HB 2012 removes the July 1, 2026, expiration date for Oklahoma's harm-reduction services program, making it permanent. It authorizes government agencies, religious institutions, nonprofits, for-profit companies, and tribal governments to provide services including needle distribution, HIV/hepatitis testing, referrals for addiction treatment, and safe needle disposal. Providers must register with the State Department of Health and report quarterly on services delivered, such as the number of people served, needles distributed, and test results. This bill directly affects people who use injection drugs by expanding access to health services aimed at reducing disease transmission and overdose risks.
HB 2802 amends Oklahoma's licensing laws for professions and occupations to limit when criminal history can block a license. It prohibits denial based on sealed/expunged records, arrests without conviction, or convictions over five years old (unless involving specific violent offenses like domestic abuse or sex offenses). Licensing agencies must now consider factors like the offense's relevance to the job, time passed, rehabilitation efforts, and provide written notice with appeal rights if denying a license. This directly affects applicants with criminal records seeking licenses for jobs like nursing, contracting, or childcare, ensuring decisions are based on specific, relevant criteria rather than vague standards.
HB 1689 amends Oklahoma's larceny law for lost property, establishing penalties based on the item's value: misdemeanor fines/imprisonment for items under $1,000, and escalating felony penalties up to 8 years for items valued at $15,000 or more. It specifically adds that removing retail shopping carts with intent to deprive the owner (or possessing such carts) is unlawful, punishable as a misdemeanor with up to 1 year in jail or $1,000 fine. The bill directly affects individuals who find lost property without making reasonable effort to return it or who remove shopping carts from retail parking areas. It takes effect November 1, 2025.
HB 1676, the "Kay Floyd SANE Act," creates a new Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Statewide Coordinator position within Oklahoma's District Attorneys Council. The coordinator will oversee forensic medical exam training, recruit SANE professionals, develop local SANE and Sexual Assault Response Team programs, and manage payments from the Sexual Assault Examination Fund. The role requires a minimum annual salary of $125,000, funded through the District Attorneys Council's appropriations. The position is established until October 1, 2025, with the bill taking effect November 1, 2025. This directly affects county-level sexual assault response systems and SANE program expansion statewide.
SB 871 modifies Oklahoma's law against eluding police officers by updating penalty structures for different offenses. For first-time offenders, it increases the maximum fine for misdemeanor eluding from $2,000 to $5,000 and raises the jail term for second offenses to up to one year. If eluding endangers others, the offense becomes a felony punishable by 1-5 years in state prison; if it causes "great bodily injury" (defined as serious harm like permanent disfigurement or long-term disability), penalties increase to 1-7 years. The bill also clarifies legal language around these offenses and takes effect November 1, 2025. It directly affects drivers convicted of eluding police in Oklahoma.
HB 1861 amends Oklahoma's prostitution-related offense penalties in Section 1031 of the statutes. It creates a new felony charge for engaging in prostitution while knowingly infected with HIV (Section B), increases penalties for child prostitution (Section C), and escalates violations near schools/churches to felony status with fines up to $7,500 and up to 5 years in prison (Section D). The bill directly affects individuals committing these specific prostitution-related offenses under the defined circumstances. It takes effect November 1, 2025.
HB 1215 establishes Oklahoma's first comprehensive human trafficking law by defining key terms like "coercion" (including threats, debt bondage, and controlling documents) and "human trafficking" (covering both labor exploitation and commercial sex acts). It makes trafficking a felony punishable by 5-20 years in prison (or $100,000 fine) for general cases, and 15-99 years (or $250,000 fine) if the victim is a minor. Convicted traffickers must register as sex offenders under Oklahoma's Sex Offenders Act and have their information submitted to the FBI. The law also prohibits using a victim's consent as a defense and requires courts to order restitution to victims.
HB 2422 modifies Oklahoma's parole rules for certain sex offenders convicted of crimes involving minors under 13. It requires a mental health evaluation to determine if hormonal treatment (medroxyprogesterone acetate) could reduce reoffending risk, making voluntary hormonal treatment a condition for parole eligibility. Parolees must continue this treatment while incarcerated, and failure to comply - along with new offenses - revokes parole eligibility. The bill applies only to offenders convicted on or after its effective date and amends existing parole statutes (57 O.S. §§ 332.21, 512) to implement these requirements.
HB 2735 modifies Oklahoma's licensing rules for professions by establishing clear criteria for denying licenses based on criminal history. It allows denial only if a conviction "substantially relates" to the job duties and "poses a reasonable threat" to public safety, requiring licensing boards to consider factors like offense severity, time passed, and rehabilitation evidence. The bill explicitly prohibits denial for sealed/expunged records, most convictions older than five years (except for domestic violence, sex offenses, or specific felonies), and vague "good character" claims. Applicants can request pre-licensing determinations about their criminal history within 60-90 days, and boards must provide written notice of denial reasons with appeal options. This directly affects individuals seeking state licenses who have criminal records.
HB 1860 requires that crime scene and autopsy photographs of victims submitted to Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board for clemency hearings be kept confidential and not released to the public. It directly affects victims and their families whose images are used in such hearings, ensuring their privacy. The bill amends Oklahoma's Open Records Act to explicitly list these victim photographs as confidential records under Section 24A.5(p), preventing public disclosure. It also mandates that these photographs be included in a separate hearing packet for the Board, separate from other case materials.
