The Governmental Tort Claims Act; requiring award of certain costs and fees for prevailing plaintiff; authorizing award of certain fees to defendant; providing for liability for exempted acts upon certain findings by court. Effective date.

SB 1069 amends Oklahoma's Governmental Tort Claims Act to change how legal costs and fees are awarded in lawsuits against state or local government entities. It requires courts to award certain costs and attorney fees to a plaintiff who wins a case, and allows courts to award fees to a government defendant under specific circumstances. The bill also modifies liability rules, stating that government entities may be held liable for certain actions previously exempted if a court makes specific findings. This directly affects plaintiffs who win tort cases against Oklahoma government bodies and government defendants facing such lawsuits. The changes aim to adjust the financial burden of litigation for both sides under the state's tort claims framework.