HB 3848 Oklahoma House · 2026 Regular Session

Sex offenders; creating the Transient Sex Offender Elimination Act of 2026; providing guidelines and restrictions for establishing program houses; codification; effective date.

HB 3848, the "Transient Sex Offender Elimination Act of 2026," establishes new rules for housing and rehabilitation programs for registered sex offenders in Oklahoma. It requires program houses (residential facilities for multiple offenders) to be at least 3,000 feet from protected zones and single-family homes to be at least 1,000 feet away, while mandating incarcerated sex offenders complete victim impact and life skills programs before release. Offenders must receive a reentry portfolio with housing/employment plans and approved rehabilitation curriculum upon release, and the law applies retroactively to all current offenders. The act takes effect November 1, 2026, and requires annual reports on program outcomes to the Legislature.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 2, 2026 Last action Feb 18, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill was amended by the House Policy Committee to significantly reduce restrictions on sex offenders and simplify program requirements. The changes shift the bill from a restrictive approach to a more rehabilitative one, allowing multiple offenders in program houses, reducing distance requirements from protected zones, and making the act retroactive for current offenders.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from restrictive measures to include retroactive application for all currently registered sex offenders, removing barriers to housing and rehabilitation programs.

DEFINITION

Changed 'Program house' definition to allow housing multiple registered sex offenders within legal occupancy limits, rather than restricting to single offenders.

Added new definition for 'Transient sex offender' to clarify housing status requirements.

REQUIREMENT

Reduced distance requirements from protected zones from 3,000 feet to 2,000 feet for program houses.

Changed incarcerated sex offender programming from mandatory to available, with completion monitored rather than required before release.

Simplified reentry portfolio requirements by removing specific document requirements like birth certificates and Social Security cards.

ELIGIBILITY

Added retroactive application clause allowing all currently registered sex offenders to access housing and rehabilitation programs.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 18, 2026

Lower · Passed

Policy recommendation to the Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight committee; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Criminal Judiciary

lower

Feb 3, 2026

Committee

Referred to Criminal Judiciary

lower

Feb 2, 2026

Introduced

First Reading

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors