Criminal Justice

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Mar 6, 2025

SB 123: Firearms; modifying scope of certain unlawful act. Effective date.

SB 123 modifies Oklahoma's Self-Defense Act to ban carrying firearms loaded with specific ammunition types: restricted bullets (per Section 1289.19), caliber larger than .45, or other legally prohibited ammunition. It directly affects individuals holding self-defense permits who carry firearms under the Act. The bill adds a $500 administrative fine for violations (in addition to potential criminal penalties), following a hearing by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. The law takes effect November 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRestricts firearm ammunition types under self-defense permits, adding fines and limiting permit holder rights, aligning with 'oppose' indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Mar 6, 2025

SB 945: Crimes and punishments; relating to animal cruelty; creating misdemeanor and felony offenses; modifying scope and penalty of certain felony offense. Effective date.

SB 945 proposes changes to animal cruelty laws by creating new misdemeanor and felony offenses for specific acts of animal abuse. The bill modifies the scope and penalties of existing felony offenses to address different levels of severity in animal cruelty cases. These changes directly affect individuals who commit animal abuse and law enforcement officials who enforce animal protection laws. The legislation aims to provide clearer legal definitions and more appropriate penalties for various forms of animal cruelty.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill strengthens criminal justice by creating clearer definitions and penalties for animal cruelty offenses, enhancing law enforcement ability to prosecute abuse cases.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 24, 2025

SB 537: Cities and towns; requiring removal of vagrant within certain distance of business upon certain determination. Effective date.

SB 537 amends Oklahoma's vagrancy law to allow business owners to request police removal of individuals deemed "vagrants" (defined as those in public/private space for illegal purposes) who are within 12 feet of their business doorway. If police confirm the person meets this definition, they must relocate the individual at least one-half mile away from the business, ensuring the new location is not within one-quarter mile of any other business. This bill directly affects businesses seeking to address perceived disruptions, individuals potentially relocated under the policy, and law enforcement officers carrying out the procedure. The law takes effect November 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands vagrancy enforcement enabling business-led removal of individuals without due process, increasing criminalization of homelessness and public space use.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 24, 2025

SB 944: Crimes and punishments; modifying provisions and penalties related to hazing. Effective date.

SB 944 modifies Oklahoma's hazing laws to better protect students at public and private schools and colleges. It defines hazing broadly to include activities endangering physical or mental health (like forced consumption or extreme stress), prohibits all hazing by student groups, and creates new misdemeanor charges for basic hazing (up to 90 days jail or $5,000 fines) and felony charges if hazing causes serious injury or death (up to 10 years in prison or $15,000 fines). The bill also establishes the Anti-Hazing Revolving Fund for educational programs, prohibits defenses like "tradition" or "consent," and grants immunity to students who report hazing or seek medical help for hazing victims. These changes directly affect student organizations, schools, and individuals involved in hazing incidents.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by creating new felony charges for hazing causing injury/death, increasing penalties under criminal justice framework.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill explicitly protects students in schools/colleges from hazing, creating safer educational environments which supports student well-being and access to learning.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 20, 2025

SB 550: Crimes and punishment; making certain acts unlawful. Emergency.

SB 550 prohibits organizing adult cabaret performances harmful to minors on public property or hosting "story hours" (where drag performers read children's books to minors) in public spaces. Violators face felony charges (1-5 years in prison or $5,000-$20,000 fine) for performances, or misdemeanor charges (up to 1 year jail or $500-$1,000 fine) for story hours. The law preempts conflicting local ordinances and defines "harmful to minors" per existing Oklahoma law. It directly affects event organizers, venues, and performers hosting such public activities involving minors.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by creating new felonies/misdemeanors for specific performances involving minors, increasing penalties under criminal law rather than advancing justice reform.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 13, 2025

SB 78: Crimes and punishments; modifying statutory references to certain offenses. Effective date.

SB 78 requires individuals convicted of 22 specific serious offenses - including first-degree murder, rape, child sex trafficking, human trafficking, and aggravated assault - to serve at least 85% of their prison sentence before becoming eligible for parole. This applies to all sentences imposed after the bill's effective date (November 1, 2025). The bill prohibits earned credits or other sentence reductions that would allow parole eligibility before completing 85% of the sentence. It updates statutory references and language in Oklahoma law related to these sentencing requirements.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates 85% prison time before parole for serious offenses, prohibiting early release options that would reduce sentences, aligning with indicators of restricting defendant rights and increasing mandatory sentences.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 13, 2025

SB 869: Prostitution; creating felony offense; providing for penalties. Effective date.

SB 869 reclassifies certain prostitution-related offenses from misdemeanors to felonies under Oklahoma law. It creates new felony penalties for: engaging in prostitution while knowingly infected with HIV (up to 5 years in prison), child prostitution sex trafficking (up to 10 years), and prostitution within 1,000 feet of schools or churches (up to 5 years). The bill also updates penalty structures for repeat offenses and requires community service or health notifications for convictions. This directly affects individuals engaging in these specific acts, with penalties varying based on the circumstances and prior convictions. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeReclassifies prostitution offenses to felonies with harsher penalties (up to 10 years), expanding criminalization and increasing mandatory sentences per bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 13, 2025

SB 566: Assault and battery; creating misdemeanor offense related to railroad workers. Effective date.

SB 566 creates a new misdemeanor offense for intentionally assaulting railroad workers or rail personnel in Oklahoma. It directly affects individuals who commit such assaults, imposing penalties of up to one year in jail, a $1,000 fine, or both. The bill specifies that the assault must be intentional and without justifiable cause, targeting violence against those working in rail operations. The law will take effect on November 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new misdemeanor offense for assaulting railroad workers, expanding criminalization of specific violent acts against workers.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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