By Journalist Teyte Holcomb (OSU)
Public health and safety has been a hot topic in the state of Oklahoma, and representative Adriana Vidal (ORU) feels the same way.
Known as the “Happy and Healthy” Act of 2023, this house bill aims at establishing public bathroom facilities, namely showers, to areas of the state “with great need.” The bill would also require the Oklahoma State Department of Health to manage and maintain these new facilities, and are responsible for the “reasonable safety of the occupants during use.”
Representative Vidal (ORU) said the inspiration from this bill came from her home country in El Salvador.
“I’m actually not from the U.S. I’m from El Salvador, and I own a charity organization in El Salvador that helps homeless people,” Vidal (ORU) said.
“I decided to implement the same thing I’m doing in El Salvador, but here in the United States. That was the motivation for my bill.”
The bill merely passed by a majority in the house, with a vote of 23-24 in the affirmative. A motion was made to recount the bill where the bill then passed with a majority vote in the OIL House of Representatives. During voting, representatives had some questions about the safety and the validity of this bill. Although safety statutes are outlined in the bill, Vidal (ORU) said she is hopeful she helped alleviate any concerns regarding safety or reality of implementation.
“I would say to those [that voted no] that the whole purpose of the bill is to love people,” Vidal (ORU) said.
“It’s not about ourselves, we have all the right to have a shower everyday in our houses or whenever we leave, and these people need the same. Nobody asked me something that I couldn’t respond [with].”
The bill passed with several friendly amendments being put in place, many of which clerical changes. OIL House Bill No. ORU-529 will now go to the OIL Senate for debate and voting.