Criminal Justice

passed · Oklahoma · House May 5, 2025

HB 1591: Crimes and punishments; adding specific crimes to list of offenses; effective date.

HB 1591 requires individuals convicted of 25 specific serious crimes in Oklahoma to serve at least 85% of their prison sentence before becoming eligible for parole. This applies to offenses like first-degree murder, child sex trafficking, domestic violence with weapons, human trafficking, and certain violent assaults. The bill prohibits earned credits or other sentence reductions that would allow offenders to serve less than 85% of their sentence. It becomes effective November 1, 2025, and directly affects those sentenced for the listed crimes under Oklahoma law.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRequires 85% prison term for serious crimes, prohibits sentence reductions, increasing mandatory incarceration without reform elements.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Oklahoma · House May 5, 2025

HB 1594: Crimes and punishments; assault and battery; clarifying scope of certain unlawful act; effective date.

HB 1594 clarifies that certain assault and battery charges do not apply when death results from the act. The bill amends Oklahoma law to remove language that previously included cases involving death under specific assault/battery definitions. This change directly affects criminal cases where prosecutors might have sought charges under this statute for incidents resulting in death, narrowing the scope of the offense. The amendment specifies this clarification applies to cases where death occurs, not to other assault-related charges.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeClarifies assault/battery scope to exclude death cases, preventing misapplication of charges and aligning with accurate criminal justice enforcement.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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signed · Oklahoma · House Apr 30, 2025

HB 1579: Juvenile bureaus; salaries and expenses; limitations; effective date.

HB 1579 sets salary limits for juvenile bureau staff in Oklahoma counties, capping directors' pay at 90% of Class A county officer salaries and other employees at 85%. It requires juvenile court judges (with county commissioner oversight) to establish expense limits for bureau operations and mandates that all bureau costs - salaries and expenses - be funded through county budgets or dedicated sales taxes. The bill also specifies that county excise boards must appropriate funds for bureau staffing and operations, consistent with other county officer budgets. Additionally, it clarifies that district attorneys represent juvenile bureaus in lawsuits, unless conflicts arise. The law became effective November 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCapping juvenile bureau staff salaries and requiring county budget funding limits restricts resource allocation for juvenile justice services.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 28, 2025

HB 2017: Bullying; aiding suicide; crimes and punishments; prohibiting certain communications through an online platform; schools; modifying provisions of the School Safety and Bullying Prevention Act; effective date.

HB 2017 updates Oklahoma's anti-bullying and online harassment laws to better protect students. It adds "aiding suicide" as a criminal offense (Section 1) and expands definitions of electronic harassment to include threatening online communications directed at specific individuals (Section 2), with misdemeanor penalties for first offenses and felony for repeat violations. The bill also modifies school safety policies under the School Safety and Bullying Prevention Act (Section 3), requiring schools to update anti-bullying policies annually, report incidents to parents within 24 hours, and prohibit retaliation against staff who report incidents. These changes directly affect students, schools, and online platforms by strengthening legal consequences for targeted online harassment and improving school response protocols.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeAdds criminal penalties for aiding suicide and online harassment, strengthening criminal justice enforcement in school safety context.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens school safety policies under Bullying Prevention Act, adding protections against online harassment and aiding suicide to protect students, directly advancing educational environment safety.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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signed · Oklahoma · Senate Apr 28, 2025

SB 595: Jail standards; creating the Oklahoma Jail Standards Act. Emergency.

SB 595 creates the Oklahoma Jail Standards Act, requiring all city and county jails to meet new safety, health, and operational standards. It mandates annual inspections by the State Department of Health, sets specific requirements for inmate food, sanitation, medical care, staff training (4-8 hours yearly for direct-contact staff), and inmate classification, and requires facilities to develop written policies for emergencies and medical services. The bill directly affects all county jails, sheriff's departments, and facility administrators, while allowing temporary tent jails to operate under different rules. The Act also clarifies that medical care must cover illnesses or injuries from arrest through incarceration, and includes exceptions for short-term holding facilities under 12 hours.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates improved jail standards including medical care, sanitation, staff training, and inspections, directly advancing corrections reform and inmate safety standards.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates medical care standards for inmates in jails, strengthening healthcare provision within correctional facilities as part of operational requirements.80% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 23, 2025

HB 2012: Public health and safety; harm-reduction services; deleting sunset date; effective date.

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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill permanently authorizes harm-reduction services including addiction treatment referrals, aligning with criminal justice reform by reducing recidivism through rehabilitation rather than punishment.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill makes harm-reduction services permanent, authorizing needle distribution, HIV/hepatitis testing, and addiction referrals - directly advancing public health access and prevention services.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 22, 2025

HB 2802: Professions and occupations; additional terms; effective date.

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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves licensing barriers for individuals with past convictions, promoting reentry and rehabilitation - core criminal justice reform principles by reducing recidivism through employment access.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareAmends licensing laws to reduce barriers for healthcare professionals (e.g., removing restrictions on sealed records), potentially increasing workforce access and patient care options.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentBill removes employment barriers by prohibiting license denial for certain criminal records, expanding workforce access and protecting workers' rights to gainful employment in licensed professions.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 22, 2025

HB 1689: Crimes and punishments; making certain acts unlawful; effective date.

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.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new offenses (e.g., retail cart removal) and increasing penalties for property crimes, aligning with 'increases mandatory sentences' indicator.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 21, 2025

HB 1676: Officers; Kay Floyd SANE Act; District Attorneys Council; Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Statewide Coordinator; salary; effective date.

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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeCreates SANE coordinator role to improve sexual assault response systems, fund training, and manage victim forensic services within criminal justice framework.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill creates SANE Coordinator role to develop healthcare-focused sexual assault response programs, fund forensic exams, and recruit medical professionals, directly advancing healthcare services for victims.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

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passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 17, 2025

HB 1861: Crimes and punishments; providing statutory reference for prostitution-related offense; effective date.

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.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by creating new felonies for HIV-positive prostitution, increases penalties for child prostitution, and escalates near-school/church violations to felony status with harsher sentences.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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