HB 1240 Oklahoma House · 2025 Regular Session

Prisons and reformatories; granting elected state officials the right to access facilities operated by the Department of Corrections without prior notification; codification; effective date.

HB 1240 requires the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to allow elected state officials (like legislators) to visit prison facilities without signing nondisclosure agreements that restrict their ability to report or discuss facility conditions. The bill amends Oklahoma statutes to add Section 509.7, which eliminates the requirement for officials to comply with such agreements during facility inspections. This change directly affects state legislators and other elected officials who conduct oversight visits to correctional facilities. The law takes effect on November 1, 2025.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Last action Feb 5, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to expand the State Board of Corrections' oversight responsibilities to include the Office of the Inspector General, add training requirements for private prison contractors, and clarify reporting structures. The original bill focused on granting elected officials access to correctional facilities without prior notification, while the amended version adds broader administrative powers and oversight duties.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from primarily granting elected officials facility access to include expanded powers for the State Board of Corrections, oversight of the Office of the Inspector General, and training requirements for private prison contractors.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for the State Board of Corrections to provide training to employees of private prison contractors and other governmental entities on a fee basis.

Added requirement for the State Board of Corrections to provide oversight of the Office of the Inspector General within the Department, with the Inspector General reporting directly to the Board.

Modified the Director of Corrections reporting structure to require direct reporting to the State Board of Corrections.

Added new powers for the Board to enter into contracts with private prison contractors and appoint/fix salaries of the Director.

TECHNICAL

Changed the bill title from 'AS INTRODUCED' to 'PROPOSED COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' reflecting committee amendments.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 5, 2025

Lower · Passed

Policy recommendation to the Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight committee; Do Pass Public Safety

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to Public Safety

lower

Feb 3, 2025

Introduced

First Reading

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors