HB 2161 Oklahoma House · 2026 Regular Session

Museum property; definitions; undocumented property; loaned property; acquiring title; preservation; disposal; effective date.

HB 2161 clarifies Oklahoma museums' legal rights to claim ownership of property without clear ownership records or unreturned loans. It allows museums to claim title to "undocumented property" (items without verified owner records) after seven years of possession, following a two-step public notice process. For loaned property, museums may claim title after two years of no contact with the lender, requiring certified mail notices and public publication if contact fails. The law requires museums to maintain detailed records, notify lenders of changes, and provides a two-year window for claimants to challenge ownership. This law, enacted May 8, 2025, directly affects Oklahoma museums and individuals with potential claims to museum-held items.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

House Passage

Mar 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

May 2025

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Signed May 8, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended during its passage from the House to the Senate, primarily involving formatting changes and minor text adjustments to the header and title pages. The substantive legislative text regarding museum property acquisition, undocumented property claims, and loaned property procedures appears unchanged in the provided diff.

TECHNICAL

Header text was updated from 'HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION' to 'SENATE FLOOR VERSION' with a date of April 15, 2025.

Bill title and sponsor information were reorganized to reflect Senate floor processing, including a new page header format.

Minor formatting adjustments were made to the bill's summary section and section headers during Senate review.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 30, 2025 · House Mar 11, 2025

How they voted

44–1

Passed · 4 other

Total votes 49

Apr 30, 2025

D Democratic9

7 Yea 1 Nay 1

77% Yea

R Republican40

37 Yea 3

92% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 30, 2025

Committee

Referred for enrollment

lower

Apr 30, 2025

Upper · Passed

Engrossed measure signed, returned to House

upper

Apr 30, 2025

Upper · Passed

Measure passed: Ayes: 42 Nays: 1

upper

Apr 15, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported Do Pass Judiciary committee; CR filed

upper

Mar 12, 2025

Introduced

First Reading

upper

Mar 12, 2025

Lower · Passed

Engrossed, signed, to Senate

lower

Mar 11, 2025

Committee

Referred for engrossment

lower

Mar 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

Third Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 84 Nays: 0

lower

Feb 27, 2025

Lower · Passed

CR; Do Pass Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee

lower

Feb 20, 2025

Lower · Passed

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

lower

Feb 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to Civil Judiciary

lower

Feb 3, 2025

Introduced

First Reading

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors