Sen. Shane Jett

Maddy summarySB 502 defines "cannibalism" as willingly ingesting human flesh, blood, or tissue and makes it a felony punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The bill directly affects anyone who commits this act, creating a new criminal offense under Oklahoma law. It codifies this definition in Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes and takes effect November 1, 2025. The law establishes clear penalties without specifying additional circumstances or exceptions.

Maddy summarySB 803 creates the "Parental Rights Protection Act" to strengthen specific rights for parents in child welfare cases. It guarantees parents the right to written notice of allegations, access to evidence, fair investigations, timely appeals, and family reunification efforts before foster care placement. The bill imposes penalties on state agencies or officials who violate these rights, including fines, civil liability, or removal from office, and establishes a Parental Rights Review Board to handle complaints and issue annual reports. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, directly affecting parents navigating child welfare decisions and state agencies like the Department of Human Services.

Maddy summarySB 412 reduces Oklahoma school board members' required training from 12 to 3 hours annually, removing specific topic mandates like school finance, open records law, and ethics. It eliminates penalties for non-completion, changes record-keeping from the State Board to individual school districts (requiring public posting online), and repeals the previous 12-hour training requirement. The bill directly affects all elected and appointed school board members in Oklahoma public school districts. It takes effect July 1, 2025, as an emergency measure.

Maddy summaryHB 1726 bans the land application, sale, or distribution of biosolids (treated sewage byproducts) and related products containing perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as fertilizers, soil amendments, or mulch in Oklahoma. It directly affects wastewater treatment facilities, agricultural businesses, and farmers who previously used these materials. Key provisions include exemptions for food-processing compost (e.g., from fruits or grains), manure, and lined landfill disposal, while requiring the Department of Environmental Quality to enforce environmental rules and develop a remediation funding plan for PFAS contamination. The bill also mandates a 2025 report on long-term alternatives for safely managing biosolids and septage.

Maddy summarySB 492 repeals seven specific sections of Oklahoma’s asset forfeiture law (63 O.S. 2021 §§ 2-503 through 2-508), which governed property seizure, notice requirements, and disposal procedures. This bill removes existing rules that directly affected individuals whose property was seized by law enforcement under asset forfeiture. The repeal takes effect November 1, 2025, eliminating these specific legal provisions without creating new mechanisms. The bill focuses solely on repealing outdated statutes, with no new policy changes or direct impact on current forfeiture practices.

Maddy summarySB 620 requires businesses selling agricultural products (like compost, fertilizer, or soil amendments) containing biosolids to clearly label them with this disclosure. It also mandates visible public signage at properties where biosolids are applied, and requires property sellers/lessors to disclose if land was used for biosolids application. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality must publish an annual map of all biosolids application sites online, including landowner names and application dates. Additionally, agritourism businesses within four miles of biosolids application must receive 60-day written notice. The law takes effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 420 requires Oklahoma judicial election ballots to include the name of the appointing governor and the date of appointment for judges up for retention (such as Supreme Court Justices, Court of Criminal Appeals Judges, and district judges). This applies to non-partisan ballots, which will no longer include party designations. The bill directly affects voters in these judicial races and the judges seeking retention, by providing specific background information on the ballot. It becomes effective November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 386 prohibits Oklahoma state and local governments from using ranked-choice voting systems, which allow voters to rank candidates by preference and tabulate results in multiple rounds until a candidate achieves a majority. It directly affects candidates, voters, and election officials in jurisdictions that might adopt such systems. The bill declares existing ranked-choice voting ordinances void and authorizes the Attorney General to enforce the prohibition, while allowing affected individuals to file civil lawsuits seeking court orders to stop violations. Violators could face court costs and attorney fees if sued.

Maddy summarySB 788, the "Students’ Bill of Rights," creates specific protections for students in Oklahoma public schools and public charter schools. It guarantees rights including a safe environment free from bullying, an education free from "socialism, communism, or Marxism," no display of socialist/communist symbols in classrooms or school events, religious expression rights (like voluntary prayer and reading religious texts), and protection from punishment for lawful conduct. The bill requires schools to respond in writing within seven business days to written complaints about rights violations and allows legal action with attorney fees for successful claims, though lawsuits about bullying require prior notification and multiple incidents. It directly affects all students, parents, and school districts in Oklahoma public education.

Maddy summarySB 917 restricts retirement benefits for state and education employees who face a felony charge. Upon a felony charge, employees immediately lose access to their retirement benefits, and the prosecutor must notify the employer and retirement system within three days. The retirement system then suspends benefits and offers a hearing to review the charge, but benefits are restored only if the employee is found not guilty (with no credit for the suspension period). The bill takes effect November 1, 2025.