HB 1356: Agriculture; livestock gates; requiring gates to be closed at all times; exceptions; penalties; rules; codification; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was moved from the House to the Senate floor, where it was amended to simplify the law from 'Kenny's Law' to a general gate maintenance requirement. The Senate version removes the specific name 'Kenny's Law', eliminates the livestock definition, and changes the penalty structure to apply to any individual entering gated areas rather than just malicious gate-openers. Penalties now scale based on offense count (first, second, third) with fines up to $1,500 and jail up to one year for repeat offenses.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from protecting livestock owners from malicious gate-opening to requiring anyone entering gated properties to close gates after use, regardless of intent or livestock presence.

REQUIREMENT

Changed from requiring gates to remain closed at all times with specific exceptions to requiring individuals to maintain gate position upon use when entering or exiting.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed 'Kenny's Law' title and livestock-specific definitions; penalties now apply to any gate violation rather than only malicious acts allowing livestock escape.

Penalty structure changed from flat fines/imprisonment to graduated penalties based on offense count: first offense up to $500/90 days, second up to $1,000/180 days, third up to $1,500/1 year.

Added liability for damages caused by violations in addition to criminal penalties.

TIMELINE

Effective date moved from November 1, 2025 to remain unchanged but repositioned in the bill structure.

DEFINITION

Removed specific definition of 'livestock' and 'maintenance' which were central to the House version.

Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill → Floor (House) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised from a committee substitute version to the House floor version, primarily changing the bill's title from 'Kenny's Law' to 'Kenny's Law' (no substantive change in name), updating the legislative session information, and reorganizing the text structure. The core provisions regarding livestock gate requirements, penalties, and enforcement remain substantially the same, though the formatting and page numbering were adjusted for the floor version.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; the changes are primarily formatting and structural adjustments for the House floor version.

TECHNICAL

Changed document header from 'Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill' to 'House of Representatives - Floor Version'

Updated bill title section to reflect floor version formatting with proper spacing and line breaks

Reorganized section numbering and text layout for House floor presentation

Added page headers with 'HB1356 HFLR' and 'BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments'

Changed page numbering sequence from 1-2 to 1-4 with different header formats

House Committee Substitute → Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to change its title from 'Kenny's Law' to 'Engrossed House Bill 1356' and significantly altered the law's focus from requiring gates to remain closed at all times to requiring individuals to maintain gate positions when entering designated easement areas. The scope was narrowed from a general livestock containment law to a specific easement access law, and penalties were reduced for repeat offenses.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from a general livestock containment law to a specific easement access law, narrowing applicability from all livestock enclosures to only gates used for ingress/egress on designated easements.

REQUIREMENT

Changed gate requirement from 'remain closed at all times' to 'maintain position of the gate upon use' when entering designated easement areas

Removed exceptions for maintenance, livestock movement, and functional access reasons for leaving gates open

DEFINITION

Removed detailed definitions of 'livestock' and 'maintenance' and replaced with specific focus on easement access

ENFORCEMENT

Reduced maximum penalties for repeat offenses from $2,500 and one year imprisonment to $1,500 and one year imprisonment

TIMELINE

Changed effective date from November 1, 2025 to November 1, 2025 (no substantive change, but formatting adjusted)

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

MODERATE

The bill was amended to change its title from 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute', update the legislative session reference to the 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025), and modify the act's description to include 'authorizing the promulgation of rules' and 'providing statement of intent' while removing 'providing for violations of this act'. The amendment also updates the bill number reference from 13057 to 13199 and changes the effective date reference from 02/28/25 to 03/05/25.

TECHNICAL

Bill title changed from 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute' to reflect committee processing status.

Updated legislative session reference to '1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)' with corresponding page number changes.

Changed bill reference number from 13057 to 13199 throughout the document.

Updated committee amendment date from 02/28/25 to 03/05/25 and changed the amendment identifier from JL to GRS.

REQUIREMENT

Added 'authorizing the promulgation of rules' to the act description, clarifying the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry may create rules to implement the law.

Enrolled (final version) → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten from scratch, changing its name to 'Kenny's Law' and significantly altering the penalties and scope. The original version focused on requiring people to close gates after passing through, while the new version emphasizes preventing malicious damage to gates and allowing livestock to escape. Penalties were increased for repeat offenders, and the law now explicitly states its intent to protect farmers from malicious acts.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a simple gate-closing requirement to include protections against malicious damage to gates and liability for allowing livestock to escape. The law now applies more broadly to anyone who knowingly and maliciously damages gates or allows livestock to escape.

