahoma State Sanatorium, Talihina,
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15 Oklahoma. All persons serving as employees of the Oklahoma State
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16 Sanatorium under the provisions of the State Merit System of
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17 Personnel Administration shall continue to serve as employees of the
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18 State Veterans Home at Talihina, provided that such employees remain
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19 in the classified service. All employees hired by the State
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20 Veterans Home at Talihina on or after July 1, 1975, shall be under
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21 the Oklahoma Merit System of Personnel Administration, except one
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22 manager, one principal assistant or deputy, one private secretary,
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23 part-time physicians and other professional personnel engaged in
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24 clinical and consultant services. The average number of full-time-
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1 equivalent employees utilized in the total operation of the State
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2 Veterans Home, Talihina, shall not exceed one hundred fifty-three
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3 (153) during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1976. The buildings,
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4 equipment and land under the jurisdiction of the Oklahoma State
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5 Sanatorium, Talihina, are hereby transferred to the State Veterans
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6 Home, Talihina.
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7 B. Upon a date to be determined by the Oklahoma Veterans
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8 Commission, operations of the State Veterans Home at Talihina
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9 established under this section shall be transferred to the State
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10 Veterans Home at Sallisaw, Oklahoma, established under Section 1 of
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11 this act.
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12 SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 72 O.S. 2021, Section 229.1, as
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13 amended by Section 17, Chapter 83, O.S.L. 2022 (72 O.S. Supp. 2023,
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14 Section 229.1), is amended to read as follows:
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15 Section 229.1. A. The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs
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16 is authorized to plan, develop and construct two long-term care
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17 facilities for the following purposes:
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18 1. To assume the operations of the State Veterans Home
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19 established in Talihina pursuant to Section 229 of this title. In
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20 accordance with Section 229 of this title and Section 1 of this act,
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21 the facility to assume operations of the State Veterans Home at
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22 Talihina shall be the State Veterans Home at Sallisaw, Oklahoma,
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23 established under Section 1 of this act; and
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1 2. To replace the State Veterans Home established in Ardmore
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2 pursuant to Section 221 of this title.
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3 B. For the two long-term care facilities authorized in
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4 subsection A of this section, the Department may construct new
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5 facilities or refurbish any existing facilities on property
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6 currently owned by this state or on property purchased or donated
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7 from other sources including but not limited to private owners,
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8 tribal entities or other governmental or municipal entities.
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9 C. 1. The location of the facility referenced in paragraph 1
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10 of subsection A of this section shall be subject only to such
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11 geographical constraints as are imposed by the United States
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12 Department of Veterans Affairs to preserve and continue recognition
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13 and certification of the facility as a State Veterans Home located
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14 within or near the corporate limits of the City of Sallisaw.
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15 2. The facility referenced in paragraph 2 of subsection A of
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16 this section shall be located within the corporate limits of the
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17 city City of Ardmore or within five (5) miles of the corporate
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18 limits of the city City of Ardmore.
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19 D. The locations and sites of the two facilities referenced in
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20 subsection A of this section shall be determined by the Oklahoma
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21 Veterans Commission, subject to such geographical constraints as are
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22 imposed by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for
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23 certification as a State Veterans Home. The Oklahoma Veterans
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1 Commission may consider any and all criteria which, in its sole
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2 discretion, further the interests of Oklahoma veterans.
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3 E. The project constituting the construction of the
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4 replacement, long-term care facility for the Ardmore Veterans Home
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5 shall be exempt from the requirements of Sections 9030 through
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6 9030.8 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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7 F. The proceeds received from the sale of the State Veterans
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8 Home in Talihina, along with all associated real and personal
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9 property, shall belong to the Oklahoma Department of Veterans
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10 Affairs and shall be used for any one or more of the following
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11 purposes:
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12 1. To purchase land upon which the replacement, long-term care
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13 facility for the Ardmore Veterans Home will be located;
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14 2. To purchase any other personal property needed for the
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15 construction and furnishing of the replacement, long-term care
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16 facility for the Ardmore Veterans Home; and
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17 3. To fund operations of the State Veterans Home at Sallisaw;
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18 and
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19 4. To complete the state match for a grant offered under the
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20 State Veterans Home Construction Grant Program of the United States
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21 Department of Veterans Affairs.
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22 SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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23 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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1 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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2 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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4 59-2-3415 DC 1/16/2024 4:55:46 PM
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Statutes affected: Introduced: 72-229, 72-229.1
Committee Substitute: 72-229, 72-229.1, 72-240
Floor (House): 72-229, 72-229.1, 72-240
Floor (Senate): 72-229, 72-229.1, 72-240
Engrossed: 72-229, 72-229.1, 72-240
Enrolled (final version): 72-229, 72-229.1, 72-240