Housing

SB 128 extends the required notice period for eviction cases (forcible entry and detainer) in Oklahoma from 3 days to 7 days before the court hearing for most cases, while maintaining a 3-day requirement for emergency evictions under specific subsections of Oklahoma law. It also updates summons language to be plain and understandable, requires public access to the summons form via the court website, and makes certain legal terms gender-neutral. The bill would have affected tenants and landlords in eviction proceedings by giving defendants more time to prepare. However, this bill was vetoed by the Governor on May 5, 2025, and is not currently law.

HB 2294 allows group homes for people with developmental or physical disabilities to operate as permitted residential uses in all residential zones across Oklahoma, eliminating the need for special permits like conditional use approvals. It requires group home operators to notify all property owners within 300 feet of the proposed location before establishment and mandates the Department of Human Services to create rules within 180 days to prevent over-concentration, setting a minimum 1,200-foot spacing requirement between new group homes. The bill prohibits local governments from imposing additional fees, taxes, or environmental reviews on group homes beyond what applies to single-family residences. This directly affects group home operators, neighboring property owners, and local zoning authorities by standardizing procedures and notification requirements.

SB 484 prohibits municipalities with populations under 300,000 (per the latest federal census) from approving new schools, shelters, or homeless shelters operated within places of worship near existing schools, hospitals, or government buildings. The bill directly affects smaller Oklahoma cities and towns by restricting where certain facilities can be built. Key provisions remove ambiguous language about "property" and explicitly include homeless shelters in places of worship within the prohibited locations. This creates a clear geographic restriction to prevent new facilities from being sited adjacent to existing community infrastructure.

SB 347 amends Oklahoma law (11 O.S. 2021, Section 43-103) to prohibit cities and towns from implementing minimum parking requirements when adopting regulations for buildings, land, or districts. The bill updates the statutory framework governing municipal planning, which previously allowed such parking mandates, and specifies that governing bodies cannot enforce these requirements while following the section's eight stated objectives (e.g., traffic safety, health, historical preservation). This change directly affects local governments' ability to regulate parking in zoning and development decisions. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025.