ENFORCEMENT

Penalties were increased for repeat offenders; first and second offenses now carry up to $1,000 fine or 180 days in jail, while third and subsequent offenses carry up to $2,500 fine or one year in jail.

Added express intent statement clarifying the law aims to protect farmers, livestock owners, and land owners from malicious acts and negligence.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements added prohibiting malicious gate damage and allowing livestock to escape, with specific exceptions for ingress/egress, maintenance, and livestock movement.

Changed from requiring gate position maintenance to requiring gates to remain closed at all times with specific exceptions listed.

DEFINITION

Added formal definitions for 'Livestock' (referencing Title 2, Section 1-3) and 'Maintenance' (functional checking, servicing, repairing, or replacing infrastructure).

TECHNICAL

Changed codification status from 'to be codified' to 'not to be codified' for the first section, while the second section remains to be codified.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 7 edits · May 21, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was finalized for signature by the Governor, with key substantive changes including a reduced maximum fine for first offenses ($500 instead of $1,000), a shorter maximum jail sentence for first offenses (90 days instead of 180), and a narrower scope that now only applies to individuals entering through gates on properties designated as easements rather than all livestock enclosures. The effective date was set to November 1, 2025.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed from applying to all livestock enclosures to only applying to gates on properties designated as easements.

ENFORCEMENT

First offense fine reduced from $1,000 to $500; first offense jail time reduced from 180 days to 90 days.

Second offense fine increased from $1,000 to $1,000 (unchanged); second offense jail time increased from 180 days to 180 days (unchanged).

Third offense fine increased from $2,500 to $1,500; third offense jail time reduced from 1 year to 1 year (unchanged).

SCOPE

Bill now only applies to gates on properties designated as easements rather than all livestock enclosures.

REQUIREMENT

Requirement changed from keeping gates closed at all times to maintaining gate position upon use when entering as an easement.

DEFINITION

Removed detailed definitions of 'livestock' and 'maintenance' and specific exceptions for gate opening.

TIMELINE

Added specific effective date of November 1, 2025.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 5 edits · Apr 28, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to remove references to 'Kenny's Law' and the original title, replacing them with a new title that focuses on requiring individuals to maintain gate positions when entering or exiting designated easement properties. The amendment renumbered sections and adjusted the effective date to November 1, 2025. The core penalty structure remains largely the same, with fines and jail time increasing for repeat offenses.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a broader agricultural regulation to specifically target gate maintenance on easement properties, removing the 'Kenny's Law' designation and related definitions.

DEFINITION

Removed the creation of 'Kenny's Law' as a defined term and the original title of the act.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the requirement from 'gates to remain closed at all times' to 'maintain the position of the gate upon use'.

TECHNICAL

Renumbered sections from 3, 4, and 5 to 1, 2, and 3 to align with the new structure.

Added signature page for the House of Representatives dated March 11, 2025.

TIMELINE

Confirmed the effective date as November 1, 2025.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 6 edits · Apr 28, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended from a simple agricultural act to create 'Kenny's Law' with expanded provisions. The original version only required gates to be closed and had basic penalties. The amended version now includes specific definitions, multiple exceptions for when gates can be open, detailed penalty tiers based on offense number, and a clear statement of legislative intent to protect farmers and livestock owners.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a general agricultural act to specifically name and define 'Kenny's Law' with more comprehensive provisions including new definitions, additional exceptions for gate opening, and enhanced penalty structures.

DEFINITION

Added specific definitions for 'Livestock' (referencing existing Title 2 Section 1-3 statutes) and 'Maintenance' (functional checking, servicing, repairing, or replacing infrastructure).

REQUIREMENT

Expanded gate requirements from a simple 'maintain position' rule to include four specific exceptions when gates may remain open: during ingress/egress, during maintenance, when moving livestock, or when authorized access is needed.

ENFORCEMENT

Added detailed penalty tiers based on offense number: first/second offenses max $1,000 fine or 180 days jail; third/subsequent offenses max $2,500 fine or 1 year jail, plus liability for damages caused.

Added specific prohibited acts including leaving gates open, damaging gates that compromise containment, and allowing livestock to escape.

TIMELINE

Maintained effective date of November 1, 2025, but reorganized bill structure from non-codified to codified in Oklahoma Statutes Title 2 Section 2-34.

SCOPE

Added explicit statement of intent to protect farmers, livestock owners, the public, and landowners from malicious acts, damage, livestock escapes, and negligence.

Agriculture; livestock gates; requiring gates to be closed at all times; exceptions; penalties; rules; codification; effective date.

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