Criminal Justice

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 2035: Torts; prohibiting the assertion of qualified immunity as a defense to liability. Effective date.

SB 2035 removes qualified immunity as a legal defense for peace officers (state or local law enforcement) who violate constitutional rights under the Bill of Rights or Oklahoma Constitution. It directly affects injured parties filing lawsuits and peace officers facing liability claims. Key provisions require officers to be personally liable for such violations, prohibit statutory immunities from applying, mandate attorney fee awards to winning plaintiffs, and require employers to cover most costs - except when officers acted in bad faith or were convicted of crimes. The bill takes effect November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill removes qualified immunity for law enforcement, directly enhancing police accountability and aligning with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 3356: Pardon and Parole Board; updating language; effective date.

HB 3356 updates Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board procedures for inmate release. It requires the Board to consider victim impact statements from sentencing and mandate that inmates pay monetary restitution for economic losses to victims before parole is granted. The bill also adds new conditions: inmates must secure suitable employment or housing, complete education programs (to a set proficiency level or earn a diploma), and may need to finish programs after release. Parole officers must help inmates find jobs or education, and failing to complete required programs can lead to parole revocation. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires restitution, education completion, and employment for parole, promoting rehabilitation and victim restitution to reduce recidivism.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Probation & Parole Victims' Rights

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2026

SB 1609: Oklahoma Evidence Code; providing for admissibility of certain statements. Effective date.

SB 1609 allows victim statements about specific violent incidents - poisoning, shooting, or assault with intent to kill - to be used as evidence in court. These statements, made within one week to law enforcement or in protective order applications, become admissible in criminal and juvenile cases, including hearings on probation or protective orders. The bill directly affects victims of these crimes and law enforcement by streamlining how their accounts can be presented in court. It removes typical barriers requiring separate proof of reliability for such statements, making them automatically admissible under the specified conditions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill allows victim statements about violent crimes as evidence, strengthening prosecution of violent offenses and supporting criminal justice system effectiveness.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence Juvenile Justice

Track

signed · Oklahoma · House May 4, 2026

HB 3849: Oklahoma Juvenile Code; Oklahoma Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents Program; purpose; mentoring services; applicant requirements; grants; effective date.

HB 3849 establishes the Oklahoma Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents Program under the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth. It provides one-on-one mentoring services to two specific groups: children in juvenile custody outside the home, and children identified as at risk of entering the juvenile justice system, who have parents in prison. The bill requires the Commission to issue competitive grants every three years to qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations meeting strict criteria, including serving ages 6-18, having statewide presence, 3+ years working with this population, and adhering to safety protocols. Grants are capped at $1,500 per mentor-mentee match, with awards to be made by November 1, 2024, for services starting in 2026. The program is effective November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill prevents youth at risk of entering juvenile justice system through mentoring, aligning with criminal justice reform goals by addressing root causes of incarceration.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Juvenile Justice

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 4287: Prisons and reformatories; Oklahoma Department of Corrections; electronic record; Oklahoma State Data Center; census geography; effective date.

This bill changes how Oklahoma counts incarcerated people for redistricting. It requires the Oklahoma Department of Corrections to collect inmates' last known Oklahoma addresses and send anonymized demographic data to the State Data Center during census years. The data will adjust population figures so incarcerated people are counted at their home addresses (not prison locations) for legislative and local district boundaries. If an inmate's address is outside Oklahoma or unknown, they are excluded from local population totals. This ensures districts reflect where people actually live, not where they are imprisoned.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill corrects prison gerrymandering by counting incarcerated people at home addresses for redistricting, promoting equitable representation and aligning with criminal justice reform goals.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

Track

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 1618: Criminal procedure; creating the Public Protection Act; conditions of release; public safety reports. Effective date.

