The bill amends Section 2 of the Administrative Workers Compensation Act in Oklahoma, updating key definitions and statutory language related to workers' compensation. It introduces new terms such as "actually dependent," which refers to individuals receiving significant support from an employee, and "carrier," which now explicitly includes self-insured entities. The definition of "child" is expanded to include posthumous children and stepchildren, while a new term, "certified workplace medical plan," is defined to refer to organizations authorized to provide medical care under the Act on a fee-for-service basis. Additionally, the bill clarifies the definition of "compensable injury" and introduces a rebuttable presumption regarding intoxication in injury cases, while also expanding the definition of "employee" to include members of the Oklahoma National Guard.

Further amendments replace references to "the State of Oklahoma" with "this state" in definitions related to the Insurance Commissioner and Insurance Department. The bill clarifies that "major cause" refers to a contributing factor of more than fifty percent for injuries, diseases, or illnesses, and ensures that a finding of the workplace not being a major cause does not affect the exclusive remedy provisions of the Act. It also outlines criteria for determining permanent disability, emphasizes objective findings for permanent total disability, and introduces the term "scientifically based" for medical testing standards. The effective date for these changes is set for November 1, 2025, with the overall aim of streamlining and clarifying the language and provisions of the workers' compensation framework in Oklahoma.