SB 1618 requires Oklahoma judicial districts to use validated risk assessment tools when setting pretrial release conditions for defendants facing misdemeanor or felony charges. These tools must evaluate factors like criminal history, community ties, substance abuse history, flight risk, and danger to others, while also considering the offense's nature and evidence weight. Courts must presume the assessment's accuracy and set release conditions accordingly, but may deviate only if the state provides clear evidence justifying exceptions to secure defendant appearance, protect public safety, or meet specific legal requirements. If deviations occur, courts must document their reasoning on the record.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires evidence-based risk assessments for pretrial release, reducing arbitrary detention and aligning with reform goals to protect defendant rights and improve fairness in court proceedings.95% confidence

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SJR 27: Constitutional amendment; clarifying Pardon and Parole Board voting procedures.

This constitutional amendment (SJR 27) clarifies voting procedures for Oklahoma's Pardon and Parole Board. It specifies that a tie vote on clemency recommendations for death row inmates does not count as a denial, and establishes rules for using alternate board members when regular members are absent or recused. Alternates must come from the same appointing authority as the absent member and have 180 days to review cases. The amendment directly affects the Board's operations and death penalty cases seeking clemency. It does not change the Board's authority over parole recommendations for nonviolent offenses.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeClarifies tie votes don't deny clemency for death row inmates, preventing automatic denials and supporting reform in capital punishment procedures.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Probation & Parole

Track

signed · Oklahoma · House May 12, 2026

HB 4408: State question 780 data; calculation of savings and averted costs from implementation of the Oklahoma Smart Justice Reform Act; Department of Corrections; Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency; Administrator of the Courts; effective date.

HB 4408 requires the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and the Administrator of the Courts to submit annual data by July 31st on offenders convicted only of crimes reclassified under State Question 780 (which reduced penalties for certain low-level offenses). This data includes unique offenders, days served, and sentence lengths for offenses now classified as misdemeanors or with adjusted dollar thresholds. The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency must then calculate the state's annual savings from reduced incarceration costs within 30 days, using actual data or best estimates if needed. The final calculation is binding and cannot be revised later, with the bill taking effect November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates fiscal transparency to calculate savings from reduced prison sentences, promoting fiscal responsibility through cost tracking.85% confidence ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires data collection on penalties reduced under Smart Justice Reform Act, supporting reform implementation by tracking savings from reclassifying low-level offenses.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 3, 2026

HB 3202: Law enforcement training; requiring medical ethics and medical law in continuing education curriculum; effective date.

HB 3202 requires all CLEET-certified law enforcement officers in Oklahoma (both active full-time and reserve) to complete two hours of annual training on medical ethics and medical law starting November 1, 2026. The training must cover specific topics including patient rights, informed consent, HIPAA privacy rules, recognizing medical neglect, ethical decision-making in healthcare, and interactions with medical providers during emergencies. CLEET must collaborate with medical professionals and legal experts to develop and update a standardized curriculum for this training. Non-compliance with this requirement may lead to suspension of an officer's certification.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates medical ethics/HIPAA training for officers, enhancing accountability in medical emergencies and patient interactions per bill's requirements.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement

Track

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 15, 2026

HB 3287: Public health and safety; directing hospitals and health care facilities to post certain signage; codification; effective date.

HB 3287 requires all Oklahoma hospitals and healthcare facilities to post clear signage in visible and private areas, stating: "If you are a victim of domestic abuse or human trafficking for commercial sex, please notify the staff of this facility immediately." The bill mandates facilities to create protocols for reporting suspected abuse or trafficking cases to law enforcement before a patient's discharge or release, while also including procedures to protect victims from contact with alleged perpetrators during this process. The State Department of Health must establish rules for signage size, placement, and format. This law takes effect on November 1, 2026, directly impacting healthcare providers and supporting victims of domestic violence and human trafficking.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill mandates healthcare facilities to report domestic abuse/human trafficking to law enforcement, directly supporting criminal justice by enhancing victim protection and law enforcement response to crimes.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires hospitals to implement victim protection protocols and signage for domestic abuse/human trafficking, directly advancing patient safety and rights within healthcare facilities.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Human Trafficking Law Enforcement Public Health

